In Loving Memory of Cara (02-29)
I adopted Cara in October of 2002. She was three years old. After a rough start, Cara turned out to be a loving companion. She had lived on a farm and was not used to the indoors. She wouldn’t walk on the tile floors or go up and down the stairs. After much coaxing and treats from my friend’s children, she took to the floors and stairs quickly. I was always amazed at how she would race up and down the stairs as if she had been doing it all her life! She took to a crate right away and never had an accident in the house. Since she wasn’t use to a vacuum cleaner, she had no fear of them. I was able to vacuum her and the minute I got out the attachments, she was at my side ready for her “massage.”
We also attended several dog obedience classes. Cara had not been socialized with other dogs and was always eager to make friends. The classes were to help her get use to other dogs. However, she always came on a bit too strong and often times frightened the other dogs. I sent her to doggy day care to help with the socialization and she always came home with “A’s” on her report card. One day she got an “Incident Report.” Evidently, she got a little too aggressive when they let out all the big dogs after nap time. That was too much stimulation for her! She did learn all the commands and was able to walk on a leash very well. We just avoided too much contact with other dogs. We had many enjoyable walks through Elmwood Park year round.
Dogs come into our lives and give us a gift. Cara’s gift to me was patience and many wonderful years of companionship. On Easter Sunday this year, I had to put Cara down. She was 12 and a half and had been healthy all her life. But, a few days before Easter, she became very lethargic and not herself. She was still eating and drinking. By Sunday morning she was unable to get up and had moved off her bed to a corner in our bedroom. After a trip to the emergency clinic, she was diagnosed with cancer and there was no hope of a recovery. She wasn’t in any pain that we know of, but so weak she couldn’t stand. It was such a shock, but we were glad we could be with her until the end. She will be in our hearts forever.
Diane Crouch and Dave Hayko
