Remembering And Missing Pokey Today

[Guest LazyBones]

it was two years ago today that i had to let pokey go.

 

i remember years ago, i was only 13 and asking mom if we could get a dog. after moving into a house, mom said we could have one, but we would not be looking for one in the paper. instead, we would be saving a life. so glad she insisted on that. we searched and searched, and there she was. who would have thought that i'd find a whippet in an animal shelter, and that her previous owners would never claim her? my aunt at first thought she was ugly and couldn't believe i wanted that dog, and she also thought of purebred dogs to be devoid of personality. on a rainy day less than a week later, i walked quickly home from school, not knowing what to expect. well, nobody did claim her, so there she was, greeting me with a wagging tail when i got home, as if she'd lived here her whole life. when mom went to spring her from the pound, she told me that an employee there said, "if nobody claimed or adopted her, i would have done it myself. i just can't see a beautiful animal like that be put down." my aunt, by the way, quickly changed her mind about pokey and purebred dogs (of course we had no concrete proof that pokey was purebred). pokey grew on her.

 

pokey was a great dog who loved just about everybody. the one thing that still surprises me is that although she had a very high prey drive, she formed a strong bond with our ferret jinx. when jinx went missing, pokey did grieve. because jinx often hid out and napped behind our old console tv, pokey often jumped up anytime we pulled the tv out, hoping that jinx would come out. even years later, with a different tv, she still held on to that hope that her buddy would come out. some time later, gumby entered the picture. they often played together, running around the backyard and playing tug-of-war. however, it was during one session of play outside that she injured her knee, and after that, she didn't run around much.

 

pokey lived up to her name, poking people with her nose. a couple times, she even poked me in the eye. she was a master roacher. in true whippet fashion, she loved to snuggle and despised the cold. she was very smart and would even say "mama" for a treat. pokey was also a velcro dog, to a fault, and sometimes i would even have to pickk her up and place her back on the floor somewhere else just to avoid tripping over her.

 

in the last year or two of her life, she was definately declining. she had quite a few senior issues, some of which weren't a big deal to us. however, she had arthritis got really bad in the end. she was also losing weight due to borderline kidney failure. her heart was also starting to fail. it is also possible that she had some senility, and even my brother's friend (within a few days of letting her go) said that pokey looked "confused." on a rainy sunday evening, we took pokey to the vet one last time. the vet gave us another option for her kidney troubles, but basicly all it would do was buy us a little time. however, i did not feel it was right to put her through that, so i made the decision to let her go.

 

i do miss my sweet girl. i am glad, though, that i can think about her with a smile and laugh when i remember her antics. she lived a long, full life, and i feel fortunate for that. one day, i would like to have another whippet, and hopefully another rescue. i recently was looking on petfinder, and i did see one locally, but unfortunately i am not in the position to add another pet at the moment.

 

here is a (poor quality) video of pokey and gumby playing after having a bath.

zoomies

 

and of course, some pictures.

 

 

inspecting the fireplace, making sure there are no bugs or birds in there.

 

 

 

 

pokey and her buddy

 

beautiful woman. somebody here mentioned that she looked like phyllis diller

 

 

[Patsy]

Hugs to you--and thanks for the marvelous pictures.

[Guest hannahmom]

Pokey

I have the wig picture in my favorites - I have had for a long time

 

[HeyGrey]

Your memories are a treasure. Thanks for sharing them with us and your heart with your dear companions

[patricia]

My thoughts are with you.

[Guest Machbragal]

[Guest Becki]

[grey14me]

[Guest Snowy8]

[JerseyGirlInOz]

[greypuppyluv]

Pokey was a beautiful little girl.....even with a silly wig on! It's good that memories of her bring smiles now.

[nyGreys]

Thanks for the beautiful pictures.

[Guest Jokertx]

What a beautiful pup, looks like she loved life!! I love the video of the zoomies!

[Guest ss556]

Pokey was beautiful. Hugs to you.

[Guest Greyglo]

Your Pokey was precious. Keeping you in my thoughts.

[Guest TriciasZoo]

Oh how adorable and beautiful. Whoever could ever think that girl was ugly needs glasses. What a wonderful tribute, and I loved the pictures and video.

Edited January 31, 2008 by TriciasZoo