Godspeed Shirra

Today we had to have our 15 year old border collie Shirra (She-Ra) put down.  Such a heartbreak but Dennis and I both knew that it was time.  She was a determined tough old bird, she had definite ideas about how things should be run around here.  And what she was going to do.

We've only had her a year, we took her when some friends emigrated to Australia.  The picture above was soon after she came to us.  She did not look like this lately.  We knew we were going to take in a dog that would spend it's last months and years with us.  We knew that it would be hard but we did it anyway.

And it was ... hard.  My husband has a heart of gold and he would be the one to take her outside in the muddy dark as she really couldn't be trusted out there.  My daughter Susanna came over and bathed her several times.  She kept her appetite to the end.  Also her beautiful coat.

I won't go into her challenges, which were many.  Or what really changed our minds last night that it was time.  There was no question though.  But we did bring her to the vet who was gentle.  But doing it has been hard.  We both feel like we've been sobbing all day.

But life will be simpler because we did make a lot of modifications for her.

Godspeed Shirra.  You did your very best.