Hard to Say Goodbye

Today we had to say goodbye to another of our pets.  Our dog Nala was 6 when my sister in law and the organization she's a part of rescued her from the pound.  She's always been a sweet dog, but came with a lot of health challenges.  After having her a couple months we had her groomed and found two large growths on her back leg and tail.  The vet in  California biopsied them and found they were both malignant cancerous growths, that she diagnosed as an aggressive cancer and gave her 6 months.

Cameron giving Nala attention and Bea making sure she gets some too.

Nala with the girls

We decided we'd do what we could to keep her as healthy and happy as we could in the time she had left.  So, we had her on a healthy diet with doggie vitamins to build her immune system and just loved on her.  Over time she had her ups and downs, but just kept plugging away.  She did that for another 7 years!!

Not a full Samoyed, but a mix she had touches of brown and HUGE paws

Today though we had to make the tough decision to put her down, as she'd reached a point of having a lot of pain and had lost the ability to stand with her back legs anymore.  Fortunately there is a vet in the area that makes house calls, so we didn't have to stress her anymore, or us for that matter, by taking her to a busy vets office with all the other animals, the travel, and the strangers in her last hours.

She passed away peacefully in her favorite sleeping spot and while we grieve her loss, we are grateful for all the years she was a part of our family.