Sad day at the Smedley household

It was a day we knew would come, ever since the dysplasia diagnosis many years ago. We had to put down our sweet dog Jenny today. We got her from a young family as a six-week old puppy nearly 15 years ago. She has been going downhill for awhile now, and we have not been able to even think about life without her, so we have delayed the inevitable, trying to make her life comfortable. She was mostly blind and deaf, had severe hip dysplasia, and probably had tumors in her lungs. We also think she had cancer in her bones, because it was so difficult for her to move well. She has been everyone's best buddy for all this time, an obedient and loving dog, and parting is so difficult! May I indulge just a bit and share some family memories of Jenny, our well-loved black lab?

- Jenny loved to hunt ducks with Dave. He taught her how to "sneak" up on the river, and she did...She crouched down and almost army crawled next to him, head up in the air waiting to spot the birds as they took off. When he shot and no birds fell, she would look up at him with a look of disappointment and disbelief. Really.

- We almost lost her in the river on a hunting trip. She had to swim over to the other side to get the bird, and her neck chain got tangled up on an under-water branch, pulling her under the swift current. She would not let go of the bird, but was in danger of drowning to be able to get it back to her master. Seeing the problem, Dave ordered her to let go of the bird. She did, reluctantly. Then he waited a brief second to let it float down river, and then pointed to it and yelled for Jenny to fetch it out. She did, and by moving in the direction of the bird, was able to free herself from the branch. She was incredibly obedient. She had to swim hard, but she got the bird back and brought it to Dave.

- She would give Stu rides on her back when he was small and she was much bigger in comparison. She always slept in Stu's room, especially on the cold winter nights that would cause her hips to ache. Stu has dreaded this day for years, and is totally heart-broken.

- Dave spent years training her to be a good hunting dog. She loved to fetch, and he had her trained so well that he could have her sit, tell her to stay, throw her bird, and start "the story". It was a long, rambling story about wandering around Rich's property, looking for ducks, getting out of the truck, asking her to sneak. All this time, she is looking at her bird, wanting to fetch it so badly that her legs shook with anticipation. His story would finally wind up to the climax..."Now, Jenny, when we see the birds fly up, my job is to shoot it. And Jenny, what is your job? Your job is to...fetch it out!" Before he could even get the magic word out (fetch), she would be flying toward her bird to retrieve it for him. She would bring it back, put it in his hand, and look up at him with such trust, waiting for a pat on the head and a "Good job, Jenny!" from him.

- For most of my children, the can not recall life without Jenny. It will be a very slow-healing hole in their souls. One day when Breanna was about 7, I went in to her bedroom to find her on the floor with Jenny, sobbing her eyes out. I asked her what was the matter, and she said, "I was thinking about when Jenny dies, and I don't want her to!" I think it was shortly after the hip dysplasia diagnosis, and she was just so devastated. She has cried plenty today, too.

When Dave took her up tonight, she couldn't even walk into the building. He carried her in, and she laid down on the floor. When the vet came out to lead her back, she couldn't follow him, so Dave carried her back there, too. The vet said "I know it's hard to know whether you are doing the right thing or not, but she is one of the worst I've ever seen. She will thank you. You're doing the right thing."

But just because it's the right thing to do doesn't make it easy.