Time to Say Goodbye to My Old Friend, Lucy

Lucy, my big floppy eared dog is almost 17 and I'm afraid it's time to show her my last act of love.Just after my daughter Allie's Bat Mitzvah at the age of 13, she eagerly asked her Mom and I if we could get a dog. We told her we'd have to give it some thought since we already had a cat. The cat's name was Syd, as in Syd Vicious. Sid was a tough outdoor feline who used to bring home chipmunks, squirrels, and sometimes a rabbit which she would leave on our front porch as gifts. Syd was an independent soul and the last thing she wanted was another animal in HER house.

As it turned out, Mindy and I said "Yes" to a dog, BUT not a puppy. We stopped at the New Fairfield Animal Shelter and told them our story and they said they had just the dog for us! The vet told us that Lucy was between 2 and 4 years old and was brought in with her 4 puppies, which had all been adopted. We filled out the paperwork and brought home our new addition to the family. As we opened the front door, we see Syd sitting stoically at the top of the stairs watching the whole scene unfold, and she had NO intention of getting out of Lucy's way. Up the stairs clomps Lucy, and Syd lashes out with a hisssss and a right paw and draws blood on Lucy's leg proving she was the 'boss of the sauce' in this house!

Lucy used to love taking rides in the car and climbing up on Allie's bed or Mindy's recliner when no one was looking. Our cleaning ladies literally think that Lucy wants to eat them for lunch because she launches into a mad barking frenzy whenever they come to the door. She used to love our walks together with her big nose sniffing everything in sight with an occasional glance up at me making sure everything was OK. Lucy really can't do the things she likes anymore. She can't hear and has difficulty getting up and down the steps to do her business. As I write this she's been asleep most of the day.

Lucy's good times have come to an end I've made the decision as my last act of love to let her go. This is by far the most difficult blog I will ever have to write as I can barely see through the wash of tears that just keep coming. Goodbye my old friend. I love you and will remember you until the day I join you on the other side.

Listen to Ethan Carey on the Ethan & Lou Show weekdays from 5:30-10AM on 95.1 FM. You can listen online at i95rock.com/listen-live/ or by downloading the radioPup app for your mobile device.