Moosie Jo

Even to her last days, Moosie Jo LOVED to "shovel" through the snow as you can see in the picture above taken not too long ago.

Well, another sad day here. They seem to come quite frequently. This day was particularly bittersweet. Our first "grandpuppy" turned 15this month and while once a robust, rotund Beagle (in fact a neighbor asked once, "what kind of animal is that?" to which my daughter replied , "it's our beagle." The neighbor said, "yes, but what KIND of animal." She was supposed to be a miniature beagle who should probably have not weighed more than 20-25 pounds MAX and she weighed in at a hefty 70+ at one time.
In the last few months, she grew deaf and one could see the cataracts on her eyes. We would find ourselves bumping into her as she walked randomly around and would wind up behind us...or in front of us...one could never guess.
I haven't felt well, but needed to stop by my daughter's house yesterday. After I had been there a few minutes, Moosie came meandering out of the laundry room where her "nest" had been made in an old cutout laundry basket lined with pillows and blankets and placed up against the dryer for extra comfort. She had always slept with my oldest granddaughter, but they had moved last November and since that time, Moose had found a place of her own. She looked like a skeleton...her sides were caved in and her ribs stuck out...you could even feel her head which had once been well padded and now was just skin and bones. She wandered around for a bit and and I petted her gently as it was just so sad and I talked to her a few minutes.
This morning I got the following test: Moose is gone
We knew it was coming and even welcomed it as we all had just wanted her to go to sleep...but the reality still hurt...
My granddaughter had been just a toddler when they got Moosie and had not remembered a time without her. SHE was the one who carried the basket out to the car, and SHE was the one who carried her into the vet's office (she will be cremated) and SHE wss the one who kissed Moosie gently on the nose, paw and ear and told her, "it's time to go now baby" and handed her to the vet assistant.
I cried for Moosie, I cried for my granddaughters, I cried for their mom and dad and I cried for me...another loss. An animal, yes, I understand she was and animal, BUT, she was our baby puppy...she was the naughty trash dog, she was the friendly would-not-harm-a-soul pooch, she was my granddaughter's first "puppy love" and my daughter's first dog as a grown up lady with her own family...she was my grandpuppy..
She was our Moosie Jo.
I don't know that I really believe that an animal goes to heaven, but I have to say,one of my first thoughts was, I wonder if she is playing catch with mom." Maybe just a fantasy, but a happy one that I like to envision.
Pets are a choice we make when we bring them into our lives...they don't have a long life span and we know this...it doesn't make the loss any easier, but I can't imagine anything more fulfilling than to nurture and care for a pet...the love and joy they give in return seems so out of proportion to what we deserve for the privilege of having them in our lives.
In my minds eye I see her run over the bridge toward my mom who bends down to greet her and throw a ball for Moose to go catch...happy barking and lilting laughter...
I close my eyes and see this...I hear it...I can believe it.
Go fetch the ball Moosie....run fast, no pain with clear vision ...run and play.

Oscar (Moosies "brother") has what looks to be a real tear after Moosie passed.