COCO

Last summer we lost our beloved dog, Coco.  She had been a rescue that I picked up at an animal adoption.  I remember calling my husband and saying, "What if I brought home a beautiful blonde?" He said, "No way."  I brought her home anyway.  She was a mixed breed dog, Chow Chow and Golden Retriever.  Small in stature and absolutely gorgeous. She loved to be outside and actually preferred it to being inside.  I would have to actually bribe her to come inside during extreme heat or cold.  She wanted to protect us.   She loved camping and as soon as we'd start the motorhome, she was always the first one in.    This picture shows her on one of her first camping trips.   

She didn't come without problems.  We spent the first year really having to watch our tone of speech.  If my husband ever raised his voice, she was cowering under the table even if it wasn't directed towards her.  

We called her Momma.  She was that. She had a maternal instinct rivaling that of human mothers.  Once when we were camping, Alex was in a terrible accident and had to go to the hospital via ambulance.   We were with friends and decided to leave Annika and Coco with them.   Annika was sound asleep on the bed of the motorhome, I think she was two.  Coco went in and laid down in the hall and wouldn't let anyone in to Annika.  She wasn't aggressive, but protective.  After Annika woke up, she only allowed our friends to change Annika's diaper.  After that she was always in the middle.    She was like that until her final moments.  My kids were her kids.  

She was a loyal companion to our cat, Chicken.   Chicken and Coco would play together.  Once Chicken brought a LIVE mouse into the backyard just so they could play chase the mouse!  

Last summer, she began to have seizures, could barely walk, wouldn't eat, and was messing in the house.  I knew what was going to happen.  I didn't want to face the news.  The kids and I took her to the vet where he said, "It's time."   He suggested we take her home for some extra loving and bring her back at the end of the day.   These photos are deeply personal and emotional as they were taken just hours before she was put to sleep.  Annika and I stayed with her until the very end. 


She's a feisty, social cat, always has been.  We adore her so does everyone that walks in our house.  She quickly won over the heart of my husband and now she's been branded, "His cat."  She adores the children, on her terms of course.

After Coco died, Chicken went into a deep depression.  She stopped hunting (her favorite pasttime) and would sit there at the back door calling for her friend.  It was heartbreaking.   We were in the middle of planning a move and didn't want to bring another pet into our lives until we knew where we'd be.  We did know that we'd have to do something.

DOTTIE

Last October, we adopted Dottie.  She's another rescue.    She was rescued literally moments before she was scheduled to be put down.   I can't imagine why anyone would want to do that to our beautiful creature. 

She's a mixed breed and we still have arguments over her "breed".Today the vet tech said, "She a Dal/Shar Pei mix."  The vet said, "She's a Dane/Shar Pei mix."   Then we have the people at the park that run away screaming, "OMG, she's a Pit!!"  Whatever she is, everything says she's beautiful.


She's strong willed, strong, and playful.  She's sweet too.  She ADORES car rides and almost everyday I take her for a ride to pick up my son from school.   She chases poor Chicken non-stop.  They aren't friends yet...hopefully one day.  Dottie is full of antics as well.  

So there you have it.  A glimpse into our world of pets.