Monday, September 3, 2012

In Memory of Harley Ice Cream

How I wish I had more pictures of our Harley.  She really was the sweetest dog you could ever know. 

We first rescued her from the shelter almost 6 1/2 years ago.  Not knowing how old she really was… always guessing.  The people at the shelter guessed between 2 and 5 years old at the time.  The girls wanted to name her Ice Cream.  Anthony and I added Harley and her name became Harley Ice Cream.

I admit to being somewhat afraid of her at first.  She was supposed to be a friend for our then 6 month old puppy, Moe (Moseley Chicken Little to be exact), a black lab. 

Harley couldn’t stand Moe at first and she nipped at the kids a few times.  We considered taking her back but after about a month, she was sweet as pie!  The kids pulled her ears, pulled her lips, rode on her back and so much more.  Moe was still an annoying little pup but they became best buddies. 

She was not a normal dog.  Going potty on the grass??  Why do that when there’s a perfectly good slab of cement to use? 

Harley was also a barker.  We’ve had animal control called on us more than once for her incessant barking.  She would bark, then Moe would start barking, then they would both begin howling.  Oh man it was beyond frustrating but I’d give just about anything to hear it again right now. 

The barking stopped a few weeks ago.  Harley was too sick to even think about barking… however, she would still run around.  Go figure!

Over the past 2 months Harley went from being about 75 pounds to only 40 pounds.  She couldn’t keep anything down and she had problems out the back end, too, if you know what I mean ;). 

I had called around to different vets and found their prices just to walk in the door (let alone the testing) to be more than we could handle.  My mom decided that she couldn’t stand to see Harley in the condition she was in any longer and took her in last Wednesday.  After testing, IV injections of every anti-nausea/anti-diarrheal medication the vet had (none of which phased her in the least), some x-rays, and a three night stay in the doggie hospital, it was determined that Harley Ice Cream had cancer.  It was never officially confirmed because the testing and ultrasound for that would have been almost $400.  But all signs pointed to cancer and there was nothing that could be done. 

Anthony and I made the tough decision to have her put down.  She didn’t need to suffer anymore. 

It was heartbreaking to tell the kids because I had already been telling them she would be home the next day… then it became the next day… and the next.  I thought they would figure out what was wrong and we would bring her home and things would be fine.

Things were not fine.

Please excuse the quality of the photos, they are all taken with my phone.  These are pics of the kids saying their last goodbyes this past Saturday.  **Sigh** Breaks my heart!

Harley

Little C couldn’t understand at first why we were all crying walking into the room.  There was Harley and we should be happy!  It made me realize how simple life is for little children.  We tried explaining to him that Harley was going to go live with Jesus in Heaven. 

I took the kids back to the car for the actual ‘procedure’.  Anthony stayed with Harley so she wouldn’t be alone. 

We went to the park and got some ice cream to hopefully make the day a little brighter for the kids after leaving the vet.  We didn’t want them to go home immediately and just dwell on the fact that she was gone. 

Once we finally did make it home (after it had rained) there was a beautiful rainbow right above our house!!  (This pic doesn’t do it justice at all… remember it was taken on my phone)  We decided that it was Harley letting us know that she is ok.  She’s happy now and no longer in pain and I’m sure she’s not starving anymore.  I wonder what they serve in heaven…

rainbow

And we know she’s in heaven because… All Dogs Go to Heaven, right? ;)

C was so cute about the rainbow.  “That’s Harley, huh Dad.  She made a rainbow with her magic!”  He wouldn’t come in the house until the rainbow had faded completely. 

We all miss her but poor Moe misses her the most, I think.  He’s lonely, and kind of lost.  Poor guy doesn’t know what to do without her.

We love and miss you, Harley Ice Cream!!  

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