It is the saddest of experiences of life to lose a beloved dog. It has often happened as I go on living, my companions fall ill to old age and disease. Briley came to us from GRRIN to join our happy family. We are a senior retired couple with a mixed terrier who thinks he owns the house. But Spot was willing to have a new sister join us. Sally loves Golden Retrievers, and it was her turn to have the dog she wanted. I like to rescue Border Collies, but I opened my heart to Sally’s choice.
Briley fit in perfectly from the beginning. She endured surgery, which GRRIN graciously provided to her before she could be adopted. We wanted her to take it easy getting used to the house and yard, but Briley had other ideas. When we opened the back door, she bounded out and hit the ground running to chase the ball. Running at full speed was to be her favorite activity each day. Over time, we had to have a basket full of balls by the door because although she liked to chase after them, she never quite got the hang of bringing them back in.
As time progressed, she began to choose her “go-to person.” It was supposed to be Sally, but she bonded with me for some reason. I’ve loved all our dogs, but something about Briley touched the most inner part of my heart. She slept beside my side of the bed and was usually at my feet. Sally was gracious, and Spot began to spend every night cuddling with her, giving up his favored partner status to his new sister. As winter unfolded, Briley began to show us her latest trick – creating snow angels in the backyard flat on her back. She blessed us with love for a few years.
Her illness came on quickly. She lost interest in food and became lethargic. A blood test confirmed that her kidneys had shut down. The vet gave her no hope for treatment, and Sally took on the painful task. Although I’ve been through this several times, I couldn’t bear it this time. It broke my heart. To this day, when I think of her, I tear up and hope that she is happy across the Rainbow Bridge. Why she captured my heart so tightly, I don’t know. But the power of the love she gave and the best I could give her in return was as profound as it gets. Briley, I hope God has many balls for you to chase, and someday, I will be there to retrieve them for you.
