Yesterday my BFF sent me a note that her French Bulldog, Ally, will likely need to be put down in the coming weeks. She and I took a 10 hour drive to far western PA to pick up Kareta's Practically Magic, aka "Ally", on November 14th some, oh, gee.... maybe 7 years ago? Ally has had more thoughtful love, time, attention, money lavished on her and her health issues over the years (chronic UTIs meant emergency visits, extra supplements and creative food ventures. A herniated disc meant surgery and rearrangement of court schedules - friend's a county prosecutor - so my friend could come home 2 times mid-day to check on her and let her out, etc.)
Well, Ally's herniated disc has created an incurable issue with her spine where she is losing feeling in her back end - which means urinary incontinence right now, and will only go down hill. As Crissy says, she "doesn't want to reach the bottom of that hill". If there was anything to be done for Ally, Crissy would spend the money, effort, travel, ANYTHING for her... but there's nothing more. So, she's trying to aim for November 14th to enjoy as many sunny fall days together until then. Crissy will be stunningly devastated when Ally is no longer with her.
Ally was my first introduction to French Bulldogs, and what an ambassador! Crissy became a French Bulldog Rescue Network volunteer, and took Ally on local TV many times to bring awareness to the FBRN group and other shelter dogs needing homes. Ally came directly from a breeder, and was never a rescue, but Crissy dedicated a portion of her life to the breed because of Ally. When we arrived to pick her up, she'd given birth to a litter of puppies several weeks before. She was very proud to show them off - all head and tiny stumpy legs underneath. She snored, she farted, she always greeted me with a very in-your-face deep sniffing that was completed with an outbound snort of wetness into my face. I always greeted her with "LIDDLLE AAAAALlly!" and she'd get the zoomies. She dominated my ex's Dobe and my parents' Dobe, too, jumping up to bite the boys in the face to make it clear she was the boss. Gracie got a few play bows out of her, some zoomies, but then G was fast enough to avoid the face bite. These two girls were never as close as their owners. ;)
I am SOOO SOOO sad for my friend. We know our lives are longer than our dogs, but this will be an especially interwoven and meaningful bond to break when Ally is helped to the Rainbow Bridge. If you can spare some thoughts for Ally's last days and weeks to be good, I'd appreciate it. I don't know how bad Ally is, if she'll make it to November 14th, which is what her owner is hoping - to complete the circle on the anniversary of the day we picked her up. But I know Crissy will sacrifice her own heart for Ally's benefit, if and when needed.
Paige - dog.community moderator & Gracie - 6yr old Doberman
www.fortunatek9.com
Fight for your opinions, but do not believe that they contain the whole truth, or the only truth. ~W. Hamilton
"So you've 'had dogs all your life'? I've had teeth all my life. Doesn't make me a dentist." - JV McDonough, Certified Dog Trainer