She was a wonderful dog - intimidating to look at, but she must have considered herself to be a cat because she had the playfulness of a kitten. She would have let anyone into the house - except a stray cat or squirrel! She often frightened trick or treaters when she'd stand at the door with her ears at attention. Unsure of other children - she was protective and loving towards our two little ones. She was always on guard and always with them when they were infants and I felt safe leaving her in the room with them - I never once feared she would harm them.
We decided when Wyatt was a few months old that Mae should go live with my parents and my sister Natalie. Natalie and Mae were best friends - from before we even rescued her. She knew Mae when her original owner was still living - he died of cancer. There were other dogs for her to play with and more attention than what we could give her with two children under 2. She loved it at my parent's house - because she had visited many times. She settled into a fun, lazy life with Bonnie and Mia - and later Daisy the beagle puppy. She loved their cats: Ace, Crystal, Noel (who is missing for several weeks now...) and Gucci kitten (who wyatt calls Goopy!).
This morning Mae came out into the kitchen breathing hard and having a hard time standing. She began to lose control of her body functions and went down into the sunken fireplace area - a place where she never spent much time. She died peacefully - with my mom, sister and Maddie talking to her. My sister told her she was a good dog and that it was ok for her to go - and then she died.
I arrived not long after Mae passed away - Mike and Wyatt came about a half hour later. My brother and his friend came soon after that. Carefully we placed her on a plastic shower curtain and then wrapped her in a blue comforter and her favorite yellow blanket.
I went into the wooded area of my parent's yard and found a dead sapling and made a cross to mark her grave. The camellias are blooming on the side of the house and I decorated the cross with white flowers and one lone pink camellia that had bloomed. I also picked a branch of white ones for my sister.
Mae was Natalie's baby. Even though we were all expecting her to pass away soon - it is still a shock and Natalie has taken it very hard. They had such fun together - going to the dog park, cuddling in bed. Mae would drag all of Natalie's clothes onto her bed and sleep with them - moping terribly if Natalie was gone overnight.
We all know that Mae is in a better place where she is free from the physical pain and sickness that she had in her life - but her presence in our lives will be sorely missed. She was a great dog- gentle and sweet. It's funny because she never jumped up on people (only on beds and the couch) and other than a single lick - kiss - she was not one of those dogs who licked you incessantly.
We love you Mae and miss you already.
