A year ago I was writing this same post when we had to say goodbye to our dog Bali. A faithful friend for almost 16 years, it was a rough road.


Last week I had to say goodbye to Daisy, my "baby" at almost 5 years old. My 40th birthday present, she was a gift of a dog. At just 10 pounds, she was my protector, my biggest fan and a lap warmer on cold nights. Unfortunately, Daisy had an uncurable, genetic disease. Although we tried just about everything, there was no getting her better. We spoiled her rotten the last few weeks and finally I had to make an agonizing decision. I had secretly hoped for a miracle, thinking that all my love would save her.


I sometimes think Daisy's illness was the result of a broken heart. After Bali died, she was never the same. Much like my grandparents, who were married 54 years, my grandmother died within a year of my grandpa. The official cause of death was a fast spreading cancer- but we all thought it was a broken heart - she just couldn't go on without her lifetime love. Daisy tried to hold on for me and the last week or two of her life, she wouldn't let me out of her sight. She gave everything she had to be a good dog right up to her last day but she never stopped missing Bali.


I grew up with a dog, a maltipoo named Boris. He lived until I was 16. When Hubby & I moved to Africa, we got a puppy named M'Bali,which means Rose in Zulu. Along the way we adopted Alba (white in Afrikans) and Jo-Jo. Alba didn't make it out of Africa, she was killed by another dog. Jo-Jo & Bali came to America with us. We said goodbye to Jo-Jo 9 years ago when I was pregnant with Lu. We added Daisy to the family for both me and Bali. Bali didn't like being an only dog and she took to Daisy right away. They were inseparable with Daisy always at Bali's heels. Daisy even took over as leader last year when Bali's eyesight was failing and would nudge her in the right direction when they would go outside.


I thought putting Bali down was the hardest thing In the world. I had no idea I would be doing it a year later with Daisy. It has been heartbreaking. For the first time in 17 years I am dog less and I don't like it. I keep looking for Daisy at the bottom of my bed, or cleaning up under the kids in the kitchen. They become such a part of our lives that it's hard to live without them. Hubby travels a lot and I have always felt ok as long as the dog(s) were close by - with no dogs & hubby on the road - I haven't slept much the past few nights.


I know new puppies will be coming soon. I am a dog person. I need to have my faithful friends at my side. I will keep mourning Daisy & it will get easier. In a few months I will start calling breeders & looking for a new love. It's never easy to say goodbye to your pet - but for me, it's harder still to live without one.

Cara's two cents: We will all miss Daisy...always happy to see you...would like to sit on your lap if you please...and would be happy to share whatever it is you are snacking on. She and Bali are chasing eachother around in doggie heaven. :(

Yes a picture with my dog counts as a one of my 52 pictures with my kids. She was my kid before Mike so she counts.

Yesterday was her 10th birthday. Her real name is Ariella Pasquatina. She is an awesome dog. Ask anyone that knows her and they will tell you. She is loving, funny obedient and sweet.

She is for sure, part of our family. All of our pets are from her, to the Cat Boys to our fish. We talk to them like they are human and understand. Well, they do understand.

Ariel never slept on the beds. That is until her cousin Salty came to spend two weeks in the summer while her family was away. Salty slept with us every night. Now I come home to find her passed out cold on my bed, or Mike's bed or the guestroom bed, depends on her mood.

She is happy to see anyone come into the house. The kids' friends, grandparents, aunts, neighbors, the mail man, the milk man, the pizza guy....

She likes to have her two cookies in the morning and dinner by 5:30 pm please. She doesn't look to go out first thing in the morning like a normal dog. She goes out when she feels like getting up.

She plays dead if you have a treat in one hand and say "BANG" with the other.

She loves kids (especially her own) but not too many at at time thanks, otherwise she is outta there. She is not too thrilled with little kids but will sit patiently and allow them to pet her and call her "doggie" and then she's outta there.

She sneaks cat food when no one's looking, she loves bones, peanut butter and her Christmas stocking.

She WILL catch a squirrel before she dies. She does not think other dogs are allowed to walk past our house. She rarely barks. She just whines really loud without moving her lips. She is a ventriloquist.

She loved her uncle Harry and misses him still I think when Nana and Poppy come over without him. She loves her cousin Willie now although she used to want to bite his face off. She tolerates her new cousins Salty and Pepper. And is not sure what her cousin Chi Chi is. (he is a "so ugly he's cute" chihuahua) She dislikes her neighbor Sandy "the pug who thinks she is s pit bull" immensely and will not allow her in her house. She likes her other neighbor Logan from a distance. A year old lab is too nuts for her. She is intrigued by her new neighbor Eli and not sure if he is a dog or a cat or what. (he is a tiny Jack Russell pup)

She is as happy to see you when you get back from the bus stop as she is if you have been out all day. She loves to ride in the car. She is most happy when she gets home from the groomer with a new do. I think she feels pretty. She will turn her head and roll her eyes at you if you are reprimanding her. She hates Fourth of July and water. (baths, pools and the like)

She is a stray that Poppy found nine years ago and asked us if we wanted her. We were thinking about getting a dog, and when she took to the kids immediately we knew we were goners. She had a few shaky months in the beginning with the eating of the couch and the communion favors and two huge black garbage bags full of stuff that her sitter told me to just throw out and not even look. But we stuck it out and have never regretted it for a minute.

Dogs are part of the family and we are glad she is part of ours. Happy Birthday Ariel!!!

Jenn's two cents: Happy Birthday to my favorite dog (after my two, of course) If I could clone Ariel and bring her home I would!