More sad news and other updates

Seems to be a spate of it lately.

I haven't been here in awhile...just sort of got busy with things and didn't check in on the dog internet in awhile, but I used to be pretty active.

Some of you might remember Dahlia, my sweet mellow butter stealing mutt.




Last September, she started to refuse her food. We ended up at the vet one Saturday morning when she seemed just listless and uninterested in everything. She was diagnosed with kidney disease, stage 3 according to the vet. We really thought we were going to lose her soon.

The good news was that she hung in there for almost a year. The bad news is we lost her in August. She fought the good fight for months and was doing as well as a dog with kidney disease could up until the last weekend when she went suddenly severely downhill. She had a lot of good days between diagnosis and the end, even though she lost so much muscle that she ended up weighing only 34 lbs in the end (should have weighed 45). She rallied, got back to eating her food and taking her short walks. She made it into spring and we got to celebrate her 11th Gotcha Day, something we were sure wasn't possible last September. She had a lovely summer and then her kidneys just started to fail, along with her whole body.

This was her just a couple weeks before we lost her, wandering the backyard like she always did.



One weekend in August, she just couldn't get up on her own and it was clear that the end was near. We said goodbye to her on August 12 and sent her back to her home planet, wherever that was (Dahlia could NOT have been a dog -- she was unlike any dog I knew!). She is SUPER missed and it's still weird to not have her here.

But now she's having hamburgers and racing around Heaven with my Dad, who we lost almost 8 years ago.


(Dahlia in 2017)

Poor Ben was a bit lost without his big sister. Even though she hadn't played much in recent times, I think he just liked having her solid, quiet presence around. He also looking ridiculously old! My young man is so white and he's only 5 to 5 1/2 or so!




Dahlia was black to the very end. Ben is going to look like an old man before he's 7!

But anyway...Ben seemed sad and lonely and so we started thinking about another dog when one landed in my lap. A friend felt that she'd do better in our home than hers, so we brought her home last week. She's a 2 1/2 year old Border Collie named Lea. And she's a happy addition to our home!

I feel for you. It is so very sad when we lose a loved one that has been so much a part of our lives. This weekend coming will be a year since I lost my last Border Collie. He was my rock and so I know just how you feel. Hugs to you and I hope you have lots more years with the two that you have now.

So sorry it is never easy but pleased you have found a new friend and a playmate for Ben.

Thanks folks! It's so hard to lose your best friend. She was my heart and she took a big piece of it with her when we lost her. Sometimes I still can't believe she's really gone.

But Lea definitely is helping. It's such a joy watching her play with Ben. He really needed a friend who plays.

Sorry for your loss but I do think you've done the right thing for Ben.


It's my firm belief that dogs are 'pack' animals and they love nothing better than having other dogs around and if not then some loving humans make a good substitute