palo1
Well-Known Member
I had to say goodbye to my very dear old fellhound bitch yesterday. 
She was 14 and a half and had been with us since just before she was two. On Monday she was in great form - insisting on coming for a fair walk with us and eating her tea with relish. She had continued to play wildly and woof madly at the postman up until very recently but yesterday morning it was clear that all really was not well. I was with her all day and hoped that she might perk up but when she didn't want to eat (not anything - her usual fud, scrambled eggs, ham etc) and I could see her back legs really failing I knew that we had come to the end. She had lost a great deal of muscle tone in the last few weeks. Thankfully she was very relaxed and comfortable until my two children who can't remember a life before her had come home from school and agreed that we needed to help her. I had already had the conversation with the vet but under the circumstances I really wanted my two children to have chance to say goodbye and that was certainly the right thing to do and right for Bess too who looked for them until the very end. It was very peaceful, just at home thankfully and we have buried her in the field next to our old pony and one of the pet sheep. So, so sad for me as dear Bess came to us when my children were tiny and she was my great friend at that time.
She was a wicked, wilful girl who never did a really naughty thing (other than the usual houndy stealing) but always went her own sweet way through life. She was a wonderfully gentle dog but never exactly like a domestic dog bless her - house rules seemed very much optional to her!! Her absolute favourite things were lying in front of the woodburner - she would whine at my husband to put more logs on if she felt it necessary and to rummage in bins. She hated car journeys and crowded places but was a fabulous and kindly role model to Red IT. He was with us all day yesterday of course so I hope he understands where and why dear Bess has gone. It is hard to think of it just being him here now. I am at that horrid tearful stage where yesterday I could be calm and resolute. We have all wept buckets of sadness for ourselves but not for Bess who was clearly ready to say goodbye. End of an era for us a family too but I am so glad I had the privelage of sharing the life of a dog who lived it on her own terms. I do have pictures of my beautiful girl but haven't quite got the heart to find them, compress them and share them.
She was 14 and a half and had been with us since just before she was two. On Monday she was in great form - insisting on coming for a fair walk with us and eating her tea with relish. She had continued to play wildly and woof madly at the postman up until very recently but yesterday morning it was clear that all really was not well. I was with her all day and hoped that she might perk up but when she didn't want to eat (not anything - her usual fud, scrambled eggs, ham etc) and I could see her back legs really failing I knew that we had come to the end. She had lost a great deal of muscle tone in the last few weeks. Thankfully she was very relaxed and comfortable until my two children who can't remember a life before her had come home from school and agreed that we needed to help her. I had already had the conversation with the vet but under the circumstances I really wanted my two children to have chance to say goodbye and that was certainly the right thing to do and right for Bess too who looked for them until the very end. It was very peaceful, just at home thankfully and we have buried her in the field next to our old pony and one of the pet sheep. So, so sad for me as dear Bess came to us when my children were tiny and she was my great friend at that time. She was a wicked, wilful girl who never did a really naughty thing (other than the usual houndy stealing) but always went her own sweet way through life. She was a wonderfully gentle dog but never exactly like a domestic dog bless her - house rules seemed very much optional to her!! Her absolute favourite things were lying in front of the woodburner - she would whine at my husband to put more logs on if she felt it necessary and to rummage in bins. She hated car journeys and crowded places but was a fabulous and kindly role model to Red IT. He was with us all day yesterday of course so I hope he understands where and why dear Bess has gone. It is hard to think of it just being him here now. I am at that horrid tearful stage where yesterday I could be calm and resolute. We have all wept buckets of sadness for ourselves but not for Bess who was clearly ready to say goodbye. End of an era for us a family too but I am so glad I had the privelage of sharing the life of a dog who lived it on her own terms. I do have pictures of my beautiful girl but haven't quite got the heart to find them, compress them and share them.
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