Rest in Peace Gypsy

On Friday, August 12, 2011, my sister made the extremely difficult decision of having to put her beloved dog Gypsy to sleep.  I wrote some time ago of my brother’s decision to put his dog Bingo to sleep and I felt I needed to acknowledge my sister’s pain with the same task. It is such a hard decision to make. Should we let our animal companion suffer or free them from the pain of disease, injuries, and or old age? I have lost three pets this way: our collie Puffy, to cancer, when I was in my early teens; our German Shepherd Gretchen after an accident; and my cat Smokey, who suffered from painful renal failure brought on from old age. Each time was just as painful as the time before it. If anything, the pain of making such a difficult decision reaffirms how much this animal companion truly meant to us. The pain we feel really just sucks though. It seems to terribly unfair to have to make such a decision.

Gypsy!
Gypsy was a grand old dame in doggie years. She was a black lab/shepherd mix. My sister adopted her after finding her as a weeks old puppy in a baseball field across from her old apartment building in Philly. She was so small she could fit in one of my sister’s sneakers. I remember walking her for my sister during the winter around the field. It would become a sheet of ice and snow and Gypsy would drag me across! She was such a playful pup. She was the perfect pooch, never complaining, always wagging her tail; extremely happy to see whomever would give her some time.
Gypsy giving Marc a kiss in the ear.
Gypsy was such a sweet good natured dog. Always a little lick of a hello or just a lick of love/friendship. Even in her advanced age, she would struggle to get up and say hi to Uncle Marc. I would rush towards her to try and get her to stay put. All she wanted to do was get up on her wobbly legs and come over and say hi to me, licking me in my ear or side of the head. I loved giving her treats, too. She was just such a loving dog. I have never met a sweeter animal. Rest in peace dear Gypsy.


Comments

  1. AnonymousAugust 18, 2011 at 1:41 PM

    Thank you for this loving tribute and loving words........Sheryl

    ReplyDelete
  2. Marc, Frazzled at FortyAugust 18, 2011 at 3:59 PM

    She was such a good dog and you were such a good pet "parent!" Love you sis.

    ReplyDelete
  3. MurielAugust 18, 2011 at 4:45 PM

    Sheryl made a hard decision at the right time. For several years now I have seen her tenderly care for Gypsy with her many chronic symptoms of aging that weren't pleasant. But as long as Gypsy's valiant spirit was there Sheryl was there for her in return. It has been a model for me to remember and emulate as my four cat babies reach that stage of life.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousAugust 19, 2011 at 6:56 AM

    She really was the sweetest pup. It's so hard to make those decisions - truly breaks your heart.

    But for now, picture her running and playing like a pup again, free from any pain. -- Bette

    ReplyDelete

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