Bailey

About 8 months after DJ and I got married, we decided to get a dog. Thankfully, my stepdad bred dogs and he had a litter that he couldn't sell. He was pretty sure the mom and dad of the litter were siblings, and inbred dogs don't sell very well. Bailey came from that litter and we loved her from the very beginning. I even dressed her up for Halloween. She was well trained (after spending a few months back home with my stepdad) and was an excellent dog 

Last Summer she started having accidents in the house and the arthritis in her hips got worse. I took her to my parent's house when we visited them in August, and when we got home, she was pitiful. I told DJ that we probably needed to start thinking about putting her to sleep and we told the girls. 

Then we decided to leave her in the backyard because the accidents were increasing in frequency, and it was a constant pain. I realize that sounds awful that she started living outside, but we also couldn't confine her to a small room during the day either, and she loves laying in the sunshine. On cold or rainy days, we would bring her in. 

At the end of February, we took her to a new vet and did a quality of life assessment. According to the vet, she was as healthy as could be other than the arthritis, and he said she had at least 6 more months. 

We took her to my parent's for our Spring Break, and let my stepdad really look at her. He has trained dogs for years and years and uses a vet he deeply trusts. After talking to my stepdad, we made the decision that it was time for Bailey to go to heaven. She had been an incredible dog to us for 14 years, but we couldn't let her suffer. It was very hard for her to get up after laying down, and her back hips were leaning toward the side. The medicine we had tried and tried wasn't working and she was in pain. 

Bailey stayed at my parent's house while we visited DJ's family, and on our way back to pick up the camper, we told the girls that Bailey wouldn't be coming home with us. 

That conversation went much, much harder than I expected, and we let the girls spend some time saying goodbye. Apart from loosing my grandmother, it was probably the hardest thing I've had to watch, and it was even harder watching my girls go through it. They were heartbroken beyond what I thought they'd be. 

Adalyn picked her flowers and we gave Bailey lots and lots of hugs. 

The next day, my stepdad took Bailey to his vet and layed her to rest with the other dogs my parent's have had that have gone before. 

It was really important to us that she be buried on my parent's land with their other pets, and thankfully, I'm so relieved that we didn't have to take her to the vet ourselves. I realize that it's selfish, but after the tears from the girls, and the months of worrying about what to do, I'm not sure we could've done it. How do you decide to end your dog's life? 

I am forever grateful to my stepdad who took her. Words cannot express how appreciate we are that he did that for us and for Bailey. That he was there with her and held her. It means the world to us. 

His vet also confirmed that it was well past time. 

It's been a month, and you know, I never thought I'd be someone to cry over a lost pet, but tears have definitely been shed, and sometimes, I think she is still in the backyard. Earlier this week, Adalyn told me she saw Bailey's soul in the corner of the yard, and she ran to get me. 

We won't be replacing Bailey any time soon. At this point, we are not ready for another dog and the responsibilities it comes with. 

We were so blessed to have Bailey in our home for 14 years and we know that she's running free with Flash, Ralph, and all of her other dog friends from Labrador Lane.