My poor Tasha....

I found out Monday that the best dog in the whole wide world has Leukemia. Tasha has been a dream dog. She has welcomed 3 children to our family, helped raise my kids, helped socialize tons of puppies and kittens, traveled with me to schools to talk about dog safety, went with me as a DELTA certified therapy dog partner to nursing homes and schools, been my demo dog for the dog training classes I held, and many other things!

She is actually the dog that got me into, and fired up for having a well trained dog. There was a group of us ... the instructors Jerre and her dog Pearl, and Mike and his dog Cody. Then there were the students... Kathy and her little sheltie, April and George, and then Tasha and me. IT was a great time in my life, and losing Tasha will leave a hole in my life that was filled with that time. Jerre has since become one of my best friends, and I know she will be as sad as I am when Tashas time to leave us is here.

She has been going down hill for a while now, so this isnt' a shock. And truthfully part of me is grateful that it is something we really can't do anything about. I was afraid it would be a cancer that would be treatable if I wanted to pay $1000 or more! But knowing we cant do anything about curing or prolonging it gives me peace. She has had a great life. She isn't in pain really, jsut getting weaker, and slower, and sadder looking. She has a tumor on her foot that they can't remove because they dont' think she would make it through surgery. :( So she gets to wear colorful socks on it to protect it, and a ziploc baggie bootie when she goes outside. I have to help her up sometimes. And I have to help her down or up steps...

She smells like she is dying. But since she isnt' in pain, I am not ready to let her go just yet. It may be a couple weeks, it could be a couple of months... It makes me so sad that she wont' be here to help the girls learn about dogs! She was always the PERFECT baby dog! So gentle, so loving, so reliable! :(

Tasha loves people, more than she ever loved other dogs. But her true and first love remained the game of fetch! She would fetch anything. Once she couldnt' find the stick I threw adn she brought back a HUGE chunk of cement! She was so proud of herself! She loved fetching tennis balls and frisbees the most though! I once took a dog obedience class with a police dog trainer. He offered me over $1000 for Tash. Nope, couldn't sell my best friend! She has always been priceless.

Ah Tash, I am so sorry! You are and will forever remain one in a million!

This is the Tumor on her foot. It doesn't seem to hurt her, and she can walk on it, just limps a bit.




Here she is with her sock/bootie. She always has a pathetic look in pictures... but here she loosk very sad. :(