Memorial

Hi: My name is Susan and I want to write to you today about my friend and companion Missy. I found your website by way of Petfinder one day and initially thought about adopting a Shih Tzu dog - IF I'd ever get my husband to go along with it. When I saw the list of available dogs and spotted Missy, I instantly fell in love. I didn't even wait for my husband, I immediately filled out the online application and submitted. I knew it had to be.... And it was.

When Missy came to our home she was of course different than any dog I'd ever had. I'd be lying if I didn't say the first month wasn't rough because it was. We had several hurdles to jump - from learning to potty outside and not in her crate to getting acceptance from my husband. But we jumped them together, Missy and I. I thought my husband would never come around. You see he didn't see "the forest for the trees". He didn't understand that
Missy wasn't quite a pet yet... She didn't know how, we had show her how. There were days when I thought I would have to fight to keep her all of her life or my life, but before long she had done her little magic and worked her way into my husbands heart. He loved Missy with all his heart. Missy loved being a pet. She was a couch dog, through and through, and if I was on the bed, she wanted to be on the bed. She loved to snuggle. I initially though that I'd never get her to the point that she could be on our bed throughout the night. But once again she achieved it and we had her on our bed snuggling with us every night. Our worst hurdle was two months after adoption when the vet told me she had what he classed as a "very ugly" heart murmur. We ordered additional tests and found that her heart was greatly enlarged and she had fluid on it. All of her working systems were pushing so hard to work. We put her on heart and lung medicine immediately and she improved. It worked for some time and probably lengthen her live but eventually it just wasn't enough. Her poor little heart just couldn't keep up, she had been though too much physical stress in her life. That damned puppy mill. I'm sorry to say that we tried to jump the hurdle but we just couldn't make it. Missy passed in her sleep last night. We miss her so much already. We know that we gave her the best "months" of her life but I 'd still say that she enriched our lives far more. The last thing I'll remember about Missy is that I took her up to my parents campground yesterday and took her out on a golf cart ride. She had a blast with the wind in her face and cuddled up to me and we rode around just her and I. I m so glad I did that now.

I just wanted to let you know how much one of your dogs has deeply touched our hearts. I wish we had Missy longer we loved her so much that we're just happy to have gotten the 9 short months with her. We can't take on another dog right now but next spring we will be back to take another one of your dogs and bring to our home to show it how nice it is to be a real pet.