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In Memory of
SHEBA
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The first weekend of October marked the passing of my dog, Sheba. She
was more than an animal to me, she was a best friend, a deeply loved family
member - and honestly the best dog I could know. She didn't think she
was a dog actually - maybe that is why she acted so perfect... this is one
dog that never, and I mean never gave anyone any problems.
We got Sheba from a pet store at the mall, later finding out she was a victim of a puppy mill. She had been operated on before we got her, and they did something to her tendons and muscles in her front shoulders. As she got older, she couldn't run wild like she did when she was a puppy, and worse still, she actually developed arthritis at a very young age. What these puppy mills do to the dogs is insane. They could have ruined her life, but Sheba was lucky enough to find me. When I saw her, I went mad... something about this face looking out from that small cage called me. I went back many times to the pet store and looked at her. I hoped she would get a good home. Then the second time I held her, I decided her three month stay in a cage was over. I took her home. That week it stormed and I first noticed how scared she was of thunder and rain... she climbed onto my lap... a place she would always seek for shelter during storms for the rest of her life. Watching her get ill was very hard for me. She was so active as a puppy... but the crazy thing is that she never showed the pain... then the worst happened....
One day we noticed that Sheba had a growth on her back - a small one... about as big as a small marble. I actually thought she had been bitten by a spider or something at first. As time went on, it kept growing and growing and more developed... the first one was huge by now, looking like a large broccoli sticking out of her back... we took her to the vet, a wonderful guy here in KC, and he checked her out and gave us the news... she had cancer. We had to get her medicine and keep her on it always... and she seemed to do OK for quite sometime. She was a brave dog... never giving up... fighting to the end.
One day she just couldn't get up anymore and I went to her and cradled her in my arms... she died there an hour later. I felt a part of me die with her. A pain I had never known. To this day, it is like I have a huge hole in my life. I find myself looking for her at my door when it rains... and I find myself watching for her in the dark when I come home... it's hard to believe that something or someone you can love so much can be gone so quick... she was with me but a short while in the grand scale... but she touched my life in ways no people had done... I miss her everyday and she will stay in my heart forever. I wanted to take this space to honor her and the joy she brought to me.
Goodnight Sheba... I love you.
Todd
