Another friend lost

Over Thanksgiving, we lost our girl Pedja. It was sudden and totally unexpected...although when are you ever really prepared to lose a friend?

She started acting weird around the time we moved and I just thought she was anxious about a new house. But slowly she started refusing her food and finally on Thanksgiving she refused to even get off her bed. Greg and I decided to take her to the vet because obviously this was more than anxiety. Part of me was really nervous because she was acting so strangely but Greg and I really just thought she had some virus and after antibiotics she'd be back to normal.

That next morning Greg had to carry her to the car and into the vet's office. And one look at her, the vet said our options were "kidney failure, internal bleeding or cancer"...oh no...

I sent Greg and Abby home because we didn't want Abby to be around for the test results. She hugged Pedja and told her goodbye (she didn't really know what was going on). And I sat in the room alone with my friend...the test results came back worse than we expected. Complete kidney failure. No hope. And so I said goodbye to her...and sent her on to play with Brody...

She was a good dog. She was with me for almost 9 years (it would have been 9 years in January). She never complained. She never wanted anything from anyone except love. She was my "waggy tongue tongue"...she wagged her tail constantly and her whole body shook. She was the escence of innocence and trust despite her painful first months in an abusive home and the Oglethorpe pound.

She deserved a good life. I hope that I gave her that...


Abby still asks about Pedja often. She always reminds me that Pedja ate her cookies (Pedja did that one time and never could live it down!). But she knows that Pedja was "sick" and that she now lives "with Brody"....I hope that she will be able to hold onto those memories of a good little mutt named Pedja. Who came in this world with the purpose of making us smile.

***********

Dear Pedja,

I hope that you enjoyed your time with us. I hope that over the years we filled your life with love and memories the way you have filled ours. I know that you are running with Brody today and that makes me smile. I know he is happy to have you there. You served your purpose. You did your job ... you taught us all that sometimes a scrawny little mutt can make all the difference. I will keep you in my heart forver, our sweet Licky Lickerson.


We love you Pedja girl.