Sparkle N Carrie

[Guest ponyiq]

Sparkle made it to her 13th birthday, even a few days beyond and then she made the choice for me. I walked her before work, she ate her mush of hot dogs, chicken, canned dog food, vitamens, a little kibble and some rice with yogurt at the end before I left for work. She was secluded with dry kibble and water in my daughter's bed room as has been norm the last couple of months. I did not hear her baying when I got home, but she did not everyday anymore, i let the rest of the pack in the back and got the two leashes for the old girls to take them out front. Sparkle did not get up when I enter the room and I knew.. sure enough she died sleeping in the bed sometime during the day. I am very sad that she had to pass on to the bridge alone, but I am also glad that she appears to have gone in her sleep.

 

Sparkle came to me 34 months ago as a 10 year old bounce. She was my first grey hound. She was a very, very special girl. She was elegant, regal, but she had a helicopter tail that she used all the time, She had these beautiful eyes, her ears would stand up almost completely except the very tips when she was excited. She was a gentle sweet soul. She was everything I could have asked for in any dog. She had recently taken to sleeping in my bed again maybe she knew that the end was near.. because she spent every night for the last 1 -2 months in the bed with me, which she has not done in over a year. She was a beautiful blue brindle girl, with just full of grace.

 

I can not tell you how sad this family is, my daughter, the dogs, even the cat that slept with her, well all miss her every day, my daughter said, well she has old gypsy to wait with her, as well as stormy ( stormy was one of my father;s home grown racehorses, who broke down less than 15 feet in front of my daughter...and was one of the major reasons the track was shut down here for almost 6 months while they rebuilt the track) susu, her 36 year old pony that died on her birthday last year... gypsy and susu were put down a year apart, both on my daughter's birthday, so sparkle blessed my child by not doing that yet again to her, to loose another special animal on her birthday.

she has the good company of many other animals that have passed through my hands over hte years, chopper my first rescue ever, amber another rescue, both of which had spent over four years in kennels waiting for adoptions.. and several other horses...

 

I do not want to get to rainbow bridge too soon, but I can honestly say that i will be very blessed when i do.. as i have been so blessed to be touched by some of the most special animals

 

My heart gets hurt because I have a soft spot for old , injured or unhealthy animals..

 

Sparkle will always have a special place, she is buried at the farm with the Old Gyp and several horses that have died over the years.. I do not bury at the house because I not intend to keep this forever, but my farm I will always have.. so i will always have a special place, a tree is planted each time someone passes on to the bridge.. and in the spring , I will find a special tree to plant for her.. something of course non-toxic to horses, but something that is special, elegant graceful and beautiful

 

nicole

[Guest BlackandBrindle]

I'm so sorry for your loss. Sparkle sounds like a very special girl

[Guest greybookends]

[robinw]

i'm so sorry

[Guest Becki]

[Guest vahoundlover]

I am so sorry

 

 

Run Free Sparkle

[Guest WarmheartedPups]

such sorrow.....such wonderful memories...I am sorry for all your losses

[Burpdog]

[Guest PetersMom]

Im so sorry about the loss of Sparkle - she sounds like a wonderful, gentle girl.

 

[Jiffer]

I'm so sorry!

 

Farewell Sparkle.

[patricia]

I am so sorry that your baby girl had to leave. She left sweetly during a wonderful dream...she is running with our Angels and she waits patiently for you. My sympathy and prayers. Godspeed...

[Guest Linn]

So very sorry. Godspeed Sparkle.

[MarcR]

I am so sorry for your loss.

[Guest whatahound]

I am so very sorry for your loss. Sparkle will always have a special place in your heart. She sounds like a real sweetie.

Hugs to all.....

[Guest LolasMom]

Godspeed, Sparkle

[Houndtime]

I am so sorry for your loss. Sparkle chose her time to go.

[Greys4Us]

What a wonderful tribute to Sparkle. Thank you for giving her the best years of her life. She left knowing that. Run free Sparkle.

[Guest ponyiq]

Sparkle was a special angel that my old Gyp made a place for. My old gyp had been fighting autoimmune hemolytic anemia for a little over a year and still had a fairly good quality of life when cancer struck as well, we opted not to treat the cancer and let her go as long as we could keep her comfortbale. I had started the application process before she died for a greyhound. I was not willing to bring a grey into the house until she was gone though, out of respect. She died on a monday. I had my two visits over the next week or so, maybe two weeks and then I got a call to ask if I could handle an emergency foster dog. I could. She was a 10 year old bounce. She had been in the same home since she was five years old. SO, Sparkle, poor sparkle came walking every so shyly and carefully into my house. At first she was not keen on eating, on walking, on playing, she just laid down on her mat that had come with her, with her head on her toy that had come with her and stared at the door, my daughter would sit and lay down and talk to her and so would I. My standard poodle would do the same. WE all tried to get her to come out of her shell, but she was in shell shock I think. Finally she started to show what a beaufiul, loving girl she could be. I was told that i was still on the list for a young dog that they would move her as soon as they could.. but after a week or two I knew she was not going anywhere. I was warned she might not live six months. I told them that they were my six months then. I fell in love with this quiet, reserved dog. Everything about her spoke of character, breeding and class.. She was a thoroughbred in every respect. She was a beautiful blue brindle that over the almost three years got lighter and lighter as she aged. She had this wonderful helicopter tail that whizzed around like she was going to lift off into the atmosphere.. she would race around the yard, in fact a week or so before she passed she took a half lap with the rest of the dogs, of course she shook after but she so wanted to do it, that i figured it was her choice. She was bossy to Nadi, and would snuggle with my old poodle. She hated to sleep on the dog beds on the floor.. actually, i do not even use them anymore instead, she slept on the toddler bed that my daughter never slept on, in my room, my bed, my daughter's bed, one of two matching big deep stuffed chairs, or if push came to shove she would sleep on my comforter that eventually became hers. I had this beautiful deep earth tone Ralph Lauren comforter that was a splurge for myself when my mother died. She would take it off the bed and ( it was not at all light by the way) and put it on the floor and then lay down on it.

She loved to wear t-shirts, coats, and sweaters and she loved to be covered up under the covers whereever she was sleeping.

 

She was gentle, she would let my daughter walk her. She was just a very special dog. Every dog that I have ever had was special in their own way. Each had something to teach me, something to share with me and unbounding love to give me, but Sparkle gave me even more than that. She had this wise old soul look to her eyes. She had this beautiful hound bay and she was never afraid to use it.

 

She was bounced because her former owner got remarried and they put in a white tile floor, now this is south louisiana, we get lots of rain and that means mud.. well you guessed it, sparkle was bounced for muddy feet. I would have gotten rid of the husband myself, but that is me.

 

She was elegant and graceful, everything she did she did carefully, thoughtfully, with beauty and grace.. she can never be replaced, she will never be forgotten and she will always be very dearly loved. I wish I had been there with her, that she had not chosen to go alone. I have only lost two other animals in all my years that way, one horse whom i fed at midnight and he was dead at 0500 when I went to feed him again. He was a rescue, whom i had for 7 months, at 27 years old. He was a great racehorse by the name of Lord Rebeau. He ran against the great Forego on more than one occassion. I found him starving to death in a pasture because he was so dangerous. I bought him for $1. He never gained a heck of a lot of weight and he could be dangerous, but his bad manners were out of fear, he struck first if he thought he was going to get hurt.. He was finally relaxing and enjoying his routine and his life when he passed away.

The other was an old hound who had all kinds of problems due to horrible mistreatment that included being shot and burned with cigarettes.. she was horrified with me and had spent over four years in the no-kill shelter when i took her home in 1990. She lived with me until 1997 when she died under the barn. She was at least 12 but could have been as old as 15 because she was full grown at least 3 when the kennel got her possible as old as six or seven. the house had a doggie door and the small barn was in that fenced area.. it was simply a stall for a sick/ quarentine horse away from the main barn and easy to access from the house.. she went out sometime in the night and when she did not come in for breakfast we found her in her favorite hiding place, under the porch to walk up into the equipment room..

 

I think that is what shocked me the most. I knew that the time was coming when I would have to make that final choice. I have made it many times before and I hate playing God, but I also do not like suffering. Anyway, I just did not see it coming so soon, as she had seemed to rally.

 

Run free my Sparkle bug... and dig that deep hole to china

 

nicole

[Guest GriffinsMom]

What wonderful stories and memories you have of Sparkle and your other pups and horses. Sparkle was blessed to spend her last years with you and your daughter. Godspeed Sparkle.

[Patsy]

But she didn't leave for the Bridge alone--she had your love all around her and she knew that.

 

When you feel you can, we'd love to see some pictures of precious Sparkle.

[Guest bowiebears]

You are indeed a very blessed woman...doubly blessed for knowing all the love of those specials animals.

 

I share your grief though i have never met your nor your angels, especially Sparkle who must have been one extraordinary hound.

 

All my prayers and thoughts for you and your daughter in this difficult time.

 

One day we will indeed all be reunited at The Bridge.

 

--Isaac

Edited September 27, 2007 by bowiebears

[sweetdogs]

I'm so very sorry for your loss of Sparkle. She sounds like she was such a wonderful girl. Planting a tree in her honor will be a lovely way to remember her.

 

Run free Sparkle!

[grey14me]

what a special angel

[Guest ss556]

I am so sorry for your loss. Runfree sweet Sparkle.

[Devotion]

Your love for Sparkle is so moving. I know she found that forever home with you and will live on in your heart. I am glad you both were blessed to have had each other. May peace and comfort be with you.