Our little dachshund, Bailey, went to sleep in his favorite bed last night and never woke up. At 16 years old, the vet says that in dog years he was between 108-112 years old. He had a very full life and died peacefully, yet it's still sad when a treasured member of the family passes on.
This picture was taken 16 years ago by the breeder who gave Bailey to us. Bailey is the little guy at the top right in the photo. The way he came to us is pretty interesting. You see, Bailey was the treasured pet of our daughter Dannielle. At 10 years old, Dannielle was a dog person trapped in a cat family. And believe me, with seven cats on the property, these felines were in no mood to be entertaining a dog!
One day, a customer came into the shop with a basket full of puppies! Cute little things, really, but dogs nonetheless. For Bailey and Dannielle, it was love at first sight. Dannielle really, really, really, REALLY wanted to take Bailey home, but pure bred dachshunds can be very expensive and we just couldn't afford him. Reluctantly, Dannielle put Bailey back in the basket and he eventually went home with someone else.
A few short weeks later, the breeder knocked on our door. In her arms was little Bailey. It turns out that the man who originally purchased Bailey abused him terribly. The breeder found out about it, snatched the dog away from him, and brought the little guy to Dannielle. She told Dannielle she was giving her the dog because she knew that Dannielle loved him dearly and would take good care of him.
So that's how Bailey came to live at our house. The cat people in the family (and the cats) eventually adapted to him being there and decided to trust him. He eventually stopped having nightmares and decided to trust us.
Dannielle and Bailey were constant companions and good buddies. When she went off to college, he missed her terribly. The reunions at school break were always something to see. Yet, when she moved to California, we decided that Bailey should stay with us. We said it was best because this was the only home he had ever known. Secretly, it was because confirmed cat people let a dog into their heart and couldn't let him go.
6 comments:
So sorry for your loss, I have a 15-16 year old lab and I know my heart be broken when she is gone. She has been in our family as a stray for 13 years. Wonderful family dog.
Sorry to hear about your Bailey. But what a sweet story about how he came to Danielle and the family... Thanks for sharing.
Faith
Grandma Rachel! So sorry to hear about Bailey. I didn't know you had a Dachshund. I lost my Lily E.Bear, Miniature Dachshund Extraordinaire...early this year. She was only three. It's very sad to lose a treasured family pet. The story of how you acquired Bailey was sweet and moving. Thanks for that. I am sure Bailey is looking down on all of you and wagging his little weiner tail!
Hi
I''m so sorry for your loss. Your story made me cry, bless you for being kind to such a beautiful dog.
Take care and may time heal the pain.
Best wishes
Billie
Thank you all for all your very kind comments about Bailey. We miss him fiercely but are happy that he was in our lives. Brian, I was sorry to hear about the loss of Lily E. Bear, especially at such a young age for her. Squirrelie55, your lab sounds like a wonderful dog.
Sorrow Bailey is gone. He went to Rainbow Heaven.
Helen
Post a Comment