I have been putting this off. In fact, I have been pretty much avoiding it altogether. I found it was easier to be in denial. But, today Lucky Girl came back home and now I can't even pretend that she is just visiting my parents like she used to do.
So, what can I say about the greatest dog to ever live? Lucky Girl was something out-of-this-world special. She was the single most loved dog I have ever known. Every single person who met her fell in love instantly. Where most Dalmatians are bouncy and super energetic, she was serene and sweet. She never met a stranger: human or dog. Her patience knew no bounds. Puppies could bite and crawl on her, children could hug her a little too tight or tug on something they shouldn't, and people in wheelchairs or walkers could run into her and the only reaction they would get was her sitting and offering her paw. She was gentle and kind. However, she ruled the roost and the hounds never messed with her. She was the only one that could snuggle Lucius. He misses her greatly. The thing about Lucky Girl is that she loved everyone without fault. Sure, she could be a diva. She knew it was all about her. But when it really came down to it she just loved with all she had to give.
Over the past 2 weeks I have received hundreds of e-mails, messages, Facebook posts, texts, and phone calls about her. People who never met her are grieving with us. Her ability to touch lives extended far beyond her physical reach. Did you know that she has fans in South America? When a friend of ours went down there to teach he helped the children learn English by telling them stories about Lucky Girl. She has a dear friend all the way in Oregon who never met her but who sent her gifts from LG's "boyfriend", a Greyhound named Gus. I know that they are grieving with us.
The first time I met her highness she was at a kill shelter. I had a client who worked at the shelter and she called me to tell me about a Dalmatian that had been dumped and was going to be euthanized simply because of her breed. So, despite Justin and I discussing how we were not going to go get her because the timing was not right, I went the next day to get her. The moment I met her I knew she had to come home. She rolled over on her back and gave me this "I'm pitiful now but someday you will worship me" sweet face and I completely fell head over heals. So, after the famous "how much do you love me" phone call to my husband, she came home with me and we spent a mini fortune spoiling her for the first of many times. Soon after she began having medical issues and we found out that my "2-year-old Dalmatian" was actually at minimum 7 (I knew she was older than they told me but I took her anyways). The reason she was at the shelter? The previous owners claimed she was aggressive. Yeah, right. She was as dangerous as a teddy bear and just as adorable.
One of my closest friends in the world is afraid of dogs. But Lucky Girl won her over immediately. That was LG's way. She's meet somebody, charm them, and add them to her fan club. She used to go to work with me at Petco (years ago when I worked there) everyday. She was the store mascot, essentially. She took part in every special event. She spent the day being pampered and worshipped. People would come in and ask for her. I will never forget the day that we were at Petsmart and a woman was brought to happy tears when LG approached her wheelchair and gently put her front paws on the woman's lap and allowed her to love on her.
She aged gracefully. She always looked young and beautiful, even near the end. A couple of days before we had to let her go I met a man and his children who insisted she didn't look a day over 7 or 8. She would have been 13 in November.
We have a painting on the wall of her next to an upside-down popcorn tin. People always ask about it. There is a funny story attached to that piece of art. Back when we first got the Greyhounds we used popcorn tins as raised feeders. Well, when we would leave the house we would always come home to a bowl on the floor and the same tin in random places. It liked to spend time on our bed under our covers, on the couch and papasan chair, and on the loveseat. We thought it was very odd. LG would often be found near the tin. One day we decided to pretend that we were leaving and sneak around the house to peek in the windows. We watched LG go and knock the bowls off the popcorn tin, pick it up by the rim, and carry it through the house. Silly girl!
She loved water. She would jump in any creek or lake. She would even splash around in big puddles. She loved going out in the field and splashing around. The creek and covered bridge was her favorite place in the world. For some reason she always wanted to try to jump off the edges of the bridge into the creek. We never let her, obviosuly. When we take her ashes to the creek we are going to sprinkle some over the places she always wanted to jump from. She'll finally get to leap into the creek from the bridge. We took her to the creek right before we took her to the vet. She was stinky, wet, and happy. She wouldn't have wanted it any other way.
She loved food. That dog should have ended up at the e-vet so many times. She would find ways to get into cupboards and the fridge. She would gorge herself and then hide the evidence under the bird cages. She would do anything for food. She loved Brusters Ice Cream doggie sundaes.
Most of all, she loved me. The sun rose and set with me in her eyes. She always wanted to be with me. If I moved, she moved. She was always by my side, under my feet, or cuddled up to me. Even when walking became kind of hard to do she would follow me from room to room, never letting me out of her sight. In pictures she was almost always looking at me. She was MY dog and she was devoted to me until the day she died. I held her face and kissed her and spoke to her as she was going to sleep for her final rest. She was content with me there by her side.
The whole in my heart is gaping. The emptiness in the house is staggering. Lucky Girl was a one-in-a-million dog and she will forever be missed. This tribute is long but honestly it is not long enough. Run free my beautiful Lucky Girl. I have no doubt that you are in Heaven eating steak while resting in a creek. We love you and miss you. We'll meet again someday.
So, what can I say about the greatest dog to ever live? Lucky Girl was something out-of-this-world special. She was the single most loved dog I have ever known. Every single person who met her fell in love instantly. Where most Dalmatians are bouncy and super energetic, she was serene and sweet. She never met a stranger: human or dog. Her patience knew no bounds. Puppies could bite and crawl on her, children could hug her a little too tight or tug on something they shouldn't, and people in wheelchairs or walkers could run into her and the only reaction they would get was her sitting and offering her paw. She was gentle and kind. However, she ruled the roost and the hounds never messed with her. She was the only one that could snuggle Lucius. He misses her greatly. The thing about Lucky Girl is that she loved everyone without fault. Sure, she could be a diva. She knew it was all about her. But when it really came down to it she just loved with all she had to give.
Over the past 2 weeks I have received hundreds of e-mails, messages, Facebook posts, texts, and phone calls about her. People who never met her are grieving with us. Her ability to touch lives extended far beyond her physical reach. Did you know that she has fans in South America? When a friend of ours went down there to teach he helped the children learn English by telling them stories about Lucky Girl. She has a dear friend all the way in Oregon who never met her but who sent her gifts from LG's "boyfriend", a Greyhound named Gus. I know that they are grieving with us.
The first time I met her highness she was at a kill shelter. I had a client who worked at the shelter and she called me to tell me about a Dalmatian that had been dumped and was going to be euthanized simply because of her breed. So, despite Justin and I discussing how we were not going to go get her because the timing was not right, I went the next day to get her. The moment I met her I knew she had to come home. She rolled over on her back and gave me this "I'm pitiful now but someday you will worship me" sweet face and I completely fell head over heals. So, after the famous "how much do you love me" phone call to my husband, she came home with me and we spent a mini fortune spoiling her for the first of many times. Soon after she began having medical issues and we found out that my "2-year-old Dalmatian" was actually at minimum 7 (I knew she was older than they told me but I took her anyways). The reason she was at the shelter? The previous owners claimed she was aggressive. Yeah, right. She was as dangerous as a teddy bear and just as adorable.
One of my closest friends in the world is afraid of dogs. But Lucky Girl won her over immediately. That was LG's way. She's meet somebody, charm them, and add them to her fan club. She used to go to work with me at Petco (years ago when I worked there) everyday. She was the store mascot, essentially. She took part in every special event. She spent the day being pampered and worshipped. People would come in and ask for her. I will never forget the day that we were at Petsmart and a woman was brought to happy tears when LG approached her wheelchair and gently put her front paws on the woman's lap and allowed her to love on her.
She aged gracefully. She always looked young and beautiful, even near the end. A couple of days before we had to let her go I met a man and his children who insisted she didn't look a day over 7 or 8. She would have been 13 in November.
We have a painting on the wall of her next to an upside-down popcorn tin. People always ask about it. There is a funny story attached to that piece of art. Back when we first got the Greyhounds we used popcorn tins as raised feeders. Well, when we would leave the house we would always come home to a bowl on the floor and the same tin in random places. It liked to spend time on our bed under our covers, on the couch and papasan chair, and on the loveseat. We thought it was very odd. LG would often be found near the tin. One day we decided to pretend that we were leaving and sneak around the house to peek in the windows. We watched LG go and knock the bowls off the popcorn tin, pick it up by the rim, and carry it through the house. Silly girl!
She loved water. She would jump in any creek or lake. She would even splash around in big puddles. She loved going out in the field and splashing around. The creek and covered bridge was her favorite place in the world. For some reason she always wanted to try to jump off the edges of the bridge into the creek. We never let her, obviosuly. When we take her ashes to the creek we are going to sprinkle some over the places she always wanted to jump from. She'll finally get to leap into the creek from the bridge. We took her to the creek right before we took her to the vet. She was stinky, wet, and happy. She wouldn't have wanted it any other way.
She loved food. That dog should have ended up at the e-vet so many times. She would find ways to get into cupboards and the fridge. She would gorge herself and then hide the evidence under the bird cages. She would do anything for food. She loved Brusters Ice Cream doggie sundaes.
Most of all, she loved me. The sun rose and set with me in her eyes. She always wanted to be with me. If I moved, she moved. She was always by my side, under my feet, or cuddled up to me. Even when walking became kind of hard to do she would follow me from room to room, never letting me out of her sight. In pictures she was almost always looking at me. She was MY dog and she was devoted to me until the day she died. I held her face and kissed her and spoke to her as she was going to sleep for her final rest. She was content with me there by her side.
The whole in my heart is gaping. The emptiness in the house is staggering. Lucky Girl was a one-in-a-million dog and she will forever be missed. This tribute is long but honestly it is not long enough. Run free my beautiful Lucky Girl. I have no doubt that you are in Heaven eating steak while resting in a creek. We love you and miss you. We'll meet again someday.
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