Lady, Rescued 7/27/02

Lady was a 9 year old cocker spaniel whose Long Island family decided they could no longer care for her. She was our first dog. She was not the original dog that we had applied for. We had inquired about a cocker spaniel named Bailey who liked to chase bubbles but when we spoke with the rescue organization they informed us that he was already adopted. Luckily, they had just received a call from a family who needed to surrender their cocker and they were put in touch with us. That weekend, Lady was driven from Long Island to us, and while she missed the only family she had known her entire life, she eventually became attached to us.

Lady was technically my parent's dog, but when we graduated from college, we found an apartment that accepted pets and took her with us. Lady lived to be 14, and knew three apartments with us. She was a good mover and was always patient when we relocated her to a new place.

Lady was a constant companion. She did not enjoy toys, expect for this one little squeaky red fire hydrant that she went crazy over, or the company of other dogs, but she loved to just sit by you. One evening, three days before she died, it was her birthday (or what we made her birthday) and I had a body shop party at our apartment. The presentation was in full swing when I happened to look under the table, and out of all of the feet underneath the table, she was sitting right near mine. She loved her walks and always looked so blissful when rolling around on her back in the grass. She had floppy ears that were always wet from her water bowl, and she was our best friend. On the weekend mornings she would paw at our bedroom door, I would get up and let her in, and she would snooze on the floor or a second bed until we were ready to get out of bed ourselves.

As our first dog, she showed us how wonderful dogs can be. We were so fortunate, and I cannot help but believe that someone was looking out for her. We happened to call about adopting a cocker spaniel the day her family decided to surrender her, and as a result, she never set foot inside of a shelter. Her situation opened our eyes to the fact that not all dogs are this lucky, and that we wanted to save more. We vowed never to purchase a puppy from a store or a breeder and instead, save the life of an animal in need.

Lady died on October 24, 2006. We were devastated and to this day, still miss her terribly and reminisce about her occasionally. Lady was a trooper throughout her numerous surgeries and the last few days of her life. It is not fair that our furry companions occupy this earth for such a shorter time than we do, but her death allowed us to open up our home to another animal in need. We never thought we would love another dog like we did Lady, but we certainly have managed to...