Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Rest Peacefully, Macy. My sweet dog went to Heaven yesterday...

Yesterday morning (4-24-12) around 10:00am, I held my beloved dog Macy as she took her last breath. I am absolutely devastated and torn up over the loss of my sweet girl. She was such an amazing, loyal friend to me. I will always cherish the time I had with her. 

When I adopted her, I went in looking for a healthy dog suitable for therapy work, and instead came out of the shelter with sweet Macy (A hospice dog). I fell in love with her from the moment I met her, knew that my home would be perfect for her. We really had a special bond because we both had heart issues. (I adopted her 2 weeks after my heart procedure in Aug 2010). Her vets/specialists at the shelter, and the ones I took her to diagnosed her with 5/6 heart murmur,Patent Ductus Arteriosus, Subaortic Stenosis, Pulmonic Stenosis, Pulmonary Edema, & Cardiomegaly. Surgery wasn't an option; she wouldn't survive anesthesia. Even if she could, if they fixed one problem, they would worsened others. Medicine gave her little relief, so over the past few months, her specialists pulled her off of the meds and told me just to keep her happy and comfortable; that she would let me know when it was her time. I knew that it would happen eventually and that saying goodbye was inevitable...it just really caught me off guard and was completely heartbreaking to watch, knowing that there was nothing I could do to save her. Most pups with complications like Macy had don't survive birth, so having her as long as I did was really a blessing. Macy made my life better with her sweet, gentle spirit. She played "momma" to Mykelti (therapy-dog-in-training) and she was a loyal companion to Ranger (registered therapy dog). Macy herself would have been an incredible therapy dog had she been healthy enough for it. Instead, she had the great honor of helping me train other dogs and prep them. I know that my Aussies wouldn't be quite as incredible as they are today in their therapy work/training, were it not for Macy's positive influence. My three cats adored her as well. Macy was so gentle and kind with every single creature and person she met. She was the most fantastic ambassador for the Pit Bull (x) breed that a handler could hope for! I feel so blessed that I got to call her my dog! 

My guess is that all of her heart conditions just got the best of her today and were too much for her to handle any longer. (She was laying in the floor by me when it happened). I knew her time was limited when I adopted her, but it still didn't change how much I loved her. Macy was an incredible dog! rbheart.gif



~Yesterday was a really tough day all the way around. After my dad and I took Macy to the Humane Society (they couldn't have been sweeter or more kind about everything!) He took me out to get a little lunch. When we went to get our food, I tried to put on a straight face and keep my composure. (I had clearly been crying before I went into the restaurant). The lady behind the counter remarked to me, "You look like you just lost your best friend, hon!". Well, that just set me off... I started crying in the middle of the restaurant and told her "I did lose my best friend! My dog died this morning..." (My dad was so sweet! At that point, he ushered me off to go to the ladies room so I could collect myself, while he placed our order. So glad he was there yesterday to help!) 


After that, my sweet mom took me to my cardiologist appointment.(Although I really wanted to cancel, my insurance runs out soon, so I had to keep it.) I guess God was REALLY testing my patience yesterday! I wound up waiting for over 3 hours...despite their office being slow and not having hardly any patients! Once my doctor finally came in the room, he noticed that I was upset. (I had been crying most of the time that I had waited in the doctors office. I've gone to my cardiologist for years, and see him on a regular basis. So, he knows I'm typically an upbeat, happy person). I told him about Macy passing away and her heart issues after he asked what was wrong .Bless his heart, he then tried to explain to me what likely happened to her and specifically why she passed away from a cardiology stand point! Lord knows that he meant well and was only trying to help, but I really could have skipped that lesson in heart 101 yesterday...


Thankfully, last night two of my sweet girlfriends Abby and Susanna "came to the rescue" and whisked me off to dinner! They were so sweet and greeted me with flowers, a sweet card, chocolate, and Kleenex to make me feel better. I am so thankful for such amazing friends! They knew how much my sweet Macy meant to me; it really helped to get out of the house for a little bit and to spend time with my girlfriends.


*To all of my friends, readers, and family who have called, commented on my other pages, or left me a message: Thank you.  It really does mean a lot to me to have that kind of kindness shown towards me in the midst of grieving over my sweet pup. I know that to some people, they just view the loss of an animal minuscule. To the ones who know me well though, you all know that my pets ARE my family. They are with me for every single high and low, every time I go to bed and wake up, every heartache, and every single milestone. From a daily standpoint, they are often all I have. So, it is a tremendous loss for me to lose one of my beloved pets so suddenly. I will really miss my sweet Macy! 


A few pictures of my girl:

Macy in her party hat
My beautiful girl on a walk
My sweet girl with her goodies on her first "Gotcha Day" 
Macy loved car rides!
The day that I adopted her
Her first day at home with Ranger and me; look at that smile! She was happy to have a home, and he was happy to have a friend! They were best friends.
Macy was so intelligent! She passed Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced Obedience classes. During her last Obedience class, she won the toy in the picture with her for earning the highest points!
They all got along so well! My Aussies and I will really miss our sweet girl!
I'm going to miss her huge ears! So cute!











2 comments:

  1. I only found your blog because I was looking for reviews for Bark Box and I found your videos. The first with Macy the second without her :( I had to dig up information on you to find your blog and find out what had happened. I just wanted to say how sorry I am for your loss, she was a beautiful little girl and I can tell you both loved each other alot. Thank you for giving her a much deserved final chapter to her life!

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  2. Thank you so much for the kind message! That really means a lot to me. We really miss our sweet Macy girl!

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