Abbey is a beautiful husky, that lives next door. She has guarded my yard and the neighborhood for many years.
The other night I was sitting outside with my husband and some of our neighbors having a good time. When it was announced that I soon wouldn't be bothered with Abbey any more. My neighbor has a farm and I thought that he meant he was taking her there to retire. No, they found out Abbey has breast cancer.
Well, when you aren't looking some how those pets become family, and all those comments that it's just a dog seem to leave your vocabulary. My neighbor always thought he could put her down when the time came. Feelings and family come into play, now your debating paying for the surgery, even though you know she still only has a few more years. She has lived along time.
Silly me. She's not my dog. I have long been comforted knowing she is there letting us know of trespassings and company. I step out my back door and she is there to greet me with a friendly bark, and will sit and wait until I return the gesture.
My dogs are house dogs, Abbey lives in a nice fenced in yard and dog house bigger than my shed. When Abbey barks, my dogs come to attention and out the door they go. In the summer time they don't waste anytime going out they just talk with Abbey through open windows. It is really funny.
I don't know if my neighbor decided to go with the surgery. That would be a tough decision. For know Abbey is still protecting the neighborhood.
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Comments: 15
Tammy, it is so hard t decide the right time for something like this. When I was sick with cancer, we made an emotional decision about a pet. She should have, by everyone's standards been put down. She had a severe liver disease and the vet said that he did not know how she was even still alive. We could not put her to sleep. Somehow, my mom had it associated with my sickness, and how she would fight 'til the end for me. Anyway, we didn't, and come to find out, Tori was pregnant. Just before she died, she gave birth to two perfect white Maltease pups. It was somewhat of a mystery. We did not own another maltease. Either way, we knew we had made the right decision to wait. In the end, she got even sicker, and started bleeding in places she shouldn't have been. We finally did have her put down, and she went so peacefully, like she was finally relieved of her suffering.
As far as the surgery, it is hard to say. If it is a financial hardshiip for the family, perhaps you can call around to local animal hospitals to see who is willing to help.
I know you and your neighbor will make the best decision in the end. Just pray about it.
I pray that a good decision comes of all this.
It is like someone said above, you can come to love neighbour children that hang around and you can love pets you know for years even if they aren't yours.
I also never knew that dogs could get breast cancer. :( I am sadden to hear that this one does.
Best wishes.