Pet Memorials

Bridget's Story

When Blondie died suddenly in May of 2003 with no signs or symptoms to warn us, it left Bubba alone who had been at the tail-end of his recovery from cataract surgery. Earlier the year before he had been diagnosed with Cushing’s Disease and Diabetes. He had very small cataracts, but due to the swelling from a bee sting to his face, the cataracts enlarged and left him totally blind. We decided to take him to Cornell to have the surgery because he was still an active and playful little dog and had visibly become depressed not being able to see. We spent a good year traveling back and forth to Cornell and coming home after one of his final checkups, we found Blondie lying in the back yard, barely conscious. She died several hours later.

Over the summer we worked with Bubba helping him to be as normal as possible with his vision impairment and still mourning the death of Blondie. By August I felt he needed a companion so I began to check the PetFinders Website for Howes Cave Animal Shelter and found two possible companions for him. I wanted another dog that was gentle and wouldn’t be aggressive toward him. When I looked at the site again a couple of days later, one of the dogs was gone. So I felt it was meant for me to have Bridget. Her bio told me a story of a dog who had been at a place with 8 or so other dogs, living very poorly, fighting a battle for food that she mostly lost. Her scarred face and half bitten off ear was a sign that she didn’t eat well. The place was reported to the police and raided, and all the dogs ended up at the shelter. Bridget, a black lab mix was a good size dog and only weighed 29 pounds when I took her home. The final decision to take her home was up to Bubba. I took him to meet her at the shelter and she licked his face, so I knew it was meant to be. Then some bad news, the Vet had found a lump on her belly, so until it was biopsied I wouldn’t be able to take her. Luckily, it wasn’t cancer, so she came home with me. She was very shy and scared of everything. But as time went by she came around and stated to greet friends that came over rather than run away. By the next spring, I noticed she had started to vomit frequently, so I took her to the vet. I was told she had A-Fib and her body x-ray showed some suspicious areas. I was referred to Dr. Aaron Wey, a Cardiologist in Latham, New York. He told me not only did she have A-Fib, but her gallbladder was clogged and her spleen enlarged. Dr. Wey felt with all her problems, it would be safer to refer her to Cornell for surgery because they offered a complete OR team. First her gallbladder came out, then several months later she had the pacemaker put in. She lived a fairly normal life and was with me for several more years. She became sick several times during those years and Dr. Wey always was able to stabilize her so that she was comfortable. Then in November of 2007 Bubba became ill one evening and passed away. The following week Bridget became ill, was vomiting and not eating. I took her to Dr. Wey and he said there was nothing more he could do for her. She was in complete heart failure and there were not further treatments for her. I knew it was time, but I just couldn’t do it that day. I wondered if with Bubba’s death, Bridget knew she had come to live with us to keep him company and now wanted to join him. Several days later when she looked at me and seemed to tell me it was time I called Dr. Wey and said I was bringing her in. I asked him if he could put her to sleep in my car because I promised her that her final place wouldn’t be on a silver table and he agreed.

I miss her terribly to this day. There was something so special about her and her love was unconditional. I think aside from my Mother’s death, that was the hardest thing I ever had to do in my life.

I now have 3 more pups I’ve adopted over the last two years, Bailey, Moochie and Fiona. You’d never think there would be other dogs to fill your heart, but they always show up and fill the house with fun.