[trader220]

My best girl Stella passed, overnight Saturday just 2 months shy of her 14th birthday. She had been having stomach issues for the last 6 months and we all knew it would not end well. She was a special dog. We called her “the dipper” because of the way she would bow her head when you bent to pet her on the head. When I brought her home she fit in the palms of my hands. For her first 9 years while my wife and I were together she faithfully patrolled the several acres of woods loaded with every animal indigenous to our area. We never had to walk her on a leash because she listed so well. The last 5 years she did double duty. I have 50/50 custody of my son and Stella would go wherever AJ was.

She had a seizure on Monday at my ex’s place and she took her to the vet. The vet could not give us any conclusive answers but I had that feeling the rest of the time we got was borrowed time. Aj and my wife went to Baltimore for the Holiday so from Tuesday till the end Stella and I were together. She really looked like herself for a couple days. She was fighting the good fight. Aj came home Saturday evening and at that point I could see her hurting. I knew something was up because Friday she slept right up by my head and she’s always slept by my feet. Aj and I took her to the hospital Saturday night, she could not stand up. She had another seizure there. We put her on an IV to give her fluids but I could see she was not coming back from this one. She passed quietly overnight.

My folks live on a golf course not far from us. Stella loved it there. The back of their home faces south and its all glass. She would lay in the sun there, go for long walks on the golf course and my mother would make her special meals. I am having her cremated and I’ll spread her ashes on her favorite hill at the same place my childhood dog of 17 years Ginger’s ashes are.

Thanks for listening. Sincerely,
Howard