Personal Narrative: Fur Babies

Fur Babies

Did you have a childhood pet? Well, I did; I had two and I loved them with all my heart. But last year in mid-May, I had to put them down. My dogs have been a big part of my life since I was four years old. They taught me a lot about being responsible, caring for someone else, and, most importantly, were so much fun and loveable. It’s hard for me to understand how people can’t see that animals and their owners have a real bond between each other.

The two fur babies that were so precious in my life were both labs. Isabella was the first one that was introduced into my life. She was a yellow full-blooded lab. We got her for free from a family friend. She was one of the best dog anyone could have ever asked for. She was very

loyal and would never hurt anyone, she would more than likely lick people rather than harm them. When I would go home and practice outside, she would practice with me. I would hit the ball up and she would hit it back to me with her nose. As years went on my brother went to college she was 9 years old. My brother had to live on campus at Lindenwood University, Belleville. Bella wasn’t used to not seeing Ryan everyday so she started acting out.. She ate a whole bunch of linoleum in our dining room. She starting having problems walking and she started limping. After about a week of her limping we decided to take her to the vet and get x-rays. The x-rays came back and showed she had hip dysplasia. After that, things just kept going down hill gradually. She started eating the carpet. And keep in mind she did eat a huge patch of linoleum. We went through two different sets of carpet in our living room. Years went by and she would just lay around. She always had to take pain pills for her hips. She wasn’t happy anymore and she just wasn’t herself. We came to the hard decision to put her down because what pet owner want’s to see their loveable animal in pain. We absolutely did not want her to suffer.
Dixie was our second dog. She was a black lab mixed with an Australian Shepherd. She was for free also. Most Australian Shepherds are very protective and very territorial. She was the best guard dog anyone could have. If she was in one room that was “her room”. She wouldn’t let any other animal in that room. She was very special to my sister and I. We had several nicknames for her too. Her talent was really just being a good guard dog. She was about 8 years old when she starting having problems. Everytime I tried to touch her paws, she would pull them back and cry and whimper. A week passed by and she didn’t even want to get up off of the floor. That day we took her to the vet. Tests were ran and the result we got back was heartbreaking. She had aggressive bone cancer. She was put on medicine for a month to help her with the pain she was in. My mom and I had said after the first month of pills we would lay her to rest because no animal should have to suffer. She was taking 7 pills a day to help her with the pain. May 6, 2017 at 11:50 a.m we put Isabella and Dixie to sleep. That day by far was and will be the hardest day of my life. When we put down Dixie her eyes were left open and and her Tongue out. When Isabella got put to sleep she peed herself.