On Monday, my parents put our beloved dog Ozzie to sleep. It was such a hard decision to make, and even though everyone knows it was the right thing to do, it's still hard to feel good about having done it. A Cairn terrier, Ozzie lived a miraculous eighteen years with us, while his breed is only supposed to live 12 - 15. Every year that went by, I dreaded the day when Ozzie would be gone but was always so thankful that we had him for so long.
In a lot of ways, I always felt like Ozzie was "my" dog. I begged and begged for my parents to let us get a dog. In the spring of second grade, my parents finally gave in and took me to the breeder's house to pick one out. At seven years old, surrounded by a litter of month-old puppies, all equally adorable, I was overwhelmed and had no idea which one to choose. All of a sudden, with all the puppies swarming around my feet, I heard one let out a tiny screech as I accidentally stepped on his paw. And that's all it took - he was the one.
Throughout his life, Ozzie was always scared of storms. He could sense them coming long before they ever hit and we would discover him shaking under beds, in bathtubs, etc. When a storm would hit in the middle of the night, he would come and find my door and scratch on it until I heard and let him in. After college, my parents built a new house and Ozzie, with his failing eyesight and hearing, was suddenly transplanted into this strange, new place. About two years ago, when I was living at home, a really bad storm hit one night. The power went out and it was pitch black in the house. Despite the fact that everyone was convinced Ozzie was completely blind and deaf not to mention unfamiliar with the new surroundings, he somehow managed to once again find my door.
In the time since, Ozzie's health continued to deteriorate. His sight and hearing were totally gone and it became increasingly difficult for him to walk, even stand. My parents carried the burden of caring for him completely on their own - bathing him multiple times a day, carrying him everywhere, hearing him cry in the night, and all the other miserable things you can imagine having to watch a loved one go through. On Monday, it was time to let him go. It was just no longer kind to continue to keep him here. The vet put him to sleep while my mom and the entire vet staff loved on him and cried. The vet said it could take several minutes for his heart to stop beating but, after just a few seconds, announced, "He's gone." I believe Ozzie was tired and ready to be at peace, finally.
We feel so blessed to have had 18 years with him. We will miss him always.
Ozzie Hansen (February 28, 1991 - April 20, 2009)
2 comments:
aw jenn! i am sitting here with tears rolling down my cheeks and chin! i am so sorry to hear about sweet ozzie and it sounds like you were right.... he was ready. that just breaks my heart. we had to do the same thing a couple of summers ago with our scotty malcolm. it broke my heart, but he was very sick and would have died a more painful death within a week or so. i know your heart must hurt but also know how glad you are that he is no longer hurting and sick. God has a special spot for him up in heaven.
I am sorry to hear about Ozzie he was a special dog, I'll miss him when I come to visit. He has always been there. These choices are difficult ones and now he suffers no more...I am thankful for the memories.
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