Sophie Says Goodbye

Today I am sitting here at my best friend’s house with heaviness in my heart. Usually our visits are filled with laughter, fun and lots of memories. But this week, her oldest dog, Sophie, is preparing to cross over the rainbow bridge.

Sophie is a beautiful Jack Russell Terrier dog with expressive eyes and a quiet disposition. When I come to visit Sophie and her son Packer, the second dog, fight over who will get my attention first. Packer is more energetic and vocal, but Sophie is the elder dog and commands respect. She has usually always been the winner in the attention contest.

The third dog, Angel, is a puppy we gave her out of the dog I had that died, my sweet Bandit. Not even a year old yet, she is vivacious and free, oblivious to the sadness that pervades our emotions. She knows Sophie doesn’t want to play with her and has less patience to deal with her when she is overly energetic.

Sophie has a terminal illnes. The tests to verify it was cancer were expensive and the vet assured them that it wouldn’t matter to know. Unfortuately Sophie’s problems were unlikely to be curable. The best they could do was to make her comfortable as long as she was willing to live. And this is what we have done.

But Sophie is tired now. It takes more energy even to walk to the door to go outside than it seems worth it. Her appetite is gone and she barely sips water most of the time. She can still get interested in table scraps and pieces off our plates. Sophie’s tail wags when someone she loves comes near to her. But she is tired.

Plans are being made to give her final relief. The very thought brings tears to all of our eyes. Sophie is not just a dog. She is family. As she paces through the house from one person to another before she rests in her bed, you can read the goodbyes in her eyes. Sophie is saying her final farewells, never knowing when it will be her last one.

We know it will be this week. Kristie’s husband had to be gone this week for some training for work. If Sophie can hold on long enough she will wait for him to return before letting go. We have given her permission to leave and told her it would be OK. She knows we will allow her to find peace and relief from her suffering. But, knowing her, she will stubbornly hold on until everyone is together to let go.

She will be missed.

Sadly, Sophie left us very early on the morning of October 17, 2018.  The night before she passed, she made sure to say goodbye to everyone as we went to bed.  She cried out and took her last breaths being held in Kristie’s loving arms.  We are all grieving her loss but she is in a better place with no pain.  She lives on in our hearts and will forever.