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A Tearful Goodbye
February 7, 2009 main

Kylie was 15, we had already begun plans for her Super Sweet 16 Party in April. Lots of people consider 15 old for a dog but with modern vet care and the multitude of healthy options in pet food it just isn’t, unless maybe we’re talking about super-large breeds. And Kylie was definitely not an old dog. She ran and played in her backyard everyday, rain or shine and especially in the snow. She loved going for long walks, and a good game of keep-away with pinky. No matter how many ramps we put in front of the furniture to encourage her to go easy on her joints she still prefered to jump more often than not.

This picture was taken in her beloved backyard just about a week before Kylie got sick.

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We’re not saying Kylie’s life wasn’t long, it was, and it was most certainly full, yet the end came  so suddenly and unexpectedly we still can’t make sense of it.

Kylie had a brain tumor. After a really bad nights of pacing and walking into corners we took her to her wonderful vet, but by then she seemed much improved. After another night that was even worse we took her to a neurologist. When we got there her temperature was almost 106. They had to put her in cold water to lower her temp but it wouldn’t stay down. This told the doctor that there was a tumor in the area that regulates body temperature which happens to be a location that makes it inoperable. There were options but none that were remotely worth the pain and trauma it would have caused with almost no hope of a positive prognosis. Our only choice was painfully, horribly,  undeniably, unthinkably clear.

They were thankfully able to give her an injection that would keep her temperature down for a few hours. So we took her to her regular, wonderful vet who turned over a room to us, let us put blankets on the floor and call friends to come and visit Kylie.

Thanks to the medication she was feeling better, relaxed, and hungry. She ate two jars of baby food, and a handful of cheerios, then dear friends brought her a hamburger, tater tots, and a sundae from sonic. Which she thoroughly enjoyed!

Kylie was surrounded by her friends and family when we said our tearful goodbyes in a room full of so much love…

It was the hardest thing we could ever imagined having to do, yet at the same time in the million times we’ve gone over it and over it and over it, we can’t imagine how it could have been better for Kylie. It was peaceful, she wasn’t alone, or scared, or in pain; she was surrounded by her favorite people with a full tummy. How rare is that?

About as rare as finding such an amazing little soul as Kylie, our little unicorn.

So again we wanted to get the sad stuff out of the way first, so that while we continue to grieve our loss we can look back on all the happy times, of which there were thousands, and somehow find a way to move on.

"9" Comments
  1. Kylie couldn’t have asked for better parents. Like Kylie, you all are equally rare and amazing. The world would be a much better place if more parents raised their children as you did.

  2. M and G,
    I was so sorry to hear about Kylie. She really did have a wonderful life with you two and you gave her a great ending too. I know how difficult it is to loose a pet but Kylie was so much more than that.

  3. …and her last words were “Peace out bitches! I’ll see you on the other side!” I’ll always remember how peaceful she looked after all the CRAP she ate that afternoon. She was fat, full and sleepy. I’ll always remember how she bit me and nobody would help me get my finger back! I’ll always remember the courage it took to make the correct decision during a time when she looked ok. I’ll always remember how the Dr. did a super fine job with the balancing act of taking charge of the situation and at the same time having so much compassion.

    Kdog, you were just a damn dog, but that’s exactly why I loved you so much and will miss you. After you get over the novelty of chasing the infinite # of squirrels on the other side of the rainbow bridge, I hope you take time out to visit your two humans and let them know when it is time to move on…just like they told you that you were free to go.

  4. Kylie was exceptional, as was her life. You were all so very blessed to have each other.

  5. Thank you for this website. I am still grieving the loss and this will help me keep connected in some way. Its hard to others to understand how much I cared about that little girl but the fact is that I did. I regret never being able to actually meet her. Damn… here come those tears again.

  6. This is crazy…now I’m sitting here laughing at the pictures of Kylie barking and showing her teeth… what a feisty little thing she was! Makes me smile.

  7. What an amazing little girl and so beautiful the antics that came out of her must have been endless and the laughter that was there. Iread where u called her flousy.Funny thing I callmy Sally flousy butt.she’s part shihtzu I wonder if her and Kylie are related.How can u say you were bad parents when she was so loved you gave her so much love in that she was proud to be your kid and it shows thanks for sharing Kylie with me

  8. It wasn’t just that Kylie was special, it was also the relationship you ladies had with Kylie that was special. She was one of the luckiest dogs in the world to have you and m.

    I hope someday (when you’re ready) you’ll find another pup to lavish with love and turn her into the next luckiest dog in the world.

    You’ve both got a lot of love to give, it’s so hard to have nowhere to put all that.

    Kylie, you were an amazing little soul. I wonder who you will be in your next life…

  9. No doubt Kylie is missed. She had a life fit for a…well…dog (at least the kind of life all dogs should get)!

    Thank you both for showing others what compassion really means. So many dogs never have the chance to be a part of a loving and caring family. Kylie was one of the lucky ones for sure.

    I’m glad I got a chance to meet her and see the roost that she ruled. And I’m glad I know two people who understand and live the gift of compassion.

    May the love and commitment you showed to Kylie be experienced by many, many more dogs.

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