Gabby

Time flies when life is happening.  It has been too long since I wrote here.  And now I want to write about our friend Gabby who passed away yesterday.  It is a sad story in some ways, but a story of salvation in other ways. 

We first met Gabby about five months after Lizzie passed away.  Bear was moving into old age and after losing two dogs in two years, this girl was worried about Bear moving on quickly.  We wanted to get a dog who was three of four years old.  One that was young enough that he or she could have some life and energy, but old enough that he or she wouldn't drive Bear absolutely crazy.  Here enters Gabby.

I got all excited about getting a new dog.  Yeah for a new dog!  A new member of the family!  I started looking at the web...and after purusing many dogs, I noticed Gabby.  She was at our community shelter.  She was a beautiful brown and white dog with smiling eyes.  She was old.  OLD? When they say "seven" do they mean older than that?  We just gave up two dogs in two years, could we handle another who might go at any time?  And yet, she stuck in my heart. 

I was determined not to play favorites when we got the shelter.  I wanted to stay open to whoever was there.  And so I looked here and there.  Well, what did Tim do?  He went straight in and found her kennel.  "Here she is! Let's take her into the play yard."  Are you sure?  I mean she is OLD.  "Seven isn't so old.  And besides, we are used to older dogs."  Ok, well let's take her out then.  As he and Carl took her into the yard, I went to the front to ask about her.  They said she was a drop off.  The original owner went off to school and left Gabby with her little sister.  Now her little sister was getting married and she didn't want the hassle of a dog.  The shelter staff said she is a "good dog." 

I got back and walked into the play yard just in time to see Gabby jump up on Carl, very gently I might add, and give him a HUG.  That is right, a hug.  There is just no other way to describe what she did.  Carl was very pleased and this decided it for him on the spot.  Honestly, I don't remember too much more of the time in the play yard.  What I do remember is that Gabby did not want to go back into that kennel! 

As we were reminiscing recently, Tim told me that what he remembers the most about seeing her for the first time in realy life, was that she looked completely defeated.  She was laying there and the dog that was in the kennel with her was dancing on her head in an attempt to get us to notice him.  I remember the food being spilled all over too and Gabby had no life in her eyes.  All that changed when she came out into the play yard that day. 

So at the desk, I remember we had to call our landlord.  That was strange.  I realized in a split second that our landlord could say no!  I mean, we had always owned our own home and no one could say one way or the other...BUT she said yes.  Thank YOU! 

And then I had to live with the feeling that we were making a big mistake.  Was it all show?  Was she really so calm?  Was she really this smart?  Hee hee...well, she did make a lot of messes those first few days home.  She seemed to have forgotten how to go to the bathroom outside.  And then there was the time that she decided that she would eat a dozen or so eggs that were left out on the counter.  Wow that was a mess.  She liked to eat other things off the counter as well.  The routine got to be, "Did you knock that bread bag on the floor?"  No, not me.  And then we would look at Gabby. 

Bear took our new addition to the family in stride.  They seemed to enjoy each other's company.  And Gabby continued to adore Carl.  But her real true love was Tim.  Maybe it was just because anyone who came within 10 feet of us could tell that Bear and I loved each other dearly.  Or maybe it was that Tim is such a great guy. But whatever the reason, Gabby fell in love with Tim.  The other day, Tim said, "She is MY dog.  She is everything that I think a dog should be.  I chose her!" 

Well, Gabby lived through Bear's passing which was just eight months after she came to live with us.  And then she live through being an only dog for all of five months.  And then she even lived through the new addition of Belle.

Gabby got to run free in the woods.  But she never chose to stay out long.  She loved our walks in the woods and in the fields.  She loved sniffing things and digging out in the fields.  She loved life.  And she reminded us how to love life.

Well, we moved about a month ago and Gabby lived through that too.  She was a trooper.  She was worried as we packed up and on the day of the actual move.  But I think that she knew...she knew that wherever we were that was home.  And she hopefully knew that we would never leave her.

Until the other day, she was a bright shining being: climbing up on the bed every night to warm Tim's side of the bed, snoring like the dickens once she got to sleep, eating her fill of food and drinking her fill of water, and just enjoying every minute.  In the midst of all that, I noticed she was gaining some weight.  I thought, 'Well, she does have a more sedentary life here than she did in the woods.'  Then we went camping and my sis sat our animals.  I don't remember saying it, but Tim said that I noticed her weight again when we got back from camping. 

But it wasn't until last Friday that I started worrying.  I am a great worrier, so this is pretty surprising.  I noticed that Gabby's belly felt tight and it looked distended.  I called early on Saturday morning to see if I could get into the vet.  They didn't call back even after they had been open an hour.  I called again...had to leave another message.  Finally I called again and they said that it could be bloat and that I needed to get in there asap. 

So...I loaded Gabby up and went to see the vet.  The story is getting long...well, the long and short of it is that we went home that day with an x-ray and proof that her belly was full of fluid.  We took blood.  The blood work came out fine.  F I N E. Looking back, that was not fair.  On Wednesday we brought her back in to have an ultrasound.  But in the meantime she was spoiled and walked and loved on.  Then I got the call on Wednesday morning.  They weren't going to do the ultrasound after all.  They knew what it was.  She had a tumor on her heart.  Her heart cavity was full of fluid as well as her belly. 

And then we were told that she didn't have any more chances.  And it was time...before things got really bad.  She was so happy and so seemingly healthy.  We took her for a walk in the beautiful Autumn sunshine.  We went to the store and bought her a big can of the best canned dogfood money could buy.  She got the lion's share and Belle got a nibble as well.  And then we scritched her and loved on her and read her a book and prayed over her.  And then she went to sleep and slept the sleep of the beloved. 

Gabby once again became Gabrielle.  Yes, Gabrielle the Beloved.