Dory, the big dumb chocolate lab that belonged to my MIL, was put down today. I will not pretend that I liked that dog a whole lot, but it was sad, nonetheless. For all her neuroses and bad habits, she was a very sweet dog and was a great friend and companion to my MIL for 12 years before she had to give her up. Once she came to live with us, she was still neurotic and her shedding drove me nuts, but we liked to play out in the yard together, and she always sat outside with me while I worked in the garden.We had an understanding.
Even though Dory lived most of her life in Morton Grove, IL, she spent a lot of time at our house over the years. Every time my MIL went into the hospital for one reason or another, Dory came to stay with us. She was a spirited, out-of control pistol of a dog for the first few years. She'd annoy and bother us for hours on end, until one of us would take her out to the big field next to our apartment building and throw a stick for her to fetch. Over and over. For an hour. Till she fainted, sometimes. That dog lived to play fetch.
And today, Tom took her out to our yard for one more game of fetch before we drove to the vet. Dory's arthritis was so bad that often she would just sit down before bringing the stick back. She was in such pain all the time...it was hard to see her that way.
Well, I hope she's running and playing freely and pain free in the huge dog park of the Great Beyond. We'll miss her.
These are pics of Dory last autumn in our yard. Georgie will miss her, too.
I watched Dory for a few days over New Years and she was a patient gal. That little dog there in the photo liked to run in front of her, cut her off, use her back like a spring board, take the fetch stick out of her mouth, and other hilarious annoying things. Dory put up with it kindly.
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