On June 30th, 2011 we faced the heart-wrenching decision every dog owner must eventually face. It is a decision nobody wants to make nor even talk about. But as a family we all decided it was right.
We bid a farewell to Socks, our always faithful, always loyal pup. She was 17!
Socks was a mixed breed of Australian Cattle Dog, Blue Heeler, and German Shepherd. Her coat was always lush and brushing her could take a whole day and still not accomplish a whole lot (except a large pile of fur).
Socks loved to travel and explore new territory. She was great hiking and camping, walked perfectly on a leash, and behaved almost always off leash.
She was the most balanced dog we have ever had: she never picked fights nor would back away from a misbehaving dog. She had the uncanny ability to dissolve any situation, including protecting a less-than-intelligent chihuahua from becoming Rottweiler lunch.
She lived with four other dogs at one point and would routinely “referee” three much larger dogs than her when their wrestling matches got carried away.
Socks toughness went beyond other animals. She endured any type of weather and never complained about it. She would often go outside and come in completely covered in snow or soaked with rain.
Socks survived an emergency surgery, survived several bee stings (she was allergic), and a couple years ago had a tumor removed, extending her life more than we could have expected.
Socks had been on medicine for awhile, her body becoming weaker from age and another tumor. She was having trouble getting up but with a little help, would make it outside. Until recently she was mostly having good days.
It was just a couple days prior that she started whimpering and showing us she was in pain. Socks was so much a fighter that we knew she would continue on but couldn’t bear to have her be in pain.
We will miss Socks dearly but she gave us so much that she will forever be in our hearts. She was practically perfect.
Thank you Socks!
Birdfreak and all,
A tough thing you had to go through yesterday, but it happens to us all with pets; you did what was best for Socks. That’s a long life for a dog, and you are responsible for her tenure here and obviously she was a happy, well adjusted creature. That is no small accomplishment.
No other pet ever replaces one we lose, but the memories will always be there and we tend to compare our new friends with those we cherished from the past. I hope you have another that equals her loyalty and behavior. You couldn’t ask for much more in man’s best friend!
Mark
So sorry to hear about your loss. Much love to the whole family as you deal with this.
I’ve had to make that decision too many times myself and know how tough it is. It sounds like Socks was a wonderful dog, and I’m sure she appreciated your family as much as you appreciated her.
I’m so sorry, hon. I know what you’re going through. *big hugs* I’m always here if you need an ear to bend.
My heart goes out to you. We recently lost a 16 year old cat for mostly the same reasons. It is so painful. The other cats are still feeling the loss. One cat does not even hunt anymore, over a month later. Time does heal, but we will never forget the blessings these animals have brought to us.