One Dog?

After Tuxedo left us, Oreo was very lonely. So I decided to try to find her a companion – a senior male, if possible. So we haunted Sammie’s Friends for a few visits, and kept one male with us for a month before I gave up on him – he had real problems that Oreo couldn’t deal with.

Then I got a call about Mr. Mackey – an adult male who had some physical issues. It turned out he had congestive heart failure, possibly from a spinal infection that he got from a bug bite or some sort of cut. He was a very sweet, silly dog and Oreo loved him. He was with us for 8 months – from the beginning of 2021 thru Nov 13, 2021. This was quite a bit longer than anyone expected him to last. When it was his time to go, he seemed to know it. He was breathing over 100 times a minute, and couldn’t really eat or drink. Brunswick Vets – who weren’t even our vets at the time – graciously took us in on that Saturday morning and helped him cross the Rainbow Bridge. He went very quickly and peacefully.

Very Moving!

A few days later, I happened to find a new home that was (almost) exactly what I’d been trying to find for years. My old place on Lake Vera would have been difficult to evacuate, and I always felt I had to take my dogs with me wherever I went during fire season because of the problem of getting back home to get them out. My back has been having pretty serious issues since mid-2020, so the size of the yard at the old place was overwhelming me. (Basically 1.5 acres of pine needles that needed nearly constant raking to keep as fire-safe as possible). When I found the new place, I was eager to grab it since I now had only one dog! But after nearly 2 decades on Lake Vera, moving was very difficult – and the stress was compounded because I didn’t put it on the market until I’d bought and moved into the new home. (The anxiety of buying before selling was huge – but the old place sold in 1 day).

My new place is in town (Morgan Ranch, Grass Valley) so not as much of an evacuation issue; it also has a much smaller yard so it will not be nearly as much work. (But the “almost” in the prior paragraph refers to the condition of the yards, irrigation, and the mess left by the horrible prior gardener!)

So, after several weeks of getting used to the new place, I was introduced to another great foster dog: “Bo”. Oreo took to him immediately, and we both absolutely loved him: he was very loving, perfectly behaved, and the way he played around Oreo tickled me greatly. Oreo has had fairly severe arthritis since she was 6, so he’d just run around the house, back and forth, encircling her and running away again, while all she did was stand there and bark-bark-bark at him. I wanted to adopt him, but unfortunately, the owner resolved some problems and I had to give him back after 5 weeks.

At first, I was broken-hearted – losing 3 dogs in less than 2 years. And I sensed that Oreo was not particularly eager to welcome yet another foster. We tried one senior female at Sammie’s, but Oreo wouldn’t even look at her; then she growled when we tried to put the other dog into the car with her. So I decided to wait a bit to find another companion. But I’m starting to think that maybe Oreo is ready for another pal – and maybe I am too . . .

No Dog?

On June 30, 2024, Oreo could not stand or walk without help. I got her into the vet as soon as I could, and they eventually diagnosed her with two or three fused disks and possibly a tumor on her spine. They started her on Prednisone, and she was up and walking the next day. Over time, we reduced the dose of Prednisone, added estrogen, and increased Gabapentin.

I kept thinking I’d be losing her soon, but she lasted nearly 10 months, thanks to all the meds. She wasn’t in pain and had a bit of energy, so she could walk about 1/2 mile at a time. She seemed happy and content, and slept most of the day. She also had a bit of Canine Cognitive Disorder, which was slowly getting worse.

Oreo started slipping quickly on Wednesday, 4/16/2025. It started with a nasty bloody nose that stopped and started all night long. I was able to reach her vet right after it started, and he wanted to see her asap to check out various theories. We agreed to meet at the vets at 8 am on Friday. Between Thursday morning and Friday, it became obvious that she was exhausted, probably in pain, she could hardly breathe or walk. The vet and I agreed it was time, so we said goodbye.  Really hard . . .

Here’s something I read online:

What’s the hardest part about having a dog?” they asked, their tone casual, like it was just another question.

I glanced at the worn leash hanging by the door, my chest tightening. “Letting them go,” I said quietly.

They frowned a little, waiting for me to explain. “They come into your life like they were always meant to be there,” I said, trying to find the words. “They make everything better—simpler, brighter. And you think it’s always going to be that way. But it’s not. One day, they’re gone, and you’re left with all the space they used to fill.”
They nodded, but I wasn’t sure they understood. “It’s not the messes they made or the routines you have to let go of,” I continued. “It’s the absence. You walk into the house, and it feels… wrong. The quiet is heavier. The mornings don’t feel the same without them nudging you awake.”

“So why do it?” they asked, their voice softer this time.

I sighed, glancing down at my hands. “Because the love they give you is worth every bit of the heartache. They teach you how to love without holding back, even when you know it’s going to hurt in the end. And you keep choosing that love because you know it’s one of the best things you’ll ever feel.”

R.M. Drake from the book ‘ Dog People’

I will keep looking for yet another dog – a senior dog that I can FOSTER so that the shelter/agency will take care of the dog if I am incapacitated or die..