Remembering Abby

Jeremy and I got our first and only pet as a couple during our second year of marriage. It was the year that my dad was sick and we got this quirky little four legged friend from an animal rescue shelter and brought her home with us. She was the spunky little dog on a hot summer day that, when all the other dogs were taking a drink of water from the large water bowl, she decided to walk all the way into the water bowl and lay down in it to take a drink, lol. Jeremy knew right away we had to have this "taco-weenie" dog as our own. Her name was Abby, and she was our first "baby".

My dad enjoyed watching her and mom's dog Sulley play together, and for some reason he always called Abby "Barbarosa". Don't know why but it was funny and it stuck as a nickname. She was smart and sneaky and totally loving. Sure, she may have had some bladder issues whenever someone new knocked on the door, she may have barked like crazy at strangers and birds and clumsily run into walls and stone steps knocking out several of her teeth on various occasions, she may have even managed to roll a full can of peanuts and an entire chocolate bar under a couch on one occasion chewing her way through both and eating almost all of it including wrappers before she was discovered, but she stole our hearts and we loved her completely. Toward the end of her 14 years she had gone completely blind and almost completely deaf but she could still manage to sniff bacon in the air every time it was cooking (even though she couldn't find her way to the back door without bumping every wall, chair, toy, and wall again before getting there .....and then the poor girl would back up and go the wrong way when the door was opened for her)

It became so very sad in her last few weeks, and we just couldn't bear her going on if she was suffering. It was the hardest decision ever to take her to the vet because we knew she wouldn't be coming back home, but her soft moans and noises let us know it was time.

We said good bye to our precious Abby on Saturday,  March 9, 2013. She will live on in our hearts. We treasure our years with her and will miss her dearly.

We love you Abby.