04/30/2023
Lily, 3VS Raising the Torch
2/5/2010 – 4/12/2023
It’s time to write about losing my sweet girl Lily, 3VS Raising the Torch. Lily went to Permanent Sleep Away Camp on April 12, 2023. It’s been over 2 weeks. I keep waiting for this to get easier & it just isn’t happening, so I’m going to power through & be done with it.
On Monday the 10th I started to get a little concerned about Lily. I made an appointment for her with our family vet for Friday. I thought maybe it was time to adjust her meds. She’d been successfully medicated for quite some time for a liver issue. Lily at just over 13 years old was certainly in her Twilight Time. But she was eating, drinking, going outside with the rest of my dogs, and still had that essential spark in her eyes! By Tuesday I questioned whether I should take her in sooner even though she could not be seen by our regular family vet. Tony & I talked about it & he said he felt that if we took her in, she wouldn’t be coming home with us. That comment caused me to reevaluate my plan. I didn’t want to believe that her time with us was over, but in my heart, I knew he was right.
When it’s time for our dogs to go to Permanent Sleep Away Camp I use the services of Dr. Jessica Kriner, DVM from MyCompassionateHeart.com. Dr. Jessica is the absolute best in this situation. She never rushes us. She makes sure my dog is calm. And she makes sure that I’m as ready as can be. I believe bringing our vet to our home is the best choice for my dogs. She’s in a place where she feels safe & loved. It also allows our other dogs to say ‘See ya later’. It lets them know exactly where their family member is going. Dr. Jessica helps us make the best of a sad situation.
Lily was from our Olympic Litter since she & her brothers were born during the 2010 Winter Olympics. All 3 puppies were named after a city that had hosted an Olympic competition. My little lady was named after Lillehammer, Norway. I didn’t intend to keep a puppy from that litter. I was not concerned about finding good homes for only 3 puppies. However, every single person that filled out an application for my only female was somehow shady & not to be trusted. One guy called me on the phone & I explained our process to him. He “didn’t have time to complete an application because he was just driving through & thought he’d swing by & pick up the female”. When I declined his delightful offer, he said “You don’t understand, I have CASH”. I assured him that he was the one that didn’t understand! At that point I knew Lily had found her Forever Family & we were it!
Lily has always been my middle child, very unobtrusive, and sweet as can be! I only bred Lily one time & she had a difficult whelp. So, I didn’t ask her to do more than that. She was our only C-section. Actually, she was the only one of my girls that didn’t free whelp. Our vet didn’t have a vet tech available, so Tony & I did that scary duty! She blessed us with 4 perfect puppies & we kept one, our little Maggie. Lily was a wonderful mom! She was still grooming Maggie right up to the day before she left us.
Before this we were down to 4 Havanese: Lily, Grace, Maggie, & Finn. Now, my kitchen seems bigger with one less bed in there. As I’m re-reading this I see I’m giving a lot of miscellaneous information & not a lot about my sweet Lily. It’s simple, I still can’t talk about her or write about her. I know I made the correct decision for Lily… But it’s another piece of my heart at Permanent Sleep Away Camp. My dogs don’t cross the Rainbow Bridge. They’re simply sleeping somewhere else until we’re reunited.
Through the years we’ve had a total of 10 Havanese in our home. I know that seems like a lot, but they’re small dogs with big personalities! We started out with 2 pet Havs, Sunny in 2000, & then my Best Boy, Blaze about 18 months later. When Jenny came to us, we showed her to her CH & then started our breeding program. So initially we only had three dogs. Through careful selection and with proper health clearances we bred Jenny, then Leena, Mimi, Lily, & Grace. We kept what looked like good show prospects from almost every litter. That’s how we got to 10!
We started losing our dogs in 2016. Sunny left us first. Each one took a part of my heart with them. I love Dr. Jessica, but I hope it’s a long time before I need to call her again. I’m sorry I didn’t have more time to prepare myself for this loss. When I know I’m losing one of my dogs I have a routine I follow that makes it easier for me. I schedule a consultation with an animal communicator, Carol Schultz. I want to make sure that my dog understands just how loved they were. Carole also tells me if my fluffball wants to tell me anything. In Lily’s case there just wasn’t enough time for that. Once I realized her time had come, Dr. Jessica was able to be here the very next morning. It’s important to me that my dogs don’t suffer unnecessarily so I was very grateful Dr. Jessica had an opening in her schedule so quickly.
If you’re reading this & you have a 3VS dog, please give them a kiss & hug from their 1st mama. I love & remember each & every one of them.
As for my Lily Lu, I know that her mom, grandma, aunts, uncles, sisters, & brothers were there to guide her, comfort her, & show her the ropes at Permanent Sleep Away Camp. I believe they’re all together waiting for us when it’s our time. I’ll see them all on the other side. I promised Lily I’d take good care of Maggie. I really hope it’s a very long time until they’re reunited.
And now again, there’s only three, Grace, Maggie, & Finn.
