When our daughter was 7 years old, my husband and I decided she was old enough for us to bring a puppy into our family.
She had goldfish(Goldie died at childbirth), gerbils(Chip and Dale)
and had helped care for and loved them as a child does any beloved pet.
We had heard horror stories from families who adopted a pet from a pet store, so we found a local breeder.
We went one weekend and met the tinest(3 week old) puppies.
Our daughter fell in love with one of the girl pups.
5 weeks later, we left her with my parents and went to pick up our puppy(we didn't tell her what we were doing).
When we got to the breeder she told us"I'm sorry, but I can't let you take the puppy that your daughter picked out".
"She is very hyper, and wouldn't do well with a child".
We were devasted.
She quickly reassured us that she had another girl puppy,the sister of the puppy our daughter had picked.
"The only thing, she has black all around her eye"
We took the puppy and headed back to my parents.
We walked into the door with her all cuddled into a blanket.
Our daughter came into the kitchen and said"what's in there"?
We unwrapped the puppy and put her on the floor.
She went right to our daughter!!!
She said that the white fur reminded her of peppermint bubblegum, and so, Bubblegum she was named.
She stole everyones heart immediatly.
Our daughter would dress her in doll clothes,wheel her in her doll carriage and she happily went along.
When any of us was sick, she would lie beside us and not move except for bathromm, food or water breaks.
She loved to give kisses and her tongue was always out, even when she slept.
She loved a smidge of PNB as a treat.
She was a beloved member of our family for 15 years.
About a year ago,she began to go blind, had liver problems.
She rallied from the liver problems until this past May.
Her LFTS were 20 times the normal and her heart was enlarged.
We were given medications and told they may or may not work.
While she was slower, she still gave her kisses, followed us around room to room and loved her treats of cheese and puppy size bones.
On Sept, 8 she began vomiting, not eating etc.
On Sept. 9 she was unable to sleep, eat, go to the bathroom.
We brought her to the vet and xrays showed an intestinal obstruction,
grossly enlarged heart and liver.
We were told maybe she would have 1-2 days.
Due to her systems shutting down nd her apparent pain, and not being able to survive any surgical interventions, we put her to sleep.
We sat with her, held her and told her how much we loved her and what she meant to us.
We told her not to be afraid, that she would be pain free and at peace.
We brought her home wrapped in her favorite quilt and buried her under a tree in our backyrad with 2 of her favotite toys.
My husband made a headstone with a favorite photo.
She was the best pet anyone could ever have.
We feel privileged to have had her in our family.
Rest In Peace sweet Bubs, Rest In Peace.
You are forever in our hearts and thoughts.
Mitch, Mary & Shannon