Our dog Riley was born over 16 years ago. At just 6 weeks old, we brought this sweet West Highland terrier into our hearts and our home. I had no idea how much she would change my life.
Riley was our first “child”, so she got all our attention. My husband and I showered her with treats and long walks and even a birthday burger from Wendy’s.
Life was perfect for sweet Riley until about a year later. That’s when my son was born. Suddenly, he got all the attention and toys and treats.
Of course, we loved Riley just as much. We were just too busy with the baby to give Riley the long walks she once got, or spend our Saturdays at the pet store.
After a few years, things were settling back into place. Now we were all taking nice long walks together, and the baby was dropping plenty of food onto the floor!
That’s when our daughter was born, and poor Riley’s world was rocked once again!
More time passed and things got better, but as our daughter got older, she started asking (ok, begging) for a puppy. She was convinced that Riley needed a friend.
She was obviously quite persuasive, because it wasn’t long before we brought home a new puppy. Little Lucy was adorable, but also a little crazy! She followed Riley everywhere and got into all her stuff!
They fought like any two sisters. They both wanted the best toy, or the bigger treat, or the most attention. The reminded me of my kids!
As Lucy got older, I watched as Riley tried to assert her dominance. She was definitely the “bossy big sister” of the family.
Riley was definitely the boss of things, but as she grew older, she started to show signs of her age. She couldn’t walk as far and needed lots of rest. She started to lose her hearing and then her vision.
It broke my heart to watch our feisty, energetic Riley grow old. As I watched Riley start to decline, I loved how she was still a happy dog. She still wagged her tail, got excited, sniffed around the yard, and ate anything in sight.
I knew she wouldn’t live much longer, but I wanted to enjoy her as much as we could. I struggled with whether I should put her down. I didn’t want her to suffer, but I also didn’t want her to go before it was her time.
Then one day awful last fall, Riley went missing. We noticed the back gate was ajar. We started an intense search to find her. We enlisted friends, neighbors and family. We posted on Pet FBI and Facebook. We made signs and called the shelters and police.
For weeks, we continued the search. Our house backs up to a park and a wooded area, so the search became harder as more leaves fell.
After about a month, I knew that Riley could not have survived that long on her own. I’d heard stories of animals who wander away to die peacefully. Like the brave dog in the movie Marley and Me, I am convinced that Riley went away to die.
She must have sensed how I was struggling to decide what to do. She didn’t want us to watch her suffer, or to find her dead so she made sure we wouldn’t find her. What an amazing and brave thing to do.
I don’t think it’s possible to imagine how hard it is to lose a pet until you’ve gone through it yourself. Some people might say “she was just a dog”, but my fellow animal lovers know that she was far more than that.
To anyone who has ever lost a beloved friend, I am so sorry for your loss. Don’t let anyone tell you that you’re overreacting, or you shouldn’t be so upset. They simply don’t understand the joy of a best friend wrapped in a soft, furry blanket.
Lost Doggy Drama is the story of our hero Riley, and the sad day she wandered away. It’s a happy book about a sad thing, and a great book for anyone who has ever lost a beloved friend.