Farm Dogs

[frustratedearthmother]

@baymule my heart hurts for you. Like goatgurl said - you made my eyes leak. You gave her an awesome tribute and we will all remember her and miss her right along with you.

 

[milkmansdaughter]

Aw @baymule! Now my eyes are leaking too. I'm so sorry for your loss.

 

[sumi]

Baymule, I'm in tears here too. I'm so sorry for your loss What an amazing, beautiful dog. Thank you for sharing her story and those beautiful photos.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Aw you made me cry too. What a lovely dog she was. She was so lucky to find you, and you her. So sorry...

 

[Hinotori]

She was such a beautiful soul. I'm so sorry

 

[Mini Horses]

2X everyone else. I feel your pain and your love and your loss.

 

[Beekissed]

Crying here too, Bay. I love the story of Polly...a great story she has had, a great dog. One never really gets over a great dog, their story goes on and on down through family history. A person may get one great dog in their lives...if they are blessed. Sometimes they have more than a few.

You have been blessed indeed. I'm sorry you have lost your great, great dog but I'm glad you found her and have loved her so well and so long, sharing her greatness with your family down through the years.

 

[samssimonsays]

Grand Daughter #2 giving Polly some love.

Grand Daughter #3 pulling up, using Polly to steady herself.

What a good dog.

Yesterday we were gone all morning. When we got home, we let Polly and Parker out and I went to gather eggs. I brought them in the house and went back outside. Polly was laying in the dirt, jerking spasmodically and I knew immediately she was dying. I screamed for my husband and he came running to find me sprawled in the dirt, holding Polly's head and crying. She was gasping for breath, drooling and her eyes were jerking wildly. We didn't know if she would be like this for minutes, hours or days. Not wanting her to suffer, we put her in the back seat, in my lap and DH drive us to the vet to put her down. She died before we got there.

We went home and placed her in a wagon, to pull it to where we were going to bury her. Trip started nuzzling Polly. Parker came up and Trip growledat him. We were not prepared for Trip's behavior. He nose bumped Polly over and over, trying to rouse his friend. He bumped her harder. He pulled her fur with his teeth. He nudged her leg, raising it up. This caused the water works to flow, both of us bawling our eyes out.

I petted Trip trying to help him understand and let Parker come up to say goodbye. We walked away to get shovels and Trip stayed next to Polly.

We pulled the wagon to where we were going to bury Polly and Trip guarded his friend.

Our neighbor Robert came over and finished digging the hole, then covered her up. He loved her too. My husband said a prayer. We went to the house but Trip stayed by Polly's grave a long time.

The intuitiveness of Trip just blew us away. He gave us licks and hugs. He showed a love for Polly that we just weren't expecting. He tried to comfort us in our grief and tears.

Goodbye Polly. Thank you for loving us. Thank you for being so patient with our grand babies. Thank you for the love you showed to my Mom when she needed it most. Thank you for the hugs, thank you for the gentle nudges, wanting us to pet you. Thank you for being a damn good dog. We love you and we miss you.

big hugs my friend. I cry as I type this knowing the heart ache too well. She was so loved and I have read so much about her for almost three years now.

 

[baymule]

Thanks to all for the kind comments. I can be very practical, haul lambs to slaughter, butcher my own pig and chickens. Death comes on a regular basis when you have animals. They live, they die, but it's what they do in between that matters. Polly was my girl. I've had many dogs and I'll have many more, but Polly was just one of those special dogs.

 

[Beekissed]

I had one like that, Bay....there's that one dog that's more special than all the rest, though the others be special in their own way. Mine was a Lab named Jim and he wrote an awesome story. He goes down in the memory of many and will never be forgotten...after that, no dog can compare.