Gabby

From her ODH dad:
Here we were again, In a parking lot waiting for our next “Final Refuge Dog”. We knew she was a medium sized German Shepherd mix. But what health issues would she have, what behaviors will she bring from her past? How will she blend with the others in our ODH pack? How will she do with the cat? How about the chickens? So many questions!!!!!!! And now, here she was, in the car next to us. In that first meeting, in that first moment, how were we to know that as she jumped into the back of our car for the first time that she was also jumping into the very center of my being!!!!!!!!

Let me explain. My wife is the real dog care giver. She does the feeding, medications, walks and so on. I’m sure the dogs just think that I tag along. I know they care for me but they REALLY love my wife. So how amazing it was to me that from the very start Gabby chose me to be her person. I mean she looked into my soul with those beautiful brown eyes and we were linked together. She followed me from room to room. Inside or out, she was with me. From the beginning we were amazed at how observant she was. There was nothing that moved that went unnoticed. On our walks, we watch her follow rabbit trails at a full run. She spotted squirrels high in the trees. She loved being outside. She loved our rides in the truck. When I would come back to the truck she would be behind the wheel looking for me. She loved life and she knew how to live life! I thought we would be together for a long-long time.

And then one day we found the lump in her neck. The vet said it was probably a swollen lymph node and we better send out a sample to be tested. The news was BAD! A very aggressive form of cancer somewhere nearby. Probably in her mouth or neck area. Within a few weeks it was interfering with her breathing and swallowing. We knew we must say good bye to this beautiful soul. She filled our lives with heaping mounds of love for 14 months. What a gift she gave to us. A very good friend of ours once said: ‘If you’re going to love, do it
now!” Isn’t that so very true.

Gabby, We love you!!!!!!!!