Molly

A lot of horse blogs are doing a valentines’s day tribute to their horses with stories about how they came to fall in love with their equines.  Normally I’m kind of anti-valentine’s day on principle, but this year I feel like I have to take a moment to remember the day I met my best friend of 18+ years, a dog named Molly. 

All those years ago, I went to visit my aunt who worked with an aussie rescue and was keeping a young dog at her home until she could be placed.  I had no intention of getting a dog of my own at the time, but the moment I walked into her living room, this little black and tan dog with white paws and a freckled nose leapt over the side of her pen, ran over to my side and rested her head on my knee.  She was adorable and sweet and she wouldn’t leave my side the entire visit.

I was convinced she must have been trained to do that or something, but my aunt swore to me the dog had never done anything like that with anyone else before.  So what choice did I have?  I adopted her then and there and took her home.  And she spent the next 18 years by my side.

As some who visit here may know, I posted three months ago (I’ve since removed the post so as not to upset any of the parties involved) about how Molly was run over by an SUV here in my driveway and had her leg shattered.  Miraculously, she survived.  We spent the last months trying to help her heal and recover.  And it seemed to be going well.  But the process was hard on her aged body, with all the medications and heavy sedation during weekly splint changes, and during the last two weeks she began to decline.  She was sick, not interested in eating, and generally depressed.  Her vets and I did everything we could think to try to bring her back around, but nothing seemed to be working. 

On Saturday I took her to the vet to see if there was anything else that could be done for her.  Unfortunately, I had to return home without Molly.  The night before, she had begun chewing at her bandage for the first time in three months, and I knew something had to be wrong.  I had no idea how bad it was.  Apparently her leg had swelled beneath the bandage and a piece of tape securing a dressing over one of her pressure sores cut into her leg and cut off all circulation to the skin below.  A large portion of skin over her wrist had been completely destroyed, and large sections of tendon were exposed.  There was no way to close the wound with the remaining skin on either side and the doctor thought the odds of this healing were not in her favor.  So, horrible as it was, I made the difficult decision to end her suffering rather than put her through more painful--and possibly unsuccessful--healing.  It was probably the hardest decision I have ever had to make. 

I always knew she was tough, but I had no idea just how brave she was.  Her perseverance through it all, and her enthusiasm for life--even under such awful circumstances--were extraordinary.  She lived a full life, loved all those around her, and fought to the very end, all while remaining her sweet, positive, upbeat self.  It may sound strange to say it, but she was my hero. 

When I think about all the other relationships, friends, acquaintances, etc. that have come and gone over the years, apart from family, none of them were ever a part of my life for so long.  And none of them have been missed the way I already miss my Molly.  She was my friend, my sidekick, my guardian and my constant companion for 18 of her nearly 19 extraordinary years.  She was truly a special dog, and she’ll never be forgotten.  This valentine’s day, my heart goes out to my best friend, Molly.

Comments

  1. We're all going to miss Molly terribly. She was a part of our family for almost 19 years and she was the most special dog I have ever known.

    Her attitude and uniqueness truly set her apart from other dogs. I've never met a dog who was as smart, brave,tough and loyal as Molly.

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  2. I'm so sorry. This week has been such a bad week for pets.

    It sounds like she lived a very good, long life. RIP, beautiful girl. ♥

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  3. I am so sorry to hear about Molly. I have an 18 year old dog (she will be 19 in April) myself so it broke my heart to read the post about her accident. She sounded like an amazing part of your family and I am sure that she will be missed.

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  4. Oh, j, I am so sorry. One of my dear cats lived to be 18, and it's still true that I knew him longer than I know my husband or either of my children (that will change this next year, but it shows how huge a part in our lives our animal friends play).

    May Molly rest in peace and I am absolutely sure her spirit will remain with you.

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  5. I remember reading when Molly was first hurt. I had wondered how she was doing. So sorry to hear of her loss. Such a sweet dog and such a glowing tribute to her. Perfect for Valentine's Day.

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  6. So sorry to hear of your loss. This is such heartbreaking news. RIP dear Molly.

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  7. I feared this would be the outcome of such a grievous and unintended accident. But Molly enjoyed an incredible life and knew only love and compassion and good food and runs in the fields.
    As goofy as this sounds (and feel free not to post this) I am a believer in the Rainbow Bridge. Molly will never let you go, as part of you went with her, and part of her remains with you now.
    Love never dies.

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  8. J - You always did what was best for Molly, even in the end. She was your soulmate, and it's a great gift to have that relationship with an animal. I know that her spirit is always going to be with you. She was truly one of the best dogs I knew.

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