Music - Nothing Compares

At Play In The Fields Of The Lord - Stevie R.I.P.

"The dog was created especially for children. He is the God of Frolic." Hendry Ward Beecher (1813)
A little over 3 years ago I adopted my beautiful Stevie, a 10 year old doberman pinscher, from Doberman Pinscher and Little Paws Rescue in Filmore California. I was nervous about taking the step to adopt a dog because I knew that my time and attention for her would be limited because I had to work but Ardis Braun, the wonderful woman who has run the no kill shelter since 1987, assured me that Stevie would have a better life with me than she would staying locked up in a cage at the shelter. She was so thin and frightened when she was brought out of her cage but she eagerly jumped into the back of my car and away we went back to my home in Los Angeles. After proper love, care, nourishment and bathing she looked like the perfect elegant dowager doberman, graying a little on the sides of her snout, but thin and regal with expressive golden brown eyes.

She was friendly and affectionate....even when she was dressed up in pink.

She liked to lay in the sun after chasing squirrels and other small rodents.

And she didn't mind posing for pictures.

About 3 weeks ago she suddenly stopped eating her kibble. I thought that her Science Diet food was tainted...and I still sort of suspect a problem with her food because she went from acting like a puppy to a lethargic geriatric dog literally overnight.
The vet couldn't find anything wrong and suggested blood test but since she was sick one day and seemingly well the next I put the tests off.
I took Stevie with me to Orange County last weekend for the 4th of July but she just didn't have much energy. So Monday my daughter took her back to the vet for blood tests and xrays and she was diagnosed with tumors on her spleen and lungs. We were told that she didn't have much time left and the vet expected us to leave her at the clinic to be put down.

Well, of course we couldn't do that. We took her home by way of her favorite place to hunt squirrels, rabbits and other small rodents and she was alert and excited and happy, as though there was nothing was wrong. Since Monday we have fed her tri-tip and rib eye and haagen dazs vanilla ice cream and let her rest on the living room couch.

Today she took her last breath at home in the arms of my daughter, just a minute or two before I got home.

I'm glad that she died at home with love.

Stevie, may you forever frolic in the grassy meadows of heaven chasing squirrels and eating puppy treats.