Post by sueb on Oct 17, 2016 17:17:52 GMT
It was with such deep sadness that we had our precious Nellie put to sleep this morning.
She had been on a drip since Friday morning and although not always seemingly "with us" had stabilised. But somehow I knew and have cried bucketfuls over the last few days. She took a sudden turn for the worse this morning, as her liver began shutting down and with painful swelling of 2 legs. Thankfully, she had a peaceful death and Tony & I were with her. It was only just over a week ago that she was still doing her usual bounding down the hall in the mornings, so joyous at seeing us.
It has helped me to write this tribute to Nellie:
It started with a small, simple tail wag; who'd have thought that something so fairly insignificant would have led to something so special, you really were a once in a lifetime dog.
We'd gone to the kennels to get a black girlie for Brennan, when I heard about you, brought back to the kennels after being in a home for 3 years and at almost 6 we knew you'd find it harder to find a home. Then came that little tail wag and our fates were sealed!
From the moment you came home you settled, were incredibly affectionate, obedient, but also fun. You were certainly no angel when it came to small furries though, you'd perfected the greyhound rigid trembling, lip licking and manic stare directed at small furry things and there would surely have been carnage had you been allowed to act upon your wishes! But your eagerness to please didn't make it too difficult to turn you into a greyhound with good manners, who became polite and tolerant of those small creatures (some allegedly other dogs!) who came up to you.
Who knows what hounds have experienced before they come to us, but you were certainly quite worried at first, you looked alarmed if I tutted (something I clearly did without realising, especially watching the news!). It broke my heart to see you tremble when we went to the kennels to introduce you and Brennan to Willow, no doubt worrying you were being taken back again. But once she'd calmed down, Willow really bonded with you.
But you were a brave girl, no greyhound scream of death when having injections, a cannula fitted, or even that day when the vet pulled out a half hanging dew claw, with no pain relief!
Although we've had dogs most of our lives, I never thought it was possible to love a dog as much as you; you made that easy. But now you are no longer here, it will be so hard. But precious memories come, of our silly "dancing," of you insisting on sniffing every greyhounds nether regions at least once at the Stifford show, your endless patience with children climbing all over you and enduring the silly hats and wearing Christmas lights while fundraising at Pets at Home .....to name but a few.
5 years with you didn't seem enough, but then nor would 25 have been!
Thank you for bringing your special magic into our lives, Nellie, we will miss you so much!
Run free at Rainbow Bridge with all the other hounds.
She had been on a drip since Friday morning and although not always seemingly "with us" had stabilised. But somehow I knew and have cried bucketfuls over the last few days. She took a sudden turn for the worse this morning, as her liver began shutting down and with painful swelling of 2 legs. Thankfully, she had a peaceful death and Tony & I were with her. It was only just over a week ago that she was still doing her usual bounding down the hall in the mornings, so joyous at seeing us.
It has helped me to write this tribute to Nellie:
It started with a small, simple tail wag; who'd have thought that something so fairly insignificant would have led to something so special, you really were a once in a lifetime dog.
We'd gone to the kennels to get a black girlie for Brennan, when I heard about you, brought back to the kennels after being in a home for 3 years and at almost 6 we knew you'd find it harder to find a home. Then came that little tail wag and our fates were sealed!
From the moment you came home you settled, were incredibly affectionate, obedient, but also fun. You were certainly no angel when it came to small furries though, you'd perfected the greyhound rigid trembling, lip licking and manic stare directed at small furry things and there would surely have been carnage had you been allowed to act upon your wishes! But your eagerness to please didn't make it too difficult to turn you into a greyhound with good manners, who became polite and tolerant of those small creatures (some allegedly other dogs!) who came up to you.
Who knows what hounds have experienced before they come to us, but you were certainly quite worried at first, you looked alarmed if I tutted (something I clearly did without realising, especially watching the news!). It broke my heart to see you tremble when we went to the kennels to introduce you and Brennan to Willow, no doubt worrying you were being taken back again. But once she'd calmed down, Willow really bonded with you.
But you were a brave girl, no greyhound scream of death when having injections, a cannula fitted, or even that day when the vet pulled out a half hanging dew claw, with no pain relief!
Although we've had dogs most of our lives, I never thought it was possible to love a dog as much as you; you made that easy. But now you are no longer here, it will be so hard. But precious memories come, of our silly "dancing," of you insisting on sniffing every greyhounds nether regions at least once at the Stifford show, your endless patience with children climbing all over you and enduring the silly hats and wearing Christmas lights while fundraising at Pets at Home .....to name but a few.
5 years with you didn't seem enough, but then nor would 25 have been!
Thank you for bringing your special magic into our lives, Nellie, we will miss you so much!
Run free at Rainbow Bridge with all the other hounds.