On Monday, April 29, 2019, our beloved family dog was laid to rest. Jenny the pug lived a long and happy life. Jenny the pug had just turned 13 years old, we celebrated with doggy cake and lots of birthday hugs.
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Happy 13th birthday to Jenny the pug. She’s getting old. #puglife #puglove #birthdaydog #dogmom
Old age had started to set in for Jenny. We watched as our strong girl went from being a Diva to a tired, old soul who couldn’t walk up and down stairs and started to lose muscle control among other things. Our hearts ached, but we knew the time was nearing. I prepared my children for this day. I knew that she’d either pass away overnight or we’d have to make a decision to lay her to rest. I didn’t think there was anything else left to do. She was 13 years old, her body started to just be too frail and then on Sunday night, she refused food.
I had been reading signs that your dog is dying for a bit and knew that refusing food could be one of the signs.
I cried.
I called my kids out and made sure they said love you and goodnight to her, letting them know that I had no idea if she would make it overnight. We woke up on Monday, April 29, 2019, and she was there. Awake. Alive. She still refused to eat. She looked very sad. I knew that she may be hanging on because her family needed her. She kept us happy. She kept us peaceful during our times of stress and chaos. Jenny the pug truly was our savior in so many ways for so many situations.
When my middle kiddo wasn’t able to sleep well, it was Jenny the pug who would lay down beside him on his bed until she knew he was finally fast asleep. Only when that boy was fast asleep would she get off his bed to come to see her human Mama who was usually working late nights at the computer. Jenny the Pug then started being the comfort for my youngest son as he struggled with anxiety during his public school days. This pug did so much for us, more than I ever thought a little doggy could do. That is until the day we had to lay her to rest.
On Monday, April 29, 2019, we called the vet to get her examined. During the visit we found she had lost about 3lbs, weighing in around 14.5 lbs. The vet looked at her and sort of knew, she didn’t say anything at first, but her face said it all. Our dog was old. Our dog was dying. Then it happened, the vet listened to her heart and heard our stories of how her body seemed to be failing her as it would spasm, she’d lay all weird and pee or poop herself.
The vet said her heart was in failure. Jenny the pug’s heart was failing her. She was old. Her body was saying it is time, but her spirit wasn’t ready.
It sucked.
We cried.
The vet said she could put her to sleep right then and there, but it was only my teen that was with me. I promised my youngest he could be there to say his final goodbye and love you to Jenny the pug if the vet felt that it was Jenny’s time to be laid to rest.
We ran home and got the younger two boys. We were all in tears. The three kiddos, Jenny the pug and I got into the van for one last car ride to the Claremont Animal Hospital where we knew we would be saying our goodbyes. My youngest cried the whole ride as he pet his beloved dog who laid beside him for this last ride. My older two kids are much like me, we tend to internalize our sadness and so we wiped tears that crept out from our eyes during the drive and did our best to be strong during this sad final drive with our family dog.
I am literally crying writing this. This was a very difficult day and sorrow still haunts all of us.
She was our furry family member who brought us such joy, love and many moments of entertainment.
The Day I Adopted Jenny the Pug
I remember the day I went to meet Jenny the pug. She was four years old and I met her prior owners who’d had her since birth. Jenny the pug immediately took to me, it was as if she knew I was to be her Mama for the rest of her life.
I lived at my Moms at the time, she had a backdoor that you could open up and it was fenced in so Jenny the pug was able to be leash free for the first time in her 4 years of life. I still remember that little pug’s smile as she ran freely. Her prior owners said she had never been off a leash, and she spent about 9 hours of her life in a crate simply because they had to work so much.
Jenny the pug went from living conditions where they loved her, but simply couldn’t give her the joy in life that a little four-year-old pug desired. We gave her that joy. We gave her that freedom. Jenny the pug literally smiled with each new thing she was able to do. From many car rides to having someone home with her all of the time, to being able to sleep in our beds whenever she wanted.
Jenny the pug was loved beyond words and cherished by all.
She never met a human that she didn’t like, she especially loved kids. Jenny the pug’s little tail would wag anytime she saw a little human. This sweet Diva Dog was given a second chance to live in a home with a family who had time for her. A family who would go on to fall in love with her.
Jenny the pug lived 9 years of her life in peace, love, and happiness with us. Jenny the pug’s ashes are now with us so that she will forever be a part of our life.
We are still crying over this, we are still fragile, but we are also happy that she is now in peace. Jenny the pug’s spirit may not have been ready to quit, but her body was putting her in so much pain & her heart was failing. We had to make that difficult decision to put her to rest and at peace, we gave her the okay to move on to Doggy Heaven.
We expressed our love and gratitude for all she’d given us in those 9 years of time with us. We hugged her, we kissed her, and we said our final goodbyes covered in tears.
I am sad, but I don’t have time to grieve the way I should. I know I need to grieve. I know I need to allow myself a day or two or three to be sad, but the reality of my life is that I can only be sad for brief moments because the cost associated with this process, $237 to be exact, set the finances behind a little bit. I had to make a choice between paying two important household bills or putting our sweet pug to rest so that she was no longer suffering. Given the chance, I’d make the same choice over again. The money will come and go, but Jenny the pug needed to be at peace so that she was no longer in pain at her old age.
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Looking forward to a 4 day weekend with my trio ❤ #lovemykids #momliferocks
I can honestly say I swear I saw a look of relief pass over her face as she looked up at us and laid her head peacefully to sleep. My kids and I are still so full of sorrow, but we’re doing our best to live a life full of joy by going out in nature and spending time together all the while I’m focused on trying to get rent paid now that the funds are gone. I do have to thank my teenager, who put savings towards this too. We all came together as a family to make financial sacrifices so that our beloved furry relative could be at peace. It’s all a juggling act, but again, if you’re given the choice to end the suffering for a beloved family member, you have no choice. Jenny the pug needed to be laid to rest and I can honestly say watching her face showed me that I made the right decision for my furry child. She is now at peace. She is now at rest. She lived 13 years, and of those years, 9 were with us living the most joyous life possible.
I will be working late nights until the finances are back in order, even though I just want to curl up and cry to feel the sorrow of losing my furry child. I love Jenny the pug so deeply, so much, and it hurts.
