Our Haley

Haley is my niece...okay, so she is a dog but she is still the only niece I have. And, for someone like me, a dog CAN be a niece. Haley is 11 1/2. She is loud and nosy and over protective of her family. She can maul a dog toy to bits or take a tiny morsel of food from your fingers so gently you never feel her doing it. She loves to run, to chase a ball, to get a Milkbone as a treat. The pure joy she expresses when she chases her worn, green tennis ball is infectious. "Come on Auntie Sue! Get into the game!" Grace and I just came back from a visit with Haley. I picked Grace up after her reading class and we went by McDonald's. Grace got breakfast, I got a Coke and we got an Egg McMuffin for Haley. Uh huh. We did. And she ate the entire thing. Grace sat there and broke off one tiny bite after another while Haley patiently waited on each gooey, greasy bite. I know, no veterinarian would approve a dog being fed an entire McMuffin for breakfast. Nor would they have approved the huge steak that my brother grilled her for dinner last night. Haley loved it and that is all that mattered. She enjoyed her breakfast immensely. She licked her lips and kissed our hands. We kissed her head and laughed as we talked about the silly things she has done over the years. My best memory? When Haley was just a pup (But a big, strong one), Danny took her for an early morning walk. It was Christmas Day and the family was spending the holiday with my parents in Tennessee. Dan took Haley down by the lake and who decides to pay them a holiday call? A flock of very beautiful, very noisy Canadian geese. Now this is just too much for poor Haley. She shook. She paced. She took off like a rocket with Dan hanging on for dear life. She chased those geese straight down the boat dock and into the water. Yes, she jumped into the water with Danny still hanging onto the leash. Uh huh. My brother looks out of the living room windows and sees them just as they hit the water. Splash. Icy, cold and wet. Okay, so water is *supposed* to be wet but you get the idea... Jim and Dad ran out to the lake and got there as Dan was struggling up the shoreline to dry ground. Still holding the leash. The kid wasn't taking any chances on losing Haley. I must tell you, we all laughed so hard it was awful. After a hearty breakfast and some hot chocolate, even Dan laughed. Haley never did figure out what all the commotion was about. There were geese. They had to be chased. There was water. So? It took Haley awhile to accept Grace and Grace to stop being afraid of Haley. Now they are good friends. Grace so enjoyed having her breakfast with "Haley, my cousin" as she says. As we were leaving the house, we tossed her some Milkbones which she happily crunched as we locked the door behind us. "Bye bye Sweetie. I love you. I have always loved you. I will always love you. I will see you later...." Haley will cross Rainbow Bridge tomorrow morning. She has cancer. A large tumor on her left leg. She has faced surgery once before and they doubt that it would be possible to help her again. Amputation and chemotherapy might help but is not recommended. She is 85 pounds and 11 1/2 years old. It would be terribly difficult for her to learn to be without her leg. Haley has never been the best patient....so we will let her go. She will go before the real pain sets in. It is the most loving thing to do for her. She will go quietly with her Mommy beside her. My brother can not do that....but Lisa feels she must be there. Jim will walk her to the door and then stay outside. This has been a horrible week for them. Please keep them in your thoughts. All of us who love our pets have faced this, or will face this. It always hurts. There is always pain. Still, I can not imagine a life without our furry friends beside us. We will miss Haley but I am sure there will be another puppy making it's home with my brother and sister in law eventually. But for now, we will mourn our loss and remember Haley with a bittersweet joy in our hearts. Bye bye Sweetie, I will see you again...