"She is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are her life, her love, her leader. She will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of her heart.” -Unknownour quirky, badly-behaved, and rambunctious Quimby Girl joined the big backyard in the sky, (as my sister Emily so perfectly put it). Sweet Q had 16 years on this earth, 15 with us, and all because my parents took three little girls to "look" at the pound. looking turned to adopting when it became apparent this shepherd beagle mix, laying depressed in her kennel, had the red dot on her card. it meant she had one day left before she'd be put down, and the end of the day was nearing. A little sweet stray likely a bit over a year old..... we were her last chance.
"You don't take three girls to a pound to look, Dave...." i remember my mom saying to my dad.
And we drove home in our windstar, arguing over what we would name her... wondering if we were adding the quietest member to our family.
This quiet, shy, nervous pup entered our house, and then bam. The real Q emerged. She bolted up the stairs, took a pee on the carpet, ran down the stairs so fast and with no brakes she slammed into the closet doors.... it was one of the most hysterical, intense "we got a new dog" scenes you can imagine. and the girl never calmed down from that day forward. this quirky, nutty pup who offensively sniffed, rudely stole bagels, incessantly barked, was horrific on a leash..... and was even rejected from a local company who helps train dogs.... was the girl we'd love so much from that day on.
i type with ease recounting how our sweet Q was such a badly behaved dog. bur the truth is, i am a bag of tears. i know she had the best life ever, i told our best friend Megan that she never had to learn a damn thing and got away with it all. while i know this to be true, that our quimbster was loved to an infinite degree.... i think when you love a dog, your dog, their soul that is so special, it's natural to hold the dilusional idea beneath any rationality.... that our pups won't die. it's easy to watch them get so old, and just think they'll keep getting older. but it became clear, she was a very old puppy, little Q was 16.
we all knew what time that morning quimby would go, and in a sweet, peaceful way as my mom described to me. Q absolutely feared and hated the car so very much despite any effort over the years, therefore it was only right that when the vet offered to come to our house, that would be the most peaceful for our girl. my mom and dad sat with our sweet girl where she had last plopped herself down, under the kitchen table. i held my breath at work and walked out of that building so fast trying not to completely lose it on the phone that evening with mom... because she was keeping it together for me. when she went silent i knew it was an impossible task. our hearts were in half, little Q was at peace.
my older, always warm and perfect with words sister sent my twin and i an email that morning, describing the scene in which she imagined. Quimby sitting with Daphne, (our yellow lab who we lost quite early when she got sick), in a grassy field exchanging stories. She wrote of them comparing whose bed they liked the most, who got better chewies, and though Daph got pigs ears, Q had an array of stuffed animal lobsters and her pick of weekly cheeses she could brag about. my sister described them as best pals... and i'd like to think they are.
sweet Q, you are locked in my heart.
you were always there when i was home, through 15 years of my life.
you were part of why home is home after i moved away.
i love you girl, and i hope you get away with your bad behavior up there.
because i know that all dogs do go to heaven.
xo,
cw
