Penny Pooh Girl

Penny Pooh Girl passed away  April 23, 2009 at approximately 8:30 pm Central Time.  We don’t know exactly how old she was, but we think most likely she was around 18 to 19 yrs old.  We knew we wouldn’t have our “old woman” much longer as we have watched her go downhill for a while now, but I knew she wouldn’t leave until she knew we’d all be ok……….. Although our hearts are breaking we can let her go, it is time……………...  She will always be in our hearts………. We have been so blessed to have this beautiful angel in our lives…… especially me………..

I had lost my “heart dog” several years before and my heart was cold and hard towards any pets.  Oh, I’d take care of them, feed them and give them what they needed, all but my heart and I wouldn’t do that because it hurt too much…….I was afraid to love again, loosing was just too painful………..

But, I saw the love between my husband and Misty (a Chihuahua I had gotten for him as a companion after our children were grown and had moved out) and I felt so empty and longed for that kind of love too, so I started my search for my very own Chihuahua…….. I contacted every Humane Society, Rescue Group, Animal Shelter within a four state radius.  I called, emailed, wrote over a hundred organizations, telling them what I was looking for and to please call me if they ever got one in.  I never heard from anyone………..

After a few months, the Animal Shelter, less than a half a mile from where I worked got this little fawn Chihuahua in as a stray and one of the workers called me.  She wasn’t supposed to contact anyone for 5 days but she called.  I went to the shelter to see this little one and my heart broke at what I saw. 

It was August and hot and dry and there she was inside that kennel with the concrete floor, dust and dirt with a 5 gallon bucket in there to drink water out of and a big pan of nasty canned dog food that was covered with green flies…….

There she was sitting in that nasty place as far back as she could get with such fear in her eyes, and so weak……… if she had been inclined to drink, she would have drown because the bucket was so big and she was so weak…….

I found myself so very angry, but my mind was working overtime trying to figure out a way to help this little one.  The lady that called me told me she wouldn’t eat or drink and she was so afraid for her.  I left and went to Hardee’s, bought her a plain cheeseburger and drove back. 

I got them to allow me to go inside her pen and I broke off bits and pieces of that sandwich trying to get her to eat.  Finally she did.  I went back every morning and evening for 3 days begging them to let me at least foster her until her owner claimed her, they would not.  I called them every couple of hours asking how she was, I took her home cooked food and little pans so she could eat and drink, but each time I went to see her there would be that stupid 5 gallon bucket and the nasty food……..  I fussed and fumed, and did everything I could think of to get them to let me have her, at least until her family came for her. 

Finally on the 3^rd day, that afternoon, the director of the facility told me if I wanted her to come get her now, I left work in a rush, went and got her before they changed their minds and took her to my vet to have her taken care of because I knew she was so sick.  They said she was between 7 and 8 yrs old and we’d be lucky if she got well.  She was so flea infested and full of parasites, they didn’t know if she could overcome.  I told them she would, she was sent to me and she would get well……….

We had her over a month before she barked the first time, I cried.  When the fear finally totally left her eyes, I cried.  I realized that this little 3 ½ lbs bundle of skin, bones and huge brown eyes had stolen my heart and I felt it melting and so full of love. 

Penny was the start of my true love for our wonderful beautiful breed.  She went from that tiny fearful mite that could not even bark to defend herself to being the queen of our clan, ruling each and every one of them, including us, with an iron paw and so much love this whole world could not contain it!

I promised my Penny Pooh girl that first day that I would never leave her and she would never need to be afraid ever again……… Our Lord allowed her to stay with us for almost 11 yrs, thank you Lord!  She taught me that my heart was meant to share, that although it broke sometimes, that was life, but we never needed to be afraid to love………  Thank you my beautiful Penny Pooh Girl…….. Mommy will always love you, Thank you for loving me………….