REMEMBERING OUR PETS FROM THE PAST...

REMEMBERING OUR PETS FROM THE PAST...

BY GLORIA FAYE BROWN BATES

We had a family of Bassett Hounds who have since died, leaving a sadness in our hearts. They lived many years, they lived a good life. We made sure of that.

There was Garraway, my red-headed Bassett Hound. He was tri-colored. He was mostly red-brown, white and some black on his back. Garraway was very intelligent... we nicknamed him 'The Professor'... sometimes 'China man'. Garraway had several nicknames. He was called 'Red', and 'GG'. He was the father Bassett Hound.

Ms Sadie Maye was black and white. She was beautiful, she had beautiful eyelashes. She was soft as cotton. She was the 'boss', and ruled the house. She had one litter of puppies, she and Garraway. I found homes for each one, instead of selling them. All I asked for was a good family, a good home.

When she had her puppies, I saw one lying on the floor still in the thin membrane-like sac. I picked it up and gently pulled it off the baby puppy... this was the puppy I kept. His name became Chadwick Elsworth (our Chadwick today is named for him).

Chadwick Elsworth was nicknamed Baby Bird... he loved to move the covers around to make his nest. He had eyelashes like his mother. Soft, beautiful Chadwick was red and white.

All three Bassett Hounds lived a long, good life. They all three raised a Rottweiler puppy, Kissy. This was our first 'Kissy'.... today our Rottweiler is named after this special dog, as well as Fairchild, the Rottweiler we got when Kissy I died. We loved our pups, they loved us.

We got a snow that was 28 inches deep one winter. Skip and I always looked forward to snow, though it doesn't snow here alot in the winters. This was a real snow!

We let the pups go outside... it was so funny to watch the Bassett Hounds hopping like rabbits in the snow! Garraway ran after me, barking like 'this is your fault my belly's cold!' I was laughing so hard that I fell down backwards into the snow. He was really telling me off!

We did shovel paths for them to run on. Bassett Hounds and their short little legs could only hop in snow that deep... it was fun to watch. Kissy, of course, had long legs so, the snow never bothered him. He loved it, too!

Ms Sadie Maye died laying on the bed where I'd been laying, so sick. I'd almost died in that same place from my illness. My Sadie Maye died quietly there, instead. It was late at night, Garraway and Chadwick were crying softly 'looking up in the air'... it was so strange. They were seeing something we couldn't see.

When Sadie Maye died, it was during the time I was fighting my battle to live. I won't forget hurting so much knowing she died. She, along with Garraway, Chadwick and Kissy, had laid around me as I lay seriously ill. I was freezing cold in July... I wonder if they were aware of that... I could feel them, more than see them.. laying around me close... maybe trying to keep my body warm.

I know now, there are so many people who care about their pets. Their pets become part of the family. That's the way we've always been. Each time one died to go to Rainbow Bridge, we grieved just as if each pet had been a person. They each held a special place in our lives, and meant the world to us.

Remembering them at this moment... how well I knew each one of them, loved each one of them. How loved each one of them was. They knew it. Do you know when I wrote about all the people I loved who died, how it could fill a sheet of notebook paper, in the past 12 years? Well, I didn't mention that these special dogs died during that time, too. The pain was so much for them, too.

I wanted to write this to remember our pups from the past... they were our family, too. I love you, Garraway... Ms Sadie Maye... Chadwick Elsworth, Kissy, and Fairchild. Each of you lead a long life in our care. This is written in honor of you.