Betsy, In Memoriam

     All children want a pet, usually a dog. They beg their parents and promise to always walk, feed, and otherwise take care of the hoped for animal. My siblings and I were no different, and, eventually, we succeeded in convincing our parents to let us have a dog. A friend of my mom's from work found a puppy in her flowerbed one day. After a short while she decided that she couldn't keep her, and started to try and find her a home.

     Our mom brought home an adorable black and white puppy with floppy ears named Betsy.  She was a mix of beagle and spaniel and, aside from a problem with chewing on things, was extremely well behaved. When she was very young she was crated at night and I remember our mom letting her into our room in the morning to jump on us to wake us up. She was full of energy and would treat the house like a race trace, running in circles through the living and dining rooms. About a year later Betsy adjusted to a new puppy being brought into the family, Trixie. However, Betsy would still often be referred to as the "best dog in the world" (Trixie being resistant to training).

     Over the years Betsy has had a few health problems, from allergies that caused her to chew on her feet to problems with her ears. About six months ago, she began to have problems with her back legs and difficulty walking. The vet said that she had rather severe arthritis in her back and hips. She was placed on some pain medication but otherwise was doing ok. Over the past week however, her condition worsened. She spent most of her days laying around the house, often yelping for attention. She was constantly agitated and I would sit and pet her until she fell asleep. She developed a sore on her side that was somewhat severe and that the vet felt would not fully heal without surgery, which wasn't an option for an almost 14 year old dog. Yesterday we made the heartbreaking decision to free her from her pain and say goodbye.  I spent much of the day crying and find myself crying again as a right this. I know we did what was right for Betsy, but it's been a very painful experience. Despite the pain, we know that Betsy had a very happy life and brought joy to us all.