Three years ago today I lost darling little Livi at the tender age of only 14 months. I got her as a birthday gift to myself on January 22, 2005. She was a little rescue girl from Puerto Rico. She was five months old when I got her. 
The picture that captured my heart on Petfinder
Look at that adorable face!
Sherman and OliviaOlivia went to work with me every day. She was very frightened of men, but she loved women and went gaga over children. I was thrilled to finally have a dog that liked kids! She became well known at the Champlain Mill where our physical therapy clinic was, and most people knew her by name. I often took her down to the little cafe and leashed her to a post right outside the door (just a few feet from me, but she wasn't allowed in where the food was) and everyone stopped to see her and comment on how beautiful she was. She had gorgeous spots of brindle. Half of her face was white with white eyelashes, and the other was brindle with dark eyelashes. She was very unique in many ways.
Growing more beautiful every dayOne day in mid October, Livi started circling and it became more and more prevalent each day. Then it became a frantic circling that she couldn't stop. She also started losing control of her right side and the vet thought she was blind on the right side. My vet referred her to a neurologist in NH for a CT scan, but before I even made the trip with her, she lost ground so quickly that I decided to let her go when she started having seizures. It was only two weeks from the start of her symptoms until I had to let her go. My vet said that with the seizure activity, he was pretty confident that it was a brain tumor.
This was taken only days before she started seizing. Her front legs are splayed out because she was having problems with motor control.
Blind in the right eye, from what we could tellIt still makes me teary to think of my sweet girl dying at such a young age. I took her loss very hard. My vet made me feel better by saying that maybe I was just meant to love her for the short time she had and that at least she didn't die a horrible death on the streets of Puerto Rico.
I love this picture of her smilingI was very lucky to have her, even though it was for such a short period. I will never forget her love for life, her loving personality, her adorable face....
3 comments:
What a nice tribute. We miss Livi too. It's so hard when they are so young.
I think that all of our hearts broke a little when Olivia died. We loved her too. She was such a sweet girl, with the cutest face. Those pictures bring her back so clearly. Sending you hugs as you remember this special girl.
You gave her a lot of love in her short life, and I know she gave it back to you. I was so sad when she left you so prematurely. I totally agree with your vet. I think you two were meant to be together, if only for that short while. She was such a sweetie.
Post a Comment