In Memory of Emma

Hello My Friends,
Today has not been the best day, I'm writing with a heavy heart...we lost our Emmy dog today. She has been struggling with spinal pain and today I made the decision that I couldn't let her suffer. This is a wierd thing to write in a card blog, but I know you won't mind me sharing this with you.

I'd like to tell you Emma's story. In 2000, I became ill and unable to work, I was very down and needed a "lift" in my life. For some reason, I decided to look up the Dauschund Rescue Mission on the internet. There were several dogs...and then there was "Emma". I melted when I saw her picture and after reading her history, I knew that I had to save her. An Animal Shelter in Massachusetts had been reported for mistreating animals. A Humane Society Representative went in undercover and she walked in and said she heard her screeching before she saw her, but she looked up and there was Emma...with a noose around her neck! She was hanging from a hook in the ceiling and a man was shocking her with a cattle prod!! She was guess-timated to be 1 year old and had 5 puppies. He killed the puppies, and then did this to poor Mama Emma. To make a very long story short...she was rescued along with the other animals and the Shelter Owner is still serving a 10 year sentence in prison. When I emailed about her, the gal that saved her, called me. She explain how traumatized Emma was and that she was very fearful around men. DUHHH! Ofcourse she was!! If that happened to me, I'd be afraid of men, too!

I was living in Upstate New York at the time and the gal told me she would drive half way and meet me. A friend drove me down and when I saw Emma, all I said was "that's no purebred doxie"! I didn't care, incidently, and continued to walk over and meet her. I sat down on a rock and Emma and I got acquainted. As soon as our eyes met...it was sealed. She was very scared, but she trusted me. Needless to say, Emma came to live with me and my other doggie kids, Patches & Spooky. She fit in perfectly and we had a bond like I've never had with any other dog. She was my lap dog from then on...wherever I was, Emmy was. She gave me the love and company I needed to feel better, and I gave her the love that She needed to trust again. We were a great match.

When Scotty and I married, Me and the 3 "girls" ofcourse moved to Nova Scotia to be with him. She loved her Dad and for some reason wasn't afraid of him.

She's been with me 8 years now, but the story wasn't all roses....Emma had 3 herniated discs in her neck, which over time, started putting a very bad strain on her back. And as you can see by her pic on the dock, she became very sway-back...she started having lots of pain and her hind legs weren't supporting her good, and her toes would drag...she became scared and hid alot. She started clicking her jaws together and grinding her teeth and yesterday she started pacing, pacing...plodding along.... I knew the end was near for her. I took her to our wonderful vet, Sue, and She confirmed my fears...the teeth clicking and grinding, the pacing and hiding, are all signs of pain with anxiety from the pain. Her pain meds were no longer cutting it. So, I did the hardest thing I've done in a long time...

All I can say is Emmy gave me so much love and joy, and now it was time for me to give her peace from all this pain. So I did and she's no longer hurting.

Thanks Everyone, for "listening" and letting me share Emmy with you.
I will post cards soon. hugs to all,

To Emmy Doo, ...You will forever be in my heart and we will love and miss you always. Goodbye my friend...