How Does One Say Good-Bye?

Princess Honey Valentine

Our love affair with the BDE (Best Dog EVER) started in February of 2005. We went to Ohio to pick out our new family member. Actually, she chose us. The little wiggly pup made her way onto Kid 2’s lap and fell asleep. Love at first sight.

With 3 of us girls wanting to name her we decided on a long fancy name for our little pup.

Princess Honey Valentine. Honey for short. Beautiful and sweet.

She was so tiny. She barely filled her kennel but she immediately filled our hearts. I have never met another dog who was so filled with love. She loved everybody.  Her tail was always in motion. Such a happy, happy dog!

Honey loved to camp.

Honey getting some love while camping.

She didn’t mind having her face mushed and made to pose for photos.

Playing fetch at the beach.

Honey welcoming Mojo into the family.

One of her favorite pastimes of course was napping.

Sleeping in the camper.

Using kid 2 as a pillow.

On Mom’s shoes.

In bed with Kid 1

Taking a nap on little brother.

Even the kitties liked Honey.

She was a dog just FILLED with Joy.

Running in the snow

Always a dog to make you laugh.

Playing dead bug.

Last June we found a lump on her tail. It was not a big deal the vet said, but they did a test just in case. The next day we got a call. It wasn’t just a little lump. It was cancer. Mast Cell Tumor. It was in a location where surgery wouldn’t work. We knew this would lead to the end. We decided our best course of action was to love her as best we could for as long as she had left. To feed her good food. To give her lots of belly rubs. In December the marble sized lump had grown to the size of a plum. We put Honey on Prednisone and it worked wonders reducing the size of the tumor. Honey continued to run and jump and play bucking broncho at meal times, her favorite time of the day.

Slowly Honey Dog lost weight. Her spine started to show as she lost muscle. More medicine was added to her diet to heal her intestines. We kept loving her every day. She still jumped like crazy at meal times. 🙂 She still loved everyone and was the happiest dog ever. We made a conscious decision to give her the best of the life she had left. And I think we succeeded.

But the time has come.

Honey doesn’t want to chase her ball. She can’t control her bladder. Her teeth are worn down and she can’t chew her favorite bones. She is tired and old.

It is time.

Honey, our Best Dog EVER

The vet has told us it is time. We have spoken to the children. Tomorrow she will have a fantastic day. She will go to Doggie Day Care. She will come home and have a good dinner. Maybe some apples, too.

And then she will have her final trip in the car.

How does one say good-bye? How do you tell an animal how much they have expanded your life? How much love and laughter they have brought to your family? No one will ever replace her and our hearts will grieve. Many tears have been shed already and so many more will come tomorrow.

We will hold on to each other. We will think good thoughts of our friend. We will imagine meeting up with her when we go to heaven.

The pain of losing a pet is so hard. Doing the right thing so they don’t suffer is so hard.

Any yet our life would have been less if she hadn’t been in it. It was worth it to love her, even if it means to lose her before we are ready.

We will always love our Princess Honey Valentine.

This is how I will remember Honey.  Fresh out of the lake after jumping in to fetch a ball. She LOVED jumping into the lake. 😀

Princess Honey Valentine
Rest In Peace
The Best Dog Ever.

I love you Honey. xo