Susie

Margie and Susie

It is with a double broken heart that I tell you about my Lil Susie and her sister Tessie. As I sit here reminiscing about my two girls, the tears begin to slow roll down my face because I really miss my girls with all my heart. May 2002, I met a little girl that would change my life forever. Susie was asleep in her cage at a Doggie Day event. As soon as I saw her, my heart went out to her. She was a little pomperanian mix dog. My groomer Marian, who also does animal rescue said that a man dropped her off at her place three months and never returned. Marian said that Susie was about ten years old, blind and her bottom jaw stuck out. I thought that she was soooo cute. As I was holding Susie she climbed up on my left shoulder and we walked around the park. Susie was in her glory. She was getting so much attention. Marion asked me if I wanted to adopt her. I told her that I didn't know. That was the biggest mistake of my life. For the next three days, my thoughts were all about Susie. I did some research on the care of blind dogs. I thought that it would be too much, but I couldn't get Susie out of my mind. I wanted to care and love her like she deserves. I called Marion and told her that I would love to adopt Susie and make her part of my family. I picked her up a few hours later. That was the beginning of a lifetime of unconditional love and devotion. I brought Susie home to meet her sister, Tessie. Tessie was a 10 year old basset hound mix. They hit it off great. Tessie was a laid-back dog. She would lay outside for hours watching the birds, squirrels and kids. She never left her yard. When Tessie would wag her tail, it didn't wag side to side, it went in a circle like a helicopter. When her dad would come home, he always had to greet Tessie first or she would get jealous and go lay in the corner and pout. She was hilarious and a daddy's girl. We had x-mas at my sisters house one year and they got their dog Levi a new doggie bed. Well, Tessie felt that Santa brought it for her, so she laid on the new bed until we went home. Poor Levi had to wait until Tessie went home before he could sleep in his new bed. Susie maneuvered around her new house very well. At times you could not tell that she was blind. It was like she counted her steps to get from one place to the next. She knew the sound of the kitchen, bathroom and front door floors. She was a very intelligent little girl. The next six years were filled with lots of fun, love and lots of laughter. Susie's food and water dishes were kept on the end of the coffee table next to the arm of the couch, that was her special spot. Sometimes she would eat her food, then make her way up two stairs to the kitchen and steal Tessie's food. She was a little stinker. If I would go outside without Susie, she would know where I was and would wait patiently at the screen door for me to bring her outside with me. She was sooo funny. If she didn't like her food combination, she would take her nose and hit her dish till it was knocked over then she would pick out and eat what she liked. Should have named her Snoopy. Now let me tell you more about Susie. There were times when Susie would be sleeping on the back of the couch, her favorite spot, and I would quietly go back to my bedroom to take a nap. In less than five minutes, Susie would be scratching on the bed, she found me. I would have to let her take her nap under the blanket with me. She would snuggle up against me, she could be a real bedhog at times…At other times, she would sleep on the back of my pillow. She always had to be near mom. Once when Susie and I went to visit my parents, Susie actually whined. I was holding her and my mom started speaking to her in a soft voice. Susie started whining until my mom would hold her. Now tell me she wasn't a spoiled nanny's girl. We were in my parents house and I walked upstairs to get something, needless to say that within 5 minutes my little Susie climb all of the carpeted steps with my mom to find me. Even though she was blind, she sure was brave. She never let anything hold her back. Susie wasn't much of a barker. The only time that she would bark was when we were in the car and I would put her in the back seat, which she didn't like. She would bark until I would let her come upfront and lay on my lap. Boy, she sure was spoiled. January 18, 2008 at 2:30pm my girl Tessie lost her fight and went to doggie heaven and passed over to the Rainbow Bridge. Tessie was 16 years old and died from kidney failure. Tessie knew that she was loved as she died in my arms. I was devasted over her death for a long time. I miss her so very, very much. The next six months were filled with me spoiling Lil' Susie even more. Then on July 11, 2008, Susie was sick. I took her to her vet. They examined her, gave medicine and drew bloodwork. At 10pm, I received a phone call that would devastate my life. The vet called and stated that Susie is in kidney failure. Oh no, not again. I could barely finish my conversation with the vet because I was crying so hard. He stated that she might live for another three months with medicine. I did nothing but cry and hold Susie all night long. I knew what Tessie had endured and the outcome of this disease. Could I really handle losing my last girl to this disease again? Needless to say, three months came and went and my Lil Susie was doing pretty good. There were days when she wouldn't eat her food which contained her medicine, so I would put her medicine in baby food, put her food in a syringe and fed it to her. Anything to keep her with me a little bit longer. January 5, 2009 at 12:10pm Susie lost her life to kidney disease. I wrapped her in her pink blanket to keep her warm and held her close to my heart. As she was passing over to the Rainbow Bridge, she felt the beat of my heart, tasted the tears from my face and heard the words "I love you" over and over again. I wanted her to know that it was ok for her to be with Tessie and I would see them both again one day. So you ask how a dog can change your life. Well, I have two dogs that changed my life. I was never really fond of dogs, scared I guess, not sure, why but my two dogs were loving, funny, devoted, brave etc. They both crossed over to the Rainbow Bridge at the age of 16, from the same disease and in the same month. Lil Susie showed that just because she was blind that didn't mean that she was helpless. She was a brave little girl. She proved the vet wrong and stayed by my side for 6 months instead of three. That shows determination and the will to live. My girls are missed and loved everyday. Rest in peace. I know that one day they will see me again when its my turn to crossover.