A very sad day around here...

Copper (1997 [?]-2009)

She's the Basset Hound behind the little black dog, one of the two dogs my daughter is holding on to. This was taken approx. 4 or so years ago (the old dog up front was put down, at the vet, about 6 months or so after this picture was taken, cancer also).

Mike had to put our old (12-12.5yo) Basset Hound, Copper, down this morning. I felt so bad for him having to do it, but we just didn't have the money and it had to be done. I woke up and the other dogs were upset, so I went out to see what was going on. I found her laying somewhere she'd never lay, and kept calling her, and she wouldn't come. She looked so sad, and like she was in pain. I called Mike outside and we determined that she was paralyzed from about the mid-section back. She could not move her legs. He carried her to our patio and I got her to finally take a drink of water, but she just acted so scared and sad. She tried to pick-up a dog biscuit (one of those mini Milk Bone flavor treats) and she could not bite down hard enough to break it.

We had been praying for the Lord to give us a sure sign of when it was time for her to go, and He gave that to us this morning. It's just so hard, when just yesterday she was running, barking and playing with the other dogs. We had one other Basset Hound have this happen, and it just does this, it hits their spine and then suddenly they can't walk at all.

Our other dogs are so sad and are whimpering and howling for her. They all loved her.

Please pray for my children, especially my son. She was his best buddy ever since he was born (we got her when I was 8.5 months pregnant with him, from neighbors who couldn't keep her due to their move), and they've been inseparable all these years. He did get to have some time with her this morning, which I think was really good, plus he had to go to our church's VBS, where he is also singing in the choir, so I think it helped get his mind occupied on other things. His eyes were sure brightening when we got to the church. My daughter will grieve here and there, over a long period of time. It seems that is how she processes her grief, no matter what it is that is grieving her.