Goodbye, Mama.
After being at the shelter where I volunteer for almost 4 years, senior dog Mountain Mama finally found her forever family just 3 weeks ago. But on Friday, her humans let the shelter know that Mama had died quietly, in her sleep, the night before.
The notice sent from the shelter director to the many volunteers who had known and cared for Mama read:
I wonder now, did I do the right thing? Should I have left her stay here? Did I break her heart? Did she think we did not love her? NO! Mama had found a home. If only for a brief time she had a home! These people opened their hearts to her and loved her the way she so deserved to be loved. Mama was loved here also but she never deserved to die here! She has touched the hearts of so many!
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For those of you who say you can not adopt a senior because you know they will die soon I say this: You do not know how much time you will have with them, so true but in what ever time you do have you will learn more love then you can imagine. They will take a piece of your heart with them but they give you back ten fold! To love a dog and have them love you back is one of the most wonderful things but to love and be loved by a senior dog is priceless! What you are giving them is NOTHING compared to what they will give you!
My heart is heavy, yes. The thanks I have for what this family gave to this beautiful soul is endless!
As a shelter volunteer and one of Mama's former caregivers, I'd like to add my thanks, too, to all the folks that adopt senior shelter dogs such as Mama. They are so, so very special.
Rest in peace, Mama.
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I adopted a six-year-old spaniel mix, Keisha, in 2004. She lived with us until she was 16. Then she flew off to Dog Heaven.
She was awesome
Keisha sounds like a she had a great life with you
I wuv her.
Just forwarded this to hubby.
We adopted a rescue puppy 9 months ago and will adopt my 91yo mother's lab when she dies but I'd also like to adopt a senior from a local shelter. My heart melts looking at their pics - their gray faces and cloudy eyes call out to me.
Sweet Mama.