Miss Daisy and Mr. Petey

Back in September, I wrote about Miss Daisy.  She's the pretty fawn girl who was lost for 22 days until her Dad found her and brought her home.

Here's Daisy at our recent SEGA picnic.  She was our Hero Girl that day.


Against all odds, Daisy survived an unbelievable odyssey.  I knew for sure she would have a long and happy life.  She and her family certainly deserved good things.

Last week, I was stunned and heartbroken to read this message from Daisy's Mom,

"It is with a heavy heart that I write this final chapter in the life of Miss Daisy. All of you know Daisy,  many of you met her in September at the annual picnic where you saw her run and play. Little did I know that December would bring about so many changes in her life. She was diagnosed
with an osteosarcoma that spread quickly and aggressively. She went from happily running to being crippled with multiple tumors seemingly overnight.  She went from minimal discomfort to whopping doses of morphine in just days. The quality of her life declined rapidly. I haven't yet tried to
understand the "why" in this seemingly cruel twist of fate, I can only accept the joy she gave us in her brief time on this earth.
 
We will continue to honor her in the "Finding Miss Daisy" fund and we will be smiling whenever a lost hound is returned to their families. I know Daisy will be smiling from heaven too, thinking to herself...at least it didn't take 22 days!

Please help us say goodbye to Daisy. Thank you for all of your support, her wonderful extended family."

Then, also last week, my Mom called to tell me about Mr. Petey.  Petey didn't belong to my Mom.  He was a neighborhood dog.  As will happen, someone brings a puppy home and leaves the puppy outdoors to fend for himself.  If the puppy survives, in the very rural environment where my Mom lives, it's because he learns not to go near the road and he learns not to go too far in the woods during hunting season. He visits this family for a while, then that family for a while.  He knows not to be aggressive.  He knows he must be a good dog.  Everybody likes him.  He has a bunch of different names and a bunch of different dinner bowls.   Petey lived like this for about 10 years.

I just happened to take these photos of Mr. Petey in July.  I'm not sure what kind of dog he was or why he had that studded collar on.  He was a good dog.

Petey spent a lot of his time at my Mom's house lately.  She always had food for him.  At my Mom's house, that means kibble generously supplemented with table scraps.  He liked that.  He also liked the bedding she kept for him on her carport.  She spent most of the day outdoors with him.  She sat watching the wild birds she also feeds, all the while talking to Petey.  He liked that, too.

She told me that Petey was sick.  The vet said that Petey had been poisioned.  Some fool ended his life for spite (?), for fun (?) or just because (?).  I don't know why it happened but I do know that while he didn't "belong" to my Mom, Petey was her dog for sure.

What Miss Daisy and Mr. Petey did during their lives is what I think animals, especially dogs, are very good at doing - they bring people together.  Hundreds of people came together to help find Miss Daisy.  People my Mom had never met came together to mourn the loss of Mr. Petey.  Daisy built a stronger community.  Petey built community where there was none.  That's a lot for a dog to do.

Godspeed Daisy and Petey.  We love you and miss you very much -