Four years ago, God gave me something I did not know I needed. Marty, a 10-year-old overbred chihuahua, was kept in a tiny cage most of her life. Yesterday, after four years and thousands of miles together, we had to say goodbye.
She was 10 years old and arrived extremely bony with her bleeding bowels and dried-out coat. She had only a few teeth and the dog food the former owner sent with her was large hard kibble for large breed dogs. She was starving! She was blind in one eye and also had kidney disease.
For a long while, she was terrified of everyone except me. Somehow she instinctively knew I'd look after her. Marty would cry if she could not see me. I left her behind on a weekend trip once and she grieved so heavily, that my children asked me not to leave her again. I could go get a shower and she'd be outside the bathroom door crying for me by the time I finished. I have no doubts that she loved me and depended on me.
Marty was not accustomed to being petted, so she'd run from us every time we tried. She eventually came to love head, neck, and ear scratches and would even flip over for a belly rub. It was such a drastic change from her arrival state, but love does that sort of thing. I know because Jesus created a drastic change in me with His love.
In the middle of the night, she would shriek and take off running. She ran right off the bed sometimes. She did it with less frequency towards the end, but it was unsettling.
Something about Clint coming home or into a room would set her off. She'd charge him barking frantically and snapping at his legs. She even bit him, but it wasn't very effective without teeth. Sometimes he could just leave the room and return two minutes later and she'd do the same thing. Then she'd be in his lap five minutes later or sitting in front of him staring at him like he hung the moon. If he went into a store, she'd stare in the direction he left until she saw he had returned. She loved Clint, but we never figured out why his entrance triggered her. Clint came to love our quirky old Marty very much.
Blowing a raspberry would unsettle her. We have no idea why. We tried desensitization training but she still found the sound disturbing.
Marty loved to chase a cat. It gave her great satisfaction to chase one across the yard, off the deck, or out of the house. She'd go hard after it and return with her head raised, tail wagging with a jaunty little walk. Even on her last day when she was feeling horrible, sleeping almost nonstop, and vomiting frequently, she still chased a cat!
There was not a male dog Marty did not like. She would dance and wag her feathery tail in such a captivating way to get and keep his attention. She would quickly hop into a box of puppies when a mama dog took a break. She loved babies!
I kept weight on the old girl by sharing whatever was on my plate. I'd have to chew it for her. After she ate, she'd sit and look at me until I acknowledged her. Once I spoke to her, she'd go lay down and sleep. I think she was trying to thank me. I am going to miss sharing my meals with her. Her coat became soft and shiny. She was a beautiful little dog.
She was a lot of comfort to me when Maggie, my tiny white poodle, died. I often wondered if the Lord took Maggie so Marty could have a few years of being doted on.
When our other dogs saw Marty after her absence, they would fawn over her like she was royalty.
When I would tell the dogs to stay behind, Marty knew that meant everyone except her. Due to her age and needs, she received privileges the other dogs didn't.
On Monday and Tuesday, she started showing signs that her best days were behind her. Kidney disease was stealing her quality of life.
Since I am the person who works directly with the animals, I am the one who has to make the call to end suffering. It weighs on my heart. I struggle with knowing if I made the decision too soon or too late. With Marty, I know I called it right.
Marty traveled with us to 15 states in just 2023. She went from being cage-bound to hiking miles in beautiful natural settings. Not one time did she ever willingly go back to the Suburban. No matter how far we walked or how many boulders and hills we had to climb, she wanted to keep going. Knowing how much she loved it, we'd indulge her when she indicated she wanted to go a little further.
When you take in an elderly dog, you know the journey will not last long. My "old puppy" had four years of being our top dog and living like a queen.
I am going to miss Marty and all of her eccentricities. I will miss having to look out for her as I go through my day. I will miss her companionship. In just four years, my little old lady dog stole my heart and earned her rest.
