On Loan from Heaven

It was winter of 1999……

Given

There she was, a tiny angel lying in a ditch on the side of the highway when a friend happened to catch a glimpse of her.

My phone rang and the voice on the other end shyly asked, “Would you possibly take in a small dog I just found?” We had over 20 dogs and too many cats but, I said, “Come on over and we’ll make room.”

Soon they arrived and there in my friend’s arms was a wee, black, 7lb scruffy little dog with the brightest eyes you ever saw and I swear, a smile on her tiny face. She was wrapped in a blanket so I didn’t know the shock I was in for. Her back legs were completely paralyzed.

After my friend left, and with a heart already full of love, I took her to show my husband, Tom. Reaching out to hold our newest baby, he looked up and said, “Let’s name her GIVEN, because surely, she has been given to us from Heaven.”

Given loved to go to work with us and would bounce around and scoot up to everyone to show how happy she was to see them. She was a joy in every way and had no idea she was handicapped, and it didn’t matter; we absolutely adored her.

But, on the night of February 15, 2006, as I held her in my lap, my little angel had what we think was a stroke. Early the next morning, we went straight to the vet and then on to the office where I could nurse her. She make it through most of the day but, on the way home my world stopped; our Given’s life left her little body. One of our friends said that Heaven must have wanted her back.

Losing them is the hard part of loving and caring for our beloved animals. And, we think we don’t want to love another because when they’re gone the grief is so unbearable.

Memories, thank God for memories, although they hurt too. I want her back, to change her diaper again and hold her in my arms and look at and kiss that happy, smiling face. She never hurt another living thing. Her aim in life was only to please and show us her appreciation.

Please God, take extra special care of our Given and let her know how much we love and miss her. She was our special angel and we were blessed to have her in our lives for seven wonderful years.

Maybe she wasn’t given to us to keep but, was only on loan from Heaven, and to a very lucky family.

Sadly missed by the Haas family and friends.

Betsy Haas
mama

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Rest In Peace

PeeWee

PeeWee, who lived to be, 21 or 22 years old, was an owner surrender; an elderly lady who was no longer able to care for him. She had to have surgery, he had gotten to be arthritic, and she wasn’t able to carry him up and down the steps of her trailer when he needed to go out. When she gave him up, she sent his little suitcase, his pillow with a satin pillowcase and his favorite music box that played “You are my Sunshine.” It was so sad. We never heard from her again.

When we took PeeWee in, he was approximately 14 yrs old and becoming more and more crippled from the arthritis, and then came the cataracts on his eyes.

PeeWee loved to be held and comforted. Tom would lie back in his favorite old chair and put PeeWee on his chest and let him sleep. You could tell this made PeeWee so happy. And, when we’d play his music box his ears would perk up and he’d hold his head up and look all around. He loved that familiar sound. He was such a sweet and gentle old dog and so easy to love.

Bless his heart, his eyesight was poor and it had become almost impossible for him to stand to eat without our help, but we were glad to do whatever it took to make him happy and I’m convinced he enjoyed his life with us; he knew he was loved. Even with his disabilities, he had a pretty good quality of life because we gave him as much love and attention as we could and meds to make sure he was pain free. That was the most important thing, pain free; we could deal with the rest.

During his last year, he had to wear a diaper and slept much of the time. We put a harness on him to make it easier for us to carry him outside and to help him walk around a little. He loved to lie in the grass on pretty days while we did our chores near by and could keep an eye on him. The other dogs never bothered him and one would even lick his arthritic legs and clean his face.

Dogs and their instincts never cease to amaze me. I think they somehow knew he was old and his time was near and they seemed to respect his prognosis. Then sadly, early one morning he passed on in his sleep. Thank goodness God made that decision, I don’t think I could have.

Even though PeeWee has been gone for several years now, his memory is still vivid in our minds. He was a major part of our family and you don’t forget a part of your family. We sure do love and miss him.

May the angels watch over him and may he rest in peace.

Mama Betsy

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Other beloved family members that have crossed over:

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