Hyper Piper of Haven

 Yesterday, Dec. 26th, 2021 was not a good day.  I went to Bloomfield in the morning and when I got home I was assailed with an awful stench when I walked in.  Piper had had diarrhea in her room.  Everyone went out and I cleaned up the mess, opened windows and doors and was glad that the temps were in the high 40's.  I even ran a fan.

She seemed ok, not great but although she didn't eat much of her breakfast, she had delightedly chowed down on lamb lung, so I figured she'd be ok.  I had decided not to give the dogs their capstar (damn fleas) until the afternoon, so I knew that was not the cause of her intestinal distress.  No one got their capstar yesterday.

At dinner time, she came in but went right past her room to the den and lay down.  I followed her in and tried to tempt her with her dinner but she ignored it.  Shortly thereafter she threw up, and I decided to call the vet.  She made her way to the kitchen and sank to the floor as I was on the phone.  Bolton said to bring her in for 9 p.m. (it was around 6) and I said, no, we're coming now.  

It took me a few minutes to get help to carry her to the car.  Mary Snow came to our rescue and between the two of us and a blanket, we got Piper into the back of the car.  I kept talking to her and she was looking at me.  No tail wags, but her eyes were bright and intelligent.  

As we reached the corner of Woodbridge and Middle Turnpike, I heard her give a soft groan.  I called back to her, telling her I was right there, we'd be to vet's in a couple of minutes, hang in there...  She never made another sound and about three minutes later we were at the vet.

I opened the hatch and was horrified to see that she wasn't breathing.  I think I screamed.  I begged her to not be gone.  The vet techs picked her up and raced into the building, telling me to park (I'd pulled up in front of the door) and come in.

I sat in one of the exam rooms for about 5 minutes and the vet came in.  I don't remember her name, she's one of the partners, and all she said was "I'm so sorry."  

Baby Girl, Sweet Loves, My Little Sunshine was gone.  

I was already crying.  I still am.  

They brought her in, and I had some time to stroke her soft fur, take her collar and pray.  

Over the next several days I will probably post more of the poetry she inspired.  

I am grateful for so many things:

    That Trixie immediately wanted to play with her, and they were really good buddies.

    That Pieper Memorial was able to diagnose her and give her another year.

     She was relatively healthy (addison's aside) until the very end.

    for 11 wonderful years with my wild and crazy, hyper girl.

    She got to be a mother to Tripp.

Her song was "You are my sunshine" and she was.

She was SO athletic.  

The blizzard of 2015: