About 4 months, Randall and I became the proud parents of a 2 year old black lab. Palin, as we affectionately called her, was by far the sweetest dog we have ever had! Being a die-hard dog fan (and no, I don't mean GA Dawgs), I have been blessed with several wonderful dogs in my lifetime.... Jody, Tabitha, Liberty, Samantha and Molly.
Bandit, our Boston Terrier, has been with us for about 10 years. He has rightfully earned a very special place in our heart. Justin, Jordy and I know that we probably take second place in Randall's heart because of the affection given toward this dog from Randall. Bandit has aged gracefully with a few gray hairs. However, his "will" has remained strong! (Just ask Justin!)
Palin .. was differerent. We adopted her from the local dog pound. She was a "free dog".. ha, which means she was the most expensive dog we have ever had. We had her spayed not long after adopting her. Because of some complications with stitches, Palin required a little extra attention but it was all worth it. She loved being loved on and never met a stranger. Hyper and happy doesn't even come close to describing Palin's bubbly personality! She was a meloncholy with a touch of sanguine! She was a roamer and a chewer. She had spoiled me and Randall to the point that she spent alot of time inside. She was the only dog I have ever "tucked in" at night. She slept next to my bed on a blanket with her head on a pillow. When bedtime came, Palin would gracefully retreat to her blanket, lay her head on the pillow and I would cover her up. (Keep in mind this dog stretched out was at least 5'5".. she wasn't a tiny thing.)
Without going into great detail...she died today. She suffered from an obstruction in her intestines. Infection had set in and part of her intestines had started to die off. She was put down. Her last night with us Palin didn't sleep on her blanket.. she slept right at the edge of my bed with my hand on her. We knew she was sick and I could sense she was dying.
I have to think the God is absolutly crazy about animals. He created them.. he had Noah to build a special boat for them. And his word places high esteem upon those who take care of their pets. Have you ever wondered if pets will be in heaven?? If heaven is such a wonderful place (and I know that it is).. doesn't it make since they would be in heaven ? I love to entertain the thought. I guess it is one of those things we won't know until we get there. But for now, I'm missing Palin and praising God for letting us have Palin for the time we did. Palin... I hope I see you at the pearly gates.
The godly care for their animals, but the wicked are always cruel. (NLT) Proverbs 12:10
I love the story on Palin! I am an animal lover also and lost my best friend of 15 years in September 07. I still think of him daily and cry because I miss him so much. He was the best dog ever and I believe with my animal crazy heart that God will have animals in heaven!
ReplyDeleteI know how your heart must break, and yes, heaven will be filled with all of our beloved pets. You have such a great writing style, and your blog is a blessing!!
ReplyDeleteMy beagle Mason died from a bowel obstruction on Feb 27 09..I miss him so much...He was so sick and I took him to 2 different Vet's and no one new what was going on ...he shivered and was panting ..I thought he was cold and thirsty..I love you Mason
ReplyDeleteThis tugged at my heart. We had some very special dogs in our family over my lifetime. My mom even bred dogs at one point. There was Shep our first dog. I believe that was the one my Dad accidently ran over. (at the last minute the dog went behind my Dad's car tire) Then there was Tigger. He was my best friend. He took me for walks (I tried to walk him, but he was huge). He was my personal bodyguard. We moved when I was eight and the people said we couldn't own pets (which later turned out false) so my parents sold him. I was devastated. There was never another dog for me quite like Tigger. I hope that one day my kids will have a pet like that. For now though, four kids are all I am mentally and physically able to take care of right now.
ReplyDeleteGreat entry :D