Jump to content

R.i.p. Beautiful Tess Xxx

k9angel

By k9angel,
in Rainbow Bridge

 Share

Recommended Posts

k9angel

k9angel

Posted
Posted (edited)

I can still remember the first time I saw you Tess. All those years ago back in Manildra.

You were bred to be a pigging dog but didn't cut it and were left to spend the first 10-12 months of your life alone, on a vacant lot. :(

Your Mummy was a cattle/dingo blend and your Daddy a greyhound.

The vacant lot you were left on was fenced in with tin so you couldn't see much of the outside world except for a little gap in the back fence that backed onto the laneway. I was walking Gyps one day when I spotted you.

You came barrelling up to the back fence to greet us. And boy were you fast. You ran just like a greyhound and I loved watching you bolt up each day to greet us.

It didn't take long for us to become friends. We were the only friends you had back then... but that would soon change.

One day I was walking Gyps at the Piggery creek when I got the fright of my life when I thought I had found you dead. Upon closer inspection, I discovered the dog laying before me was a male. I would later learn he was your brother. He had been shot twice. Like you, he was no good at pigging and that was the price he paid. :(

It broke my heart. We left him to rest in peace in the beauty of the countryside. :rainbowbridge:

I went home and started asking friends/neighbours about you. I managed to track down your owner, a young bloke who openly admitted to shooting your brother and told me you were next. He had bred you for pigging and because you wouldn't chase, he had no use for you. :(

I offered to take you and give you a home. It was no surprise he accepted so readily.

So off I went to the vacant lot lead in hand, to pick you up and give you a better life.

You could not believe your luck when I opened the gate and held you in my arms for the very first time. You were so happy but yet so scared. Not of me, but of what was on the other side of those fences that had hidden you from the world for so long. :(

You hadn't been out of the vacant lot much before and so the world was a pretty scary place for you. I reassured you as best I could as I put the lead on you and walked you home.

Never in my life, still to this day, had I seen a dog so terrified.

Your body trembled with fear and you left a trail of poo all the way from the vacant block back to home. :(

It didn't take you long to settle in and you were accepted by all, even my pack of sibes. They loved you and saw you as one of their own.

You were so sweet, so gentle and so loving. You stayed with us for about a year until One weekend when my brother came and visited from Sydney. He met you and it was love at first sight, and vice versa. You loved him so much so I agreed to you coming back to Sydney to live with Mum & my brother where you lived and were loved for the next 10 or so years of your life.

You were one of us Tess, one of the family.

You were always there to help us celebrate Christmas and Easter and Birthdays. You'd always be there sitting on the lounge or running around the yard playing ball or zoomies with Bear, or sticking your nose into a big bowl of cooked scotch fillet steak or roast chicken.

You lived a pretty good life. You were fed nothing but the best, many a time over the years I would joke that you ate better than us. You went for walks almost daily and had the run of the house or yard, as you pleased. You slept on the bed at night and loved going car cars.

You loved it when I'd take the kids down to visit and when my other brother would visit each Saturday with his 2 little girls. You were there to see all our kids grow Tess - you showed them the special friendship and love that dogs have to offer.

Your troubles began in late Jan when you were diagnosed with pyometra. I may of saved you from the vacant lot and found you a wonderful home, but the one thing I did not do and what most likely cost you your life, was to get you desexed.

I cannot tell you how sorry I am. :cry:

It is something I have to live with for the rest of my life and something I will never ever forgive myself for. :cry:

I didn't know of the importance of desexing back then. Not until I began rescuing and although I suggested it to Mum a few times these past 3 years, Mum is kind of old fashioned and insisted you'd be fine. I would of had it done myself but Mum always had an excuse to put it off. :(

It was a close call but you made it through the pyo after emergency surgery. Sadly though, you were never quiet the same after the op. You'd pick up one day, then be down the next. This went on for weeks. Several trips to the vet for blood tests and xrays and antibiotics...

At one stage we thought you had an injured neck, but it turns out it was a lot more sinister than that.

At the time you were diagnosed with pyo, it was also discovered you had several small mammary tumours. At the time though, the vets main concern and our own was getting you through the pyo. We would deal with the mammary tumours once you'd recovered from this op.

You started going off your food on the Saturday (the 3rd) and by Sunday wasn't eating at all. Your breathing was also different and had a horrible weazy sound to it.

I took you back to he vet Monday and more xrays were done. This time of your chest.

I waited nervously all day for the results to come back.

At 3pm I rang the vet for an update and he asked if I could come in to talk. I knew it was bad. He would always give updates over the phone. I asked outright "Is it cancer?" he said there is something there. :cry:

I got to the vet surgery and he showed me the xrays. In your lungs there were several masses. When comparing them to xrays taken (of the neck area but showing parts of the chest too) only weeks before, they had increased in size.

You had also lost 1.5kgs in a matter of weeks.

It was clear to see you were fading, and fast.

I rang my brother and told him to pop into Mums after work (this was on the Tuesday) to say goodbye to you as I was taking you to be put to rest tommorow. (Wed). You had no quality of life. You were not eating, barely drinking, your breathing was not good and you just wanted to hide away from the world. It was sad to see. :cry:

So he went and said his farewells. I thought I had better take Jack down too to say Goodbye. He took some roast lamb and a caramel cupcake in a little plastic dish thing to give to you. Although you wanted to eat it, you couldn't. :(

I found you laying on the lounge almost lifeless, I felt the scruff on your neck to check your hydration. You were very dehydrated and your breathing was laboured at times. I said to Mum, we cannot wait until tommorow, this has to be done now. So I called the vet and told them we were coming in.

I took some pics of you at Mums before we left.

You knew what was going on. You came outside and stood at the front like you had done so many times before, but this time stood there and took it all in admiringly one last time.

Thankfully it was nice and sunny (for a change) despite being so sick, you looked so beautiful standing there. :(

I took one of us together while Mum locked the house and got ready.

We dropped Jack off back home to his Dad and continued on to the vet with you resting your head on my lap. I spoke to you reassuringly, all the while with tears streaming down my cheeks. I tried to be strong girl. :cry:

I have seen others taking their own dogs to be put to rest, and felt so bad for them and now here we were. I hadn't had to have my own put to rest before. Gyps died suddenly at home, Jay Jay died at the vet as did Whitey and Cass was put to rest on the operating table.

They took you in and set up the catheter while we were asked to wait outside.

It felt like forever for the door to open and when it did you were just sitting there, thinking you were coming home. :cry: As soon as we got up and went in with you, you started to shake. You knew. You nuzzled your head into my chest and I asked the vet just before they started injecting you, whether we were doing the right thing and she assured me we were.

I cuddled you and kissed you and told you how much I loved you as the weazing sound came to a stop and you passed away in my arms. It was quick and peaceful. :cry:

I have seen dogs put to sleep before but never had to hold

one of my own, until you, Tess. :cry:

Taken 4 mths ago here at my house.

6912569691_10937caa9f.jpg

6788380131_1174174276.jpg

Our last pic together. I took it myself and had been crying, so it's not the best. I tried to put on a brave face for her.

6816988744_defaecf5da.jpg

Walking down the steps for the last time :cry:

6816988708_6dee88caea.jpg

With Jack

6816988734_86b044d2dc.jpg

Admiring the views for the last time :cry:

6816988736_02f4a5b560.jpg

6816988738_8d260b2683.jpg

R.I.P. beautiful Tess. xxx :rainbowbridge:

2001-6.3.12

Run free with Sooty, Pedro, Gypsy, Cassie, Jay Jay, Claude,

and Whitey. xxx

Missed by many and never forgotten.

Edited by k9angel
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Marion 01

Marion 01

Posted
Posted

Gee Rach, when does it end. You can rest assured that if you hadn't befriended her all those years ago, she would not have had the wonderful life she had. Same with all the others that have gone to that big happy playground in the sky. You did your very best for all of them, so don't blame yourself for not getting Tess desexed.

Run free now beautiful Tess and meet up with all your friends.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
stellnme

stellnme

Posted
Posted

I'm so sorry to read this. Tess knew you were there with her and she went out with love. It's so hard but thank you for being there for her again as you were 10 years ago when she needed you. You will have some lovely memories of her to comfort you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
MelodysMum

MelodysMum

Posted
Posted

What a beautiful tribute to a special girl! You gave her such a wonderful life! I am so very sorry for your loss, but very thankful that you came into Tess's life and taught her what it meant to be loved.

My thoughts and prayers are with you. :hug:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Boronia

Boronia

Posted
Posted

Have fun over the Bridge Tess, you are the most beautiful girl and have made many peoples' lives happy while you were here.

Your work is now done.

My condolences to you, K9angel, and your family.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
k9angel

k9angel

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Thanks everybody for your kind words.

I am still feeling numb and empty from the events of the past few days. :(

Tess is the 4th one we have lost now in less than 12 months.

I am still grieving for the 3 I lost last year including my heart dog Gyps. :cry:

Seems I just come to accept when one has passed and then we lose another.

These past 10 months have been like a nightmare, I keep waiting to wake up from. One thing I have learned is that life is so fragile and precious - Our dogs could be here one day, then taken from us the next - in the blink of an eye - just like that. That saying "tommorow is never promised for any of us", is so true. :(

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...