In the past couple weeks, we have received so many wonderful supportive words and hugs from friends who found out one way or another about Moqui and our loss. It’s the weirdest thing to have to say that I now only have 4 dogs instead of 5 when people ask how many dogs I have. I try to tell each person that would listen what IAMHA is so that they can be educated and take proper precautions if their dog seems lethargic. We lost Moqui to IAMHA but that doesn’t mean another friend has to go through the same thing.
The house has been quieter for sure without our bouncy greeter. We miss his dance and butt wiggle. And so do our other dogs; dogs form extremely tight bonds within their pack. Our other lowchen and his closest buddy, Meatball, has shown signs of missing him the most. She and Milou will wait by the front door or circle the room aimlessly. Meatball also took to sleeping all day under my chair where she used to sleep next to Moqui and stopped playing entirely. So the past few days, we have been trying to heal ourselves as well as spend more time with our dogs to help them. We have also been super sick! No, not with swine flu, but with a nasty run of the mill flu that has us sniffling, sneezing, coughing and shivering. We can barely talk without coughing up a storm and have had to take some time off to rest before we get worse.
Tonight, we returned to the vet to pick up Moqui’s ashes and pawprint. I thought I wasn’t ready, I was putting it off but I didn’t want to just leave him there. So off we went. I bawled like a baby when I got his ashes in a little box. I bawled on the drive home with the box on my lap and I bawled even more when I put the box on the mantel under our pic with all the dogs with his collar and tag draped over the photo. His favorite spot was under my chair while I worked and anywhere we went, so I doubt we will spread his ashes. We will never have him back but some part of him is home. And that is more than enough for me and my broken heart.
Thank you so much everyone for your notes and support. Just as my friend Diance C. said wisely: cherish the dogs you have. And give them hugs daily. Even if they just stole your food and ran away with it or set your stove on fire like my friend’s golden retriever! And speaking of golden retrievers, here are three great girls we have had the pleasure of photographing recently. Just to cheer everyone up!
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