Janey

Today I had to say goodbye to a friend I usually saw on our walks.  Her name was Janey & she was a very sweet girl, with a friendly & chatty mother who was amenable to me giving Janey treats.  Janey initially would bark when she saw or heard us down the street, but when we got to the fence, she would be a little shy.  But she very much liked treats, & the few times I ran into her when she was on walks, she was very waggish & happy to see me - treats are a powerful tool for making friends with dogs.

How old Janey was I haven't asked but I think definitely older than ten.  She suffered a little from arthritis I think & maybe was a bit overweight.  She loved behind outside & even in the rain she'd come to get treats from me.  In her bed on her covered porch, often under a blanket, she'd rise to come to the fence - sometimes dragging the blanket behind her.

This is the face I'd see, looking down at her as she waited patiently for a treat.  We'd visit her on what I call our "neighborhood walk."  Our other three regular walks take us to parks, so the walks are named after the park.  But when we visited Janey, we'd simply make a stroll through the neighborhood.  When I gave her treats, I'd also give my dogs treats, so it was a nice stopping place for everyone involved.

When we first met Janey, she was actually recovering from an attack by a pit bull.  Someone in the neighborhood had a dog which had assaulted Janey.  I don't think you can tell from the pictures but one of her ears was the worse for wear from the encounter.  It might be why she was so shy at the fence.  I told Lisa, Janey's mom, when we found out she was gone, I told her that Janey stopped being shy at some point & boldly demanded treats from me.  I felt like that was a kind of acceptance.

Janey had been feeling unwell & had a tumor on one of her organs that was causing her pain.  It's always a difficult decision to decide when to say goodbye to one of your non-human friends.  Janey was not going to get better, & it had become obvious.  Janey would've stayed around as long as she was needed.  I've experienced that time & again.  When we walked by her house today, her family was outside, all of them grieving.

One day I took a supercool picture of Janey that I need to print out for Lisa, it is how I think of her, she was a good thing with nothing but sweetness in her.  She was bigger than our dogs but she was a cuddler, & I would have gladly cuddled with her if I had had the chance.  Alas, all I got was a sweet friendship from someone who was the highlight of the walk.  I'm glad she's not in any pain anymore.  I want to remember all the good vibes she sent out.