In Loving Memory Of Missy
Missy had been surrendered to the shelter by her owner at age 14, requesting euthanasia. She had an abscessed growth on her leg that would need removal, but her owner felt euthanasia was the only option. California GSP Rescue wasted no time saving this sweet senior girl, and in May of 2021, Missy was adopted by Lauri who had applied for a senior dog.
We recently received the sad news that Missy has passed away at the age of 17. Our hearts are very heavy, but we are also so grateful to Lauri for reaching out to adopt a senior. Rather than focusing on Missy’s age, she just wanted to give a senior dog a loving home to live out their years with her. We know what an impact Lauri made on Missy’s life, and the love and appreciation Lauri received in return from Missy was immeasurable.
“I worked on this email several times in the last two months. Missy has had ups and downs recently. Life with arthritis, dementia, nasal and stomach tumors, and heart issues became too difficult and anxiety provoking for my 17 year old girl.
She gained several pounds in the last two months as she was treated to hamburgers, ice cream and more. Today she ran free for just a couple minutes in the dog park until she chased all the birds away. She spent her last few days mostly resting and getting lots of extra attention. She also went on short walks to her favorite places where she sniffed out bird and rabbit travel paths and got excited when she spotted one. Missy would have walked or did her old girl jog until she dropped.
Missy was always happy, wagging her tail, and a great companion for her nearly three years with me. She made sure I did my walking as part of my recovery from two knee replacement surgeries. She eagerly met me in the kitchen for a slice of turkey whenever I returned home, whether I was gone for 10 minutes or the full day. For all but the last couple weeks, she did, as described in her adoption page, a round of joyful bouncing when the leash came out for a walk or car ride. As I recently reread her adoption page story, I was impressed at how well it captured her. Kudos to those of you who work so hard and put in long hours to rescue and find proper forever homes for these dogs.
I am grateful for the time I had with Missy. It was rewarding and an honor to be with her in the last years of her life journey. You may remember before I met Missy and learned her story, I was thinking at 14 she was older than I was seeking. She rewarded me by making it to 17. At that time, I said 'I guess I could adopt another senior once Missy passed'. I believe I will do that, so keep an eye out for an adult / senior or two for me. I will take a little time to do some out of town visiting later this month before submitting my application”.
Lauri
