As I was driving through Lansdale yesterday, I passed a little reddish-white dog. This quick look brought many memories flooding back to my mind. Many years ago, we rescued a “Heinz 57” dog from our local ASPCA when she was only 6 months old. She was the gentle little girl. We named her Jessie. She provided us with so much love and laughter. Jessie would sit in our bay window every day waiting for our daughter to get off the school bus. She would also wait just as patiently for our mailman. It was so funny to watch her race out and jump into his mail truck for a treat. On our walks, Jessie would hurry us along but often on the way home she would fake a limp so that we had to carry her home. One Easter Sunday, we arrived home from church to find Tootsie Roll lollipops stuck to the floor. Jessie had jumped up onto the dining room buffet and somehow unwrapped each lollipop, licked them and then dropped them onto the floor. Thankfully, she was alright!
Jessie knew when a migraine was developing before I did and would alert me so that I could take my medication before it fully formed. Later in her life, Jessie suffered a spinal injury and my Vet told me that if Jessie kept jumping on and off the bed she could be paralyzed. I couldn’t imagine trying to keep her off the bed at night. She had slept there every night since we brought her home. I removed the bed frame and box springs and placed the mattress directly on the floor. In time her injury healed and we were all able to go back to normal.
My sweet little furbaby lived to be sixteen years old. Our wonderful Vet allowed me to cradle Jessie as she quietly passed away. Even though the loss was difficult, I am thankful to have had her in my life! I will always remember Jessie. She made my life richer.
~ Written by guest blogger and Lansdale Pet Sitter, Mary Ann!
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