Thank you to Nancy for sharing with us a beautiful recount of her short yet life-changing year with a Muttville girl named Eva.
My Year with Miss Eva
Actually, 13 Grand months! I first met Eva on a Wednesday when Marie and Russell filled me in on her story. How she was coming out of her shell, how she was responding to her surgery to remove the lump in her leg. I came back on Sunday to bring her home. Marie knew Eva and I were meant to be with each other when Eva got off the sofa to greet me at the door. She left with me so easily, too. What a love! I even had a playlist on my iPod for her. She became My Girl.
The next day, we went to the dog park and Eva just barely made it past the entrance gate. The next day, she was much more comfortable and we went all around meeting everyone. At first people were confused and thought she was my dearly departed Molly, but soon got to know her as Eva.
And then on Thursday, I began to dog sit for a fellow foster friend, a dog I had transported from the vet to his foster home. Eva and the little one bonded immediately and a week later, I decided the three of us would be a family, Eva, Fang, and me.
How Eva protected Fang. He loves to play with dogs of all sizes and Eva was always right there to make certain the other dogs would not get too rough with him. No wonder Fang could puff out his chest and walk around so fearlessly!
Eva was very protective of me, too. She followed me everywhere, always in the same room with me. And whenever I looked at her in a certain way, she would come over to give me kisses.
Eva was gorgeous. Nobody ever believed she was fighting cancer. Thanks to Marie and Russell’s regimen of her home cooked diet and supplements which I continued. I truly believe that was a huge factor in my having my time with her. She looked SO good. And when she ran with the other dogs, my heart sang!
I called her the Sheriff, too. Any hint of discord among the dogs at the park and she was right there yelling at them and keeping order. Even a peaceful gathering got her into herding mode. Doing what she was born to do.
My former roommate told me the other day how he was on the floor with Eva and Fang when he started to sing. Eva joined in and started howling with him. She was always talking up a storm. Boy, was she vocal!!!
In September, we took on a foster dog that I named Foster. A Llasa Apso searching for his forever home. He was a growler and oh my! How Eva put him in his place and protected me! There was such a distinct difference in her voice when she was chastising Foster. But she protected him at the park, too. My Miss Eva.
We all enjoyed going to Fort Funston though Eva never got her feet wet like the two boys did. But she did enjoy the beach and the cliffs above. She even came with me on a blind date there to protect me.
The four of us went to Fort Funston on Thanksgiving. Suddenly, I hear, ‘Eva, Eva’? Oh my goodness! It was Marie and Russell with their pack including Max! We had just missed the Muttville gathering. I think Eva remembered Russell for whom she had the biggest crush. And she absolutely remembered Max as they were foster mates. Unfortunately, Eva had no tolerance for Max and definitely expressed her great displeasure at seeing him again!
Poor Max! Having just been returned to Muttville, he had to face Eva again. In a ‘what a very small world’ way, Max was returned by the very couple who were coming the next day to meet Foster. (Foster is still with me).
Right after Thanksgiving, Jackson and his father joined our pack as the new housemates. Jackson is an almost 17 year old Belgian Shepherd/Husky mix. He is our very senior citizen with arthritis in his back legs. Sometimes he stumbles and falls and needs assistance to get up again. If no one was in the room, Eva barked until we came to help Jackson.
Always looking out for all of us in her pack.
Recently, she became very fussy about her food. Sometimes, she would refuse to eat at all. She also became lethargic and wanted to stick close to home and just sunbathe in the front yard or just sleep.
Eva had an appointment on Thursday 6/28 at Healthy Pets. That is where her cancerous tumor was removed before she came into my life.
On Wednesday, 6/27 (of this year), I came home to the usual frenetic greeting by Fang and Foster. I checked to see Jackson was still breathing and then noticed Eva was not in her usual spot. I looked outside on the patio and she was napping ever so peacefully.
But wait, are those flies near her? Eva, Eva, I called out. But alas, Eva had left us. I really pray the sun was shining out there and she went to sunbathe.
Eva did it on her own terms. No more vet appointments for her. She was still beautiful and just went to sleep peacefully. I placed a towel over her and Fang laid on her for quite awhile.
Good bye My Girl. My sweet, beautiful Miss Eva! Fang and I miss you so much already. Who will ever protect us like you did? Good bye, my love.
If you adopted a Muttville dog, we would love to feature you in an upcoming ‘Success Story’. Please contact success_stories@muttville.org with the Subject line ‘Success Story’
8/1/12
