Love and Laughter

It's amazing how much

love and laughter

dogs bring into our lives.

Love and laughter bring joy to one's heart and it's a true gift to experience that in your life. It can come in many ways, including from a much-loved pet. From the time we brought home our eight week old puppy, our sweet and comical Boston terrier showered us with both love and laughter. My husband tells the story of our going to look at a litter of Bostons because "someone at our house" decided we should (I'm guilty, as charged!). Millie was a busy girl from the moment we laid eyes on her and when my husband picked up this tiny puppy who fit in one hand, she licked him on the nose. That, he says, is how we knew she was to be ours. She was the only baby we've ever had and she definitely kept us hopping! 

Here is Millie with her big sister, Pollie.

Very inquisitive  and exceptionally personable, she loved to explore and be on-the-go. She was so loving and funny, though, that it made her antics well worth the extra efforts. Since all of our other dogs had been adult rescues, we didn't realize how active  puppies can be! Although she did mature by age two, she never got over the pure delight of interacting with people and other pets. We referred to her as our "clown" because she was naturally funny and made us laugh every single day just by being herself. She had so much character! 

Millie knew how to cover-up with a blanket completely on her own and 

would arrange any soft throw to get it just right! 

When this green toy flung through the air and

landed on her head, she didn't mind at all! 

Sadly, we had to say goodbye to our beautiful Boston two weeks ago, leaving us heartbroken. If you have ever had a dog as part of your family, you understand the sadness we feel losing our dearly-loved gal. She was a blessing. Although she had her share of medical issues, all were being well-managed. Blindness, deafness, heart disease and thyroid monitoring were addressed by her caring and competent team of specialists. Routinely, she saw her canine ophthalmologist, cardiologist and the dear surgeon who performed Millie's parathyroidectomy last November-- which was just one week after our precious Rubie died (click here to read her tribute). Dogs with Millie's particular heart condition typically succumb within a year; we were at 20 months. Thanks to superior veterinary care and carefully-prescribed daily medicines (a total of 13 a day plus two types of eye drops) she maintained a high-quality of life and was still typical Millie. She still loved her yard, riding in the car, begging for doggy snacks, loving us and making us chuckle out loud. Her meds were always wrapped in boiled chicken and since our girl loved to eat, she enjoyed her "treats" and never minded one single bit! At a scheduled cardiac check-up in mid-April, though, routine images revealed lung cancer and a bladder mass. We added an oncologist to our lineup. Another pill was added to the regimen for the mass, but there were no options for the lung cancer and, tragically,  that's what robbed us of our sweetie. Throughout her 13 plus years of life, she knew no strangers and everyone who met her adored her!

Millie may not have been much of a cuddler, but she was very loving. She had a sweet disposition and we never once heard her growl. The only time she barked was when she played with her sister.  She was also a very good conversational listener and seemingly understood everything we said to her. Multiple pictures capture the classic head-tip. Shortly after this picture, she went completely deaf.

Many of you came to expect the holiday photos of our dogs dressed for the occasion. Millie was always a great sport about those, while Rubie was less enthusiastic. 😉 

We lost both of our little girls in a span of seven months and our home seems very different.

For the first time in more than three decades, we have no furry kids. What we do have, however, are lots of wonderful memories from so much love and laughter! ❤