A Farewell to Bonnie
She wasn’t supposed to be ours.
We had just lost Emma and Sedi and were debating whether or not to get another dog.
When we called our friend in Spain to let him know Emma had died (he had given her to us) he told us that Misty had just had a litter.
The rest, as they say, is history.
We were only supposed to get the brown and white puppy.
The black and white puppy had been promised to someone else.
They couldn’t take her.
She spoke sharp words to mon mari and she became ours.
They were always together – sisters and best friends.
She loved being outside, visiting her family and going for walks in the mountains with them.
They were alike when they were young…. running and playing and napping together.
But Bonnie was the official ‘door dog’.
As she got older she slowed down.
While Guapa still ran and jumped and barked at everything, Bonnie became laid back and slow moving…. Except when she saw a rabbit. Guapa has never caught a rabbit; Bonnie has caught several.
We had a hot summer.
Bonnie didn’t like hot weather and suffered through the worst of it in front of her very own floor fan.
But it wasn’t enough. Two weeks ago she was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. The vet and we did everything we could. She had good days when she was almost her old self and bad days when she stayed in her door and slept.
Monday, she finally said enough….. She knew and we knew. It was time.
I sat with her outside. She rolled over and while I was giving her one more belly rub, she died.
Her favorite thing in the world was to come up to me when I was sitting on the floor or ground, flop over on top of me, give me a big head cuddle then roll over for a belly rub.
It was my favorite thing, too. She was the best ‘cuddle puppy’.
She is sorely missed.
Bonita
March 24, 2011 – September 16, 2019
R.I.P
So sorry – every pet owner knows how hard this is. I’m glad she was with you at the end. I’ll go give Sunny a couple extra belly rubs until the lump in my throat is gone.
Aww, RIP Bonnie. She had a great life with you two. Three, including Guapa rather.
RIP Bonnie but what a way to go! Getting her belly rubbed
So sorry for your loss. Losing a beloved for baby is so hard. You will have to give Guapa lots of extra love.
We never own our dogs..we just take care of them.. and they love us back..
When our dog Rudy got up in years ..10 or 11.. I got worried.. and being raised Catholic, I
was taught that the souls of pets were destroyed when they died..so I asked God for a favour..
I begged that Rudy be given a person’s soul … call me silly and foolish perhaps..desperate and..superstitious
unscientific.. very flawed and also very human…all the above apply.
But so the story goes.. Rudy passed 2 days after Thanksgiving in 2007 at the age of 14.
A few months later my brother said his wife was pregnant…
Some months later my Nephew was born.. some time after the boy turns 2 years old I see him
running laps around the dinner table just like Rudy .. I ask his Mom why he is doing this.. she answers
Oh… he does that every time after he goes to the bathroom! Oh my…just like Rudy..I gasp!
Two years later we are watching TV together and I see my Nephew sticking his tongue out one side of his face
I asked him why he was doing it .. He answered that it was that he wanted to be a dog…..
I was flabbergasted ..refusing to believe…things so odd…Sometime later I met up with a friend of mine who was from Tibet, a Buddhist and an Associate of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.. and told her the story .. She said.. You are a very lucky family .. you were given back the soul of your dog because you loved him and he was good to you…You do not have to believe .. but in Tibet we have many stories like yours..she said…I believe your Nephew has your dog’s soul… I gasped … I went home to my 80 year old father and told him the story.. he smiled .. he laughed.. and said.. well I guess that is good! Rudy is back!!!
I HOPE YOU GET THE SOULS OF WHO YOU LOVE BACK! I wish you peace.. and the Love of Bonnie always
What a lovely story John….
I’m so sorry to hear about Bonnie, Katie! But it’s clear from your blog that you gave her a good life filled with love. Hugs from Paris!
Oh, how sad. I shed a little tear for you. I’ve never had a dog just die in my arms without the vet being there to administer the final injection. And I sympathise with Bonnie and how her heart made her feel. I’m off to the cardiologist myself next month because it’s starting to properly interfere with life.
So sorry to hear about your loss. Sending loving thoughts your way.
Oh, Kate and Vern and Guapa we are so sorry to hear that you have lost Bonnie. We could see firsthand how you loved and cared for her and we know this must be difficult. These sweet pets fill our lives and leave us too soon. We are thinking of you…
Oh, I’m so, so very sorry! How sad you all must be. We lost our red dobe to CHF. I think it’s a much harder loss. Please know my thoughts are with you and Guapa as well. She’ll grieve. It took a year and a month give or take for our blue dobe to finally get past it. Just let her grieve with you. Love her and know Bonnie isn’t far away. She lives on in your heart.
So sorry.
My goodness, what a beautiful girl. I’m so sorry you’ve lost her. And to have it happen as it did. Tears!
I’m so sorry to hear this sad news! Even though I never met Bonnie in person, I still imagined that we had said hello to each other many times, burying my fingers in her fur to rub her neck and ears. RIP beautiful Bonnie.
I know it’s sad but it’s because of all those joyous belly rubs. There is just nothing to equal a puppy dog.
I am so so sorry for your loss, Katie. I remember when you brought both pups home and I enjoyed following them through your blog. Big hugs to you.
Thanks everyone…. It was awful watching her suffer for that last hour and such a relief when she finally let go. And then so terrible sad.
Thank you all for your kind thoughts. Guapa is getting lots of hugs and cuddles – and seems quite content with all the attention,