Our old girl.

We've had her for almost seventeen years now. I can still remember what a soft little ball of fur she was when we brought her home. When I was five years old and excited to be getting a puppy I had no idea that she'd still be with us when my brother and I were both in college and that we'd see her reach upwards of 115 in dog years.

Bailey is half Labrador, half Sheltie and it must be this combination that makes her the sweet-natured pooch that she's always been. I'm sure that if you asked my dad (who was the one who had to chase her down the block in his pajamas at five-o-clock in the morning when she was still in her energetic puppy phase) he'd have some stories to tell... but no one can deny that she has been the best dog a family could ask for. 

 

Bailey, or Pooka-Bee as we call her, has been here for sixteen Christmases and countless family trips. She's chased hundreds of ice cubes around the kitchen floor and overcome her fear of my dad's Dodge Ram. 

Well, almost. 

I've only ever heard her bark at the occasional stranger approaching, fireworks, and hot air balloons. 

(Let's take a moment to observe my incredibly 

dorky nine-year-old hair. Okay. Moment over.)

Her hearing has been gone for a while now. She can hear when you clap, but that's about it. Some time last year the vet said that she had a tumor in her abdomen, though it wasn't big enough to know exactly where it was. Aside from the tumor, the vet was surprised by how healthy she was. She has had very little, if any, health problems until now. The girl's got good genes.

One of my favorite stories about her was a few summers ago while my parents were out doing yard work. My mom noticed that Bailey was laying in one spot and wouldn't move, which was a bit unusual. When she approached her, Bailey didn't get up for some attention like she usually did, she just stayed put. Between her two paws was a baby bird that had fallen out of its nest. Whether it was protection or curiosity, she kept that little bird right there with her. It was the sweetest thing.

The past few weeks our old girl has been slowing down a lot. She's been acting kind of funny and losing her balance when she walks from place to place. She still has these amazing bursts of energy and can run across the lawn, but it's clear that she's not doing so well all of a sudden. The vet said that the tumor is in her spleen and that eventually it's going to make her anemic and begin to lose oxygen. Her loss of balance is most likely due to the tumor spreading, which means it could be affecting her in more ways we can't see.

This girl has met and exceeded any dog-xpectations we could have had. I can't believe that there will be a day, most likely in the next few months, that we won't hear her paws clicking on the kitchen floor. That her sweet old face wont look up at you wanting a little pat. We have been so lucky to have her with us for so long. I hope that when her time comes she goes without any pain, and I hope that she's loved us as much as we've loved her.