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Lady-Bug went to the Bridge on Friday, February 2, 2007 This one hit us particularly hard. Lady came to live with us in November, 2002, the day after we sent Daisy to the Bridge. She was being given up by a family that moved to a place where dogs were not allowed. She was living outside at the old house with a neighbor caring for her. She was in West Virginia, and Pam and I couldn’t stand it for another minute, so we called and agreed to meet the family in Cumberland, MD. We brought Lady home and she immediately settled in. It became clear early on that she was in charge. And, being a morning beagle, there were certain expectations we had to meet. She usually started out each morning with a gentle, perfectly pronounced “woof” to wake us up. If we did not respond immediately, she would bark progressively louder and more frequently, until we finally got up. The barking began promptly at 5:30AM. We had no need for an alarm clock. She tolerated her brothers, and within a year or so of moving in with us, she adopted her very own BREW beagle, Gretchen. Her reasons were clear. There were too many boy dogs in the house, and Lady wanted a sister. They got along quite well, and Lady was helpful in the process of taming Gretchen. They clearly loved each other. Lady had a happy life with us and the list of memories is long and varied. She was quite a character, and her antics always kept us entertained. Mealtimes were especially entertaining. She would twirl her tail in circles and hold her ears straight out from her head while barking in anticipation of food. In December 2006, Lady was diagnosed with acute kidney failure. We changed her diet and faithfully gave her her medications. She was a trouper, and was full of life right up to the end. Friday (February 2, 2007) morning, she would not eat. She’d fallen over a few times, and was quite restless. She would not sit still and did not seem able to get comfortable, so I called her vet, Dr. Johnson. I knew she would want to see Lady right away, so I carried Lady to the car, and off we went. I carried her from the car to the waiting room, and then into the exam room. And then I called Pam and told her to meet me us there. When Lady wouldn’t bleed enough to provide a decent blood sample, my heart sank. And the EKG results confirmed that Lady’s heart was failing. She was having trouble breathing, and so, when Pam got there, we talked it over with Dr. Johnson, and together we decided it was time. Lady pretty much told us the same thing. She was truly one of a kind. She will be remembered, and she will be sorely missed.
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