By Barb Rayner, The Courier
It’s been a week since I stopped waking up to slobbery kisses and face licks – and I am not sure if I will ever truly get over the loss of my beloved Gina.
My heart was broken when I lost my previous canine companion, Scoop, 12 years ago but it was completely shattered when Gina passed away with her head in my lap as I kissed her lovely soft ears through my tears.
If you have never loved a pet like that you would not understand but I know many other people have gone through this heartbreak and every time I get a consoling hug we shed a few tears together.
Gina came into my life 11 years ago thanks to the Charlotte County SPCA and had been transferred there from the Dalhousie SPCA after being found wandering the streets. I agreed to foster her for two weeks but I fell in love with her immediately and my life has revolved around her ever since.
Initially she was probably one of the worst behaved dogs in Charlotte County – as my friends will attest – but that didn’t affect my love for her in any way. We were asked to leave the first dog training session we attended and we tried a couple more without a great deal of success – but who needs accolades?
We bonded from day one and I was “her person”. While she was always delighted to see any visitor – and I am sure would have welcomed any intruder with open paws – it was me she was most pleased to see and, at the end of her days recently, took to sleeping right by the front door so I couldn’t possibly come in without seeing her first. Sadly, she was no longer able to jump up on her bench by the front window where she kept watch for me.
We went on many treks through the woods together but she couldn’t always be trusted to come back right away if I let her off the leash although, if she did take off chasing something, she always came back eventually.
Until fairly recently I could never have a dog bed for her as she would rip one to shreds in minutes and it was the same with many toys.
I have one very sturdy rubber bone which came with a warranty and the newish dog bed where she curled up in front of the stove this past winter that I treasure in my “Gina box” with her collar, leash and winter coat. I can’t part with these.
Many winter nights were spent snuggled up together watching a movie or a hockey game but she really didn’t like it if I got too loud over the hockey.
During the past few months she had developed canine dementia so was not always sure where she was, she could no longer see well and her back end didn’t work very well. These were all things I was prepared to cope with but I didn’t want her to suffer any pain.
I have so many wonderful memories of her which I will always treasure and there will be room in my heart for another pet one day because the house is so empty without her and there are so many abandoned animals that need a loving home.
