I've posted a bit about Henneh's decline over the past 6 months... Phillip wrote up this tribute to her that we sent out to family and friends that knew her. She touched a lot of lives - our lovable nutter girl. We're having our friend who is a vet come over and put her at peace this coming Thursday.
We both have the day off and I have a 4-day weekend so I won't be as likely to cry at work when I return. (sigh...) Those of you that remember my posts know that she has been a difficult dog to live with in some ways and has pushed my patience to the limit... but there's no denying that she is extremely sweet, trustworthy, and loving. As she's aged, our bond has grown tremendously. I'll stop there. Phillip's note does a better job than I can do.
Dear friends and family,
As Henneh nears her eleventh year, her quality of life has drastically decreased. Sure, she's been a bit creaky these last few years, but regular walks (along with ceasing to play fetch) have kept her in reasonably good health and spirits. The past six months have been especially tough, as Henneh's motor functions have been deteriorating steadily. She is at the point now where she can no longer go for walks, falls down frequently and has a hard time getting up, and is often incontinent. She also has lost 15 pounds in a few months. Erica and I chose not to have an MRI done. Although this expensive procedure might have told us what the problem is, the fact remains that Henneh is simply an old dog that never had a clean bill of health to start with. She was diagnosed with knee and hip problems at three years old, so we have been grateful that controlling her diet and regular exercise have kept her active as long as long as she's been.
Of course, Erica and I have been trying to prepare for the eventuality of Henneh's passing, but this is never an easy task. I got Henneh from a small farm in rural Wisconsin in February of '98. My brother, Myk, drove and I remember Henneh puking up an enormous pile of kibble on the floor of his truck. There was a moment of uncomfortable silence before I said, "Well, we know she has a good appetite!" Henneh was my first dog and I wanted to do everything right. She became housebroken very quickly, and although I lived in Milwaukee at the time, she had regular walks along a riverside trail. Here, we practiced the basics such as Come, Sit and Stay. The most infamous story from this period was when I made Henneh sit and stay while her dog and human friends continued on to the park. She had been pulling impatiently on the leash and I needed to show her that this was unacceptable. While we waited (with the leash slack and Henneh sitting on the sidewalk) she screamed and squealed like she was being tortured, until a lady poked her head out of an upstairs apartment and yelled, "Why don't you leave that poor dog alone!?"
Though events such as this led Henneh to be known as a Drama Queen, the truth is that although she has her quirks, she has always been a loyal and trustworthy dog. Despite her nuttiness I am so proud of her tolerance and love of people. When I first moved to Portland I would visit a city park to throw the ball for Henneh and kids would pour out of their homes to come and play with her. These were kids that didn't have their own pets so would get very excited to hold her leash or throw the ball. Henneh loved the attention and handled the kids' rough play and noise with tail-wagging grace. It has always been a comfort for me to know that Henneh is submissive to people, yet has a built-in alarm that warns us when someone approaches. As a powerful breed that has a dubious reputation, I like the fact that anyone could take a bone away from Henneh while she's chewing it or remove her food dish.
I have hundreds of stories spanning the past ten years and I could go on and on. However, the reason for this note is to let folks know that we are going to put Henneh to sleep sometime in the next week or so. My eyes tear up as I write this because it is no longer a vague, future decision, but something we've decided a couple of days ago when, for the first time in her life, Henneh slept outside instead of at the foot of our bed. For anyone that knows Henneh, this speaks volumes about her condition. She's always been happiest next to her people and the fact that she couldn't make it inside that night forced Erica and I to acknowledge that it is time. While she is a shadow of her former self, she is not immediately miserable or in a lot of pain. Erica and I don't want to wait until she is completely immobile or uncomfortable. We hope to spend a few more nice days outside in the yard with her this weekend, lazing in the sun and breeze before having a vet friend make a house call next week. We encourage anyone interested to visit and say goodbye in person, or give her a farewell pet or scratch in your thoughts. She will be missed, our Hennie Girl...
Here is a link to our Henneh set on Flickr - for some awws and giggles. A tribute to our sweet Hennie.
Flickr: magpie33's stuff tagged with henneh
Some photos of our girl....
The sisters...
Her party shirt - she loves to be dressed up!
Her favorite toy - the jolly ball.
Her "come hither" look that I can never resist, and she knows it. (heart)
Have a great day, Sheila-owned by Quentin (b&t,M, dobie), Maggie Mae(1/2 shar pei, 1/2 ?, F, from the pound), and Peaches (red dobie, F)
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