My Frankie, Rest in Peace My heart is SO Heavy right now. Yesterday I had to put my puppy Frankie down to rest. Frankie was with me and my brother for 16 years. While 16 years is a long time to be blessed, I really thought she would be around at least another 5 years… She took ill so suddenly, I know she tried to stay alive as long as she could for me and my brother, but watching her labor for her every last breath, we had no choice but to let her go to heaven. As my friend Alyssa reminded me, all dogs go to heaven.
While the anticipation of being in that room to take her from the transition of life to whatever is next was overwhelming, I thank my friend Daisy for convincing me to be in the room to hold her as she left this world. Frankie was always there for us, so that’s the least we could do.
Frankie came into our lives in 2002. It was a glamorous, jet setting and wild time in my life. I was always out, never home… I mention this because, just hanging with my pup, sleeping in my arm pit, and watching a movie with my brother, had this otherwise hyperactive bachelor, well, a home body for the first time. Then things changed. My brother, Jon, was diagnosed with brain cancer. At the time I was dating a girl who had this dog that made Jon smile. Well, when we split up, that dog was not around for Jon to mend through a long and rough recovery so we went out looking for a little soul that could bring him joy, snuggles, a thunder buddy and company during this insidious period. Frankie was the right medicine to heal Jon, and she went on to go through his cancer bouts, my thyroid cancer, and when we lost our Dad. Frankie always thought it was Christmas when we walked through the door, like we had steak in our pockets, or mutton, to you Seinfeld fans.
We trained Frankie to be a trick dog. Frankie also instinctively knew if we were sick or when we needed a laugh, like the time she stole my Dad’s teeth and made us chase her. Jon took Frankie to Children’s hospitals. I remember going to one center where she brought a huge smile to this one little glum and introverted angel. This little girl carried Frankie around in her arms and had her give High-5’s to the other kids she had been so isolated from. For a few brief moments, Frankie helped put a smile on this little lady which could light up the tree at Rockefeller Center!
Frankie was very much part of my family. A special soul and the starring role in our lives. Thanks for letting me take a few minutes of your time, to be able to share and have closure. It will take a while for me, as the silence in the house is defying, and I hopefully will stop pouring a bowl of kibble instinctually, as I did this morning, or expect the leap to my lap when I open my door.
Thanks to my friends who gets it and can commiserate with me, to those who keep checking in on me and those who made an effort to bring me a needed smile… a few hours of distraction on a very bad day for me. RIP Frankie. You were so much more than a pet, as my brother best said, “the glue that is our Bond and an end of a period…” Besos, Lance
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Obituary for Denver The Guilty Dog
Denver went to the Rainbow Bridge Monday February 12, 2018 at her home in Millington, Maryland while under the care of Chestertown Animal Hospital. Denver was born July 4, 2004. When she joined our family at 8 weeks old, we fell in love with her immediately! As a puppy Denver would stay up late at night yelping until she eventually chewed her way out of her crate. She had a passion for water and mud and at times would dive under to find things at the bottom. Denver also enjoyed tantalizing squirrels from inside the house and once let out-no matter how fast she ran, she would never would catch them. Every night at the 10 pm last bathroom call, Denver would run down to the creek, growling and barking up a storm until she reached the creek. There she would stare into darkness until the loud splash of Mr. Beaver’s tail instantly scared Denver right back to the house whining and whimpering. She enjoyed rummaging through the bathroom trash can, chewing on socks, secretly sleeping on the couch and stealing ornaments off the Christmas Tree. But of all the sneaky things she got into, Denver had one particular infatuation that eventually led to her becoming an overnight internet sensation…..stealing kitty cat treats!
It was March 8, 2011 when Denver became known as “Denver The Guilty Dog,” the star of her own viral video on YouTube about stealing kitty cat treats that would eventually be seen by over a hundred million people around the world! As a result, Denver sat on the couch at Good Morning America, appeared in 5 Animal Planet episodes, showed up on every late night comedy TV show, 37 Television interviews, 12 radio interviews, over 1,000 blog posts, Awarded Pet Video of the Year 4 times, landed the cover of 4 magazines, 2 Liquid Plumr commercials, Ministry advertisements, Game shows, her own children’s book, school visits all around Maryland, her own line of stuffed toys and a Facebook page with over a million hits per week….. For a dog from the quiet little town of Millington Maryland, that’s quite an amazing story! Denver will be missed by many but none more than her family, who loved her and she loved them back just as much. Denver leaves behind her father Mali, mother Brenda, brothers Victor, Clover, Pouncer and Pilot, sisters Sarah, Lacey and Ross. At the request of Denver’s family, love your pets every day, let them sleep on your couch and give them all the treats they want! “That’s a good girl Denver…”
Services for Denver were entrusted to Fellows, Family Funeral Home, Millington, MD.
My husband and I had just driven six hours to bring our son to college where he was to study acting. His interest in theatre began when he played “Fuzzy Dog” at his day camp at age six (I had sewn the costume myself). On the way back, we stopped for gas and a snack. Leaning on the hood of our car, sadly eating our sandwiches, a scruffy mutt came over with that soulful look we all know.You can guess the rest. He lived with us until the age of twelve (we think) and just loved to play with our sons children when they visited. Oh, his name was “Fuzzy”.
This is Mardi. While on vacation in New Orleans during the Mardi Gras on our honeymoon, we needed a quick repair on our rental car and we spotted what we thought was a dirty pile of rags hiding in the back of the garage where our car was being repaired.
The owner said he had been coming around for about a week and had already reached out to the shelters to see if he was reported. The vacation lasted seven days but the love and affection Mardi gave me and my husband for the next 14 years is something we will never forget.
This is Roger. He appeared at our back door one day covered in mud with the sweetest smile I had ever seen. He lived with us until his peaceful death 12 years later and his soulful face will always be with us. I’m so glad he picked our home in which to spend his life.
Our Beloved Pets by Louise Suzanne Boyd, M.Div
Pets help carry us through the highs and the lows as we go through life and are often attuned to how we feel during sadness and loss. They are also attuned to other emotions such as happiness. They seem to connect with us on a deeper level because they have feelings too. Maybe because they have been beside humans for so long.
Our pets are always by our side showing us loyalty and trust and holding no judgment. They are accepting of who we are, and live in the moment as free spirits. Pets do help us heal through the darkest times in our lives. Oh, how I wish they could talk!
My daughter, Elianna passed away at the tender age of 12 from a brain hemorrhage. Elianna’s passing was very unexpected, and it was a shock to our family and the community. We will always remember her, the young girl with the radiant smile and the most beautiful mane of red hair. She had a caring heart and inner beauty that sparkled within and radiated on the outside. She was our eldest child. The pain of losing a child is one of life’s harshest blows to a parent. The grief is unfathomable, and I would not wish it upon anyone.
Several years before Elianna passed away we adopted a special little dog, Ace, from a friend of mine. Ace was a Boston Terrier. Elianna maintained a very special little friendship with Ace and had his picture on her phone. Ace was partially blind, snored rather loudly, had stinky breath and slept ALL day long. He only woke up if he could smell an aroma from the kitchen. These imperfect traits made Elianna love him even more probably because he was not a perfect specimen of a dog. In her eyes, he was the most loving, and best dog anyone would wish to have.
A tragedy does change us because, in time, we start to look at life from a new perspective as we continue.
I have learned so much about my pets and how they have helped me through my grief. I would lay with all three of my dogs for hours until I had no more tears to cry. They would comfort me and listen to me in their unique way and would act as silent, loving companions giving me the love and attention I needed. I do believe to this day that Elianna was sending energy through Ace, her beloved dog.
I believe all three of my dogs sensed something was different when my daughter fell ill. I feel they intuitively seemed to understand what we were going through as a family, and how sad we all were which is of great comfort in itself. I know they were sad, too. They were able to reach us through unconditional love and they were able to help fill this dark empty void within me and fill it with love.
Sadly, Molly, Pepper and Ace are no longer with us, but I will never forget their loving presence and how they comforted us during the darkest time in our lives.
I do miss them still, but I know my daughter, Elianna was there to greet them when they crossed the rainbow bridge and they exchanged heartfelt hugs and kisses.
A pet’s love is healing to the heart and the soul.
The love we have for our pets continues even after they leave us. Love is a connection to all things; love continues on from this world to the next and is the most powerful element of the universe.
