Saturday, March 21, 2009

For Prince

Yesterday was a tough day for all of us. Adrienne had her second chemo so our friend Naomi came over to stay with the dogs as Prince was quickly deteriorating. By the time we got home, he was unable to stand at all and just wanted to lay on the grass. We spent a few hours with him after Curt came home and made the decision to take him to the vet at 6:00 pm and he was put to sleep with all of us there. We thought it would be scary but it wasn't at all. He just seemed so peaceful.

We got Prince in 1996, just a few months before Adrienne's diagnosis. Everyone agreed that they wanted a sheltie but it took awhile to find a breeder. Eventually, I found one in Merced, about a two hour drive from our house. The puppies were 10 and 11 weeks old but Adrienne and Daniel had already decided that they wanted an 8 week old one because anything else would be too big. They sat in the back seat, not saying a word for the entire 2 hour trip. When we pulled up to the house, you could hear dogs barking and we worked our way to the backyard, still with Adrienne and Daniel not saying a word. But that all changed when they saw the pups. I asked Adrienne which one she wanted and she said, "I don't care, I'll take any one." After "meeting" them all, we decided on Prince. He had a beautiful sable color and was quiet, the smallest of the lot. Adrienne and Daniel fought over who would hold him on the way home, so I decided I would hold him...and he threw up on me over and over again. I think it took us 3 hours to get home between clean up stops. He always hated the car until the day he died.

Prince loved the frisbee and walks more than life itself. He'd run after the frisbee over and over again until he couldn't run any more, and he had to be at the front of the pack for a walk. He also hated football games because everyone was screaming and yelling, so he'd usually be on my lap the entire time. He was a great friend and companion to all of us, and loved everyone who came to visit. We're going to miss him terribly.

10 comments:

Heather said...

i'm so sorry. pets are such a part of our families. please take comfort in knowing that prince had a happy life being a part of your family.

katmm said...

Aw Alison. I know how hard this is. Thank you for sharing some Prince stories with all of us.

Kathy

Karen said...

Sometimes I wonder why the powers that be decided to give us these wonderful loving family members that generally give us so much joy for such a short period of time, when we live so much longer, and then I know it's because they have such pure little spirits they can only be here for a short time, before they need to go home. All my love.

Veronica said...

Sending love and hugs to you all - Prince was lucky to be part of such a loving family........Vx

Anonymous said...

I'm so sorry to hear about Prince. Losing a beloved pet is heartbreaking. I'm glad he brought you so many years of joyful memories, which you will have forever. Hugs, Janet

laulausmamma said...

Indeed a sad weekend for you all. I'm glad Curt got home in time to spend a couple of hours with Prince. I know the decision was a hard one, but it sounds like it was his time. I'm sure he's running around playing with all the other pups that have gone over the rainbow bridge...happy and free of pain. What a lucky dog to have shared your home and love for so many years. ((HUGS)) from us all xo

Tonya said...

Awe, I am sorry about Prince. I know the sadness you are feeling as I too just had to put my 12 year old Chihuahua Brutus down after suffering a stroke. It's not easy.

{{Hugs to you both}}

Adrienne, keep up the good work with chemo :)

Anonymous said...

I am so sorry about the loss of your dog.
I hope that Adrienne is feeling ok after her chemo.
Kelly (kittycatmom)

Anonymous said...

Alison, I am so very sorry about Prince. It is so difficult to loose our buddies. :( He is with Gus and Harley now (my dog). And he is at peace.

Adrienne, I hope that you are feeling a little better this week. And I am so sorry about Prince. He sounded like a very special pet. XO, Maureen

Chris said...

Hey you guys, as a fellow dog lover I'm so sorry to hear about Prince. I'm glad he went peacefully...