Welcome to Jenny Ryan's Rainbow Bridge Memorial Residency
Jenny Ryan's Rainbow Bridge Pet Loss Memorial Residency Image
Memories of Jenny Ryan
Jenny was born May 16, 1998. An English Springer Spaniel, Liver & White, AKA.
My son, daughter and I found this beautiful, gentle natured puppy after looking
at so many that wanted a new family to call their own. She was such a great
dog to us. She loved the kids and their friends, loved to walk in the park,
yard and at camp. She was afraid of water and car sick when young but,
out grew both. She loved to swim in our pool, she would run around and around
the pool deck and then jump in. We had to be careful in watching her and
help her out when she tired. She loved her bath too, she knew how to shake
her body when in the shower before I would let her out. "You have to shake
Jenny." and we would dance to music too. First she would stand and we would
dance, older I had to lift her up in my arms and sing as we danced. She liked
to travel with me when I was able to take her with me. Sometimes I couldn't
take her but, she was so happy when I came home. Sometimes she had panic
attacks and chewed papers in the bathrooms. We tried shutting doors when
we went out for the day. She also loved chocolate and we could NEVER leave
chocolate out anywhere, not even on the kitchen counter, she would find a way
to get it, and not good for dogs. I found this out from a soccer coach. We had our
entire team chocolate bars. I had them divided in bags 15 bars each for 14
players in a large cardboard box on the kitchen floor. When we got home almost
all bars were eaten but, the wrappers, plastic bags, foil, almonds and a very
sick dog on the family room rug. What a night, Jenny slept outside with lots
of water, which she drank. Good thing that was the filtering agent for her, fed
her in the morning some, she survived but, what a mess we had and we had
to pay for all the bars ourselves. One Easter we left a bag of peanut butter cups
on top of the counter after we each took one and left for church. When we got
home the bag was turned inside out, all was eaten but for pink and green foils
on the floor. Jenny loved chocolate. Every spring and late fall she got a hair
cut, shaved all but her ears. Her hair dresser always put bows in her
ears which everyone loved when they saw her. She would go after tennis balls
and Frisbees but as she got older she would go after them but not bring them
back. She knew how to sit, lay and speak on command. She would walk behind
me as I mowed a large yard with a walk behind mower, as she aged she would
walk for a while, then rest on the edge, move as close as she could to the
area I was mowing. I will never forget a day at camp, my daughter walked
Jenny on her leash and I was riding my bike. My daughter said mom I don't
want to walk Jenny anymore and handed me the leach. I told her I was on a
bike. I put the leash around my right wrist and peddled my bike back to
camp,Jenny running along side, all seemed well and she was in a full run.
She stopped so fast to go to the bathroom and I didn't. I flipped over my
bike, my wrist hit the handle bar as I landed in a poof of road dust. Jenny
ran on as I tried to get up. My neighbor saw me, darn, asked if I was OK,
I just wanted to know where Jenny went. "She's there waiting at the door." My
neighbor said. I tore the tendon in my right wrist, had surgery to repair it,
so it has been my "Jenny scar". I will always have it and laugh when I think
about it. Every summer she would eat the pea shells after I ate the peas when
weeding the garden, she loved lettuce, cucumbers, grapefruit section skins,
apples,nuts and of course meat scraps and maybe a tiny piece of chocolate
once in a while I am an insulin dependent diabetic since age six and always
deal with low or high blood sugar, constant work for me keep normal range.
Jenny somehow knew a lot of the time that I wasn't right. If I was working
outside for a long time, she would come bark at me and walk to the door,
and keep at it til I came. She seemed to know I needed to go inside, and after
I was in I would realize my blood sugar was so very low. I feel she knew.
Many mornings she would come as close as she could to my face, bark a
light bark, sometimes lick my hands or face and continue to bark to wake me
up,I feel she saved my life many times so I could get up to help myself. Jenny
would always look at me with this special look all the time. My mom called them
soulful eyes. She always would be there right under my feet, watching my
every move, following me from room to room as I did house work through the
day. I wonder if she was given to me to be a gentle soul in my life after dealing
with such difficult times. I could talk all day to her and she never minded or I
could be silent all day and she was by my side. I miss her so very much. These
last couple years it was Jenny and I alone a lot, she was my dear friend,
Arthritis was effecting her hips, but she still walked with me for short walks in
the woods and around the house. This last winter she was put on incontinence
medicine for she was having accidents. Through the winter she seemed to be
loosing her hair on her back. I took her to the vet March through April, she
had many tests and I was told she had Cushing's disease, an enlarged liver
and heart. I was given a new medicine that should help her unless she had a
tumor. So I gave Jenny all my attention, cooked her all home made food.
She had a stroke a Sunday afternoon and I carried her a long ways into
the house,she took water from a water bottle but was difficult for her tongue
was in the way. I kept petting her and talking to her and giving her water.
She seemed better that evening but weak. I called the vet about what happened
and was told to change medicine dose, and may need a counter acting
medicine. It was so heart wrenching to see her suffer. I told her she was a
beautiful dog, a loyal friend and that it was OK to go, I would miss her dearly
but she brought such joy to me. I prayed for God to take her, as she didn't
deserve to suffer anymore. She turned 13 years old May 16 and we celebrated,
then 13 days later we were outside getting the pool ready for the summer,
Jenny seemed happy to go out with us, she laid in the cool grass as my son
and I worked. I walked up to see how she was and I knew she had passed.
She was happy, she had us there.
My beautiful Jenny died Sunday May 29, 2011 -day before Memorial Day.
Annette Ryan ~ November 1, 2011

~~~~~ A Beautiful Poem ~~~~~


JUST A DOG

From time to time, people tell me, "lighten up, it's just a dog,"
or "that's a lot of money for just a dog."

They don't understand the distance traveled, the time spent,
or the costs involved for "just a dog."

Some of my proudest moments have come about with "just a dog."

Many hours have passed and my only company was "just a dog,"
but I did not once feel slighted.

Some of my saddest moments have been brought about by
"just a dog," and in those days of darkness, the gentle touch
of "just a dog" gave me comfort and reason to overcome the day.

If you, too, think it's "just a dog," then you probably understand
phrases like "just a friend," "just a sunrise," or "just a promise."

"Just a dog" brings into my life the very essence of friendship,
trust, and pure unbridled joy.
"Just a dog" brings out the compassion and patience
that make me a better person.
Because of "just a dog" I will rise early, take long walks and look
longingly to the future.

So for me and folks like me, it's not "just a dog"
but an embodiment of all the hopes and dreams of the future,
the fond memories of the past, and the pure joy of the moment.

"Just a dog" brings out what's good in me and diverts my thoughts
away from myself and the worries of the day.

I hope that someday they can understand that its' not "just a dog"
but the thing that gives me humanity and keeps me from being
"just a man" or "just a woman."

So the next time you hear the phrase "just a dog,"
just smile, because they "just don't understand."

~Unknown Author~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is a comment from Jenny's Grandmother about what Jenny meant
to her and her Daughter Annette.

"Jenny was my daughter Annette's dog and she could tell when my daughter
was not waking up from an insulin reaction and she would jump on her head
and lick her face to wake her up. She saved her life many times and is a great
loss. we will never be able to replace her."


January 24, 2013
Dear Jenny,
I want to introduce you to two new family members. The first is Amber. Your Mom
missed you so, so she decided to get another dog. Poor Little Amber had been
badly abused, but was such a sweet little dog. Your Mom took her to the Doctor
and got treatment for her ailments. She is feeling SO much better now. Amber
is not to sure about all the Christmas activities, but loves her new family.
YOU do know she will never replace you, but is helping to fill a hole in
the family's heart since you left. Then, your Grandma has a new kitty.
The kitty was named Noel as she was found on Christmas Eve 2012. I just know
Grandma wishes you had met Noel. Of course Noel does not do the things you did,
but your Grandma loves her. Your Mom and Grandma pray you will look after
these NEW family members and keep them safe.

I have one more bit of news for you. In the Local News paper MOONLIGHTER
in Sept,2012 Vol Number 1, the picture your Grandma painted is on the cover
and your story is in the inside of the paper. This is the 11th Anniversary
edition of this News Paper. Congratulations Jenny. We know your history will
go on with you, as you were and still are a very Special Dog.


Please also visit Barney Bush, Cinder Childers, Cricket Childers, Jake Childers, Maliaka, Mama Cat Childers, Tatiana, Vumilia and Yesterdays' Kittens.

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Jenny Ryan's People Parent(s), Gloria, would appreciate knowing you have visited their Jenny Ryan's Memorial Residency.

Click here to Email Gloria a condolence, or to send an E-sympathy pet memorial card click here.