Gracie lived to complete her bucket list – and then some!
Russell shared his tribute to his little “ordinary brown dog”:
Thank you, Muttville, for rescuing my girl Grace Lee 6 years ago. At age “at least 18,” Gracie passed away exactly how she wanted – at home with me, while all the other dogs slept and Marie had run out to the store. No vet, no attention, just us. Gracie always got what she wanted in the end.
We are full of gratitude for the time we shared with her, and can say without question that we made the most of it. There is a quiet place in my heart that will hold our nonsocial low-rider forever; there’s a hole in our lives that once was filled with homemade food prep, supplement distribution, daily supervised marches on the patio, slow motion exploration of the yard, ride-or-die stroller adventures… and a daily load of laundry. Maybe two loads.
As you senior dog folks know, the art of caring for a dog becomes part of who you are as much as your dog becomes a part of your family. I find the free time – & savings on the water bill – a poor substitute for life with our very ordinary brown dog. I hope she really did feel safe and happy, and that we challenged her, just enough. She did as much for us.
Gracie’s 3 tips for senior mutts seeking longevity: Remember, you made it this far because you are strong. Eat fresh food. And, you should remove all your teeth. Seriously.
P.S. passing away unassisted is rare. Of the multitude of dogs we have taken to the bridge, 98% needed us to make the right decision to bring in a vet. Please do not hesitate to give your dog this gift when it is time.
Editor’s Note: Gracie’s first success story was published in 2012: muttville.org/blog/success-story-gracie
4/5/17
Are you the proud parent of a Muttville dog? Send us your story! Include three of your favorite photos and send it to success_stories@muttville.org with the subject line 'Success Story'.
