Coco photos

Coco the Love Dog sees with her heart

March 20, 2011 – 4:25 am

Coco was feeling really yucky

Coco was feeling really yucky

“I feel really yucky” Coco said one day.”

“I am hungry all the time”

“I am thirsty all the time”

“I am sad all the time”

“I have to pee all the time”

“I am tired all the time”

“And I can’t see my Mommy’s red lipstick anymore”

“Maybe we should go to the Doctor,” said Mommy

I’m not afraid to go to the Doctor – she always makes me feel better.

I’m a brave dog.

My Mommy always wears red lipstick

My Mommy always wears red lipstick

The Doctor took a lot of tests. She squirted a little blood out of my paw.

She looked deep into my eyes.

She made me pee while she was looking.

That was embarrassing!

Then she said a word I had never heard before – Diabetes.

Yup – that’s what I have – diabetes.

What a strange word - diabetes

What a strange word - diabetes

I was a little bit scared but Mommy said “Don’t worry Coco. We will figure out how to make you better together.”

Mommy took good care of me and my smile came back

Mommy took good care of me and my smile came back

So Mom started giving me shots – something called insulin – twice a day.

They didn’t hurt.

I’m a brave dog.

And I did feel better.

I was not thirsty all the time.

I  was not hungry all the time.

I did not have to pee all the time.

But I still could not see my Mommy’s face. She looked all grey and blurry.

Everything looked grey and blurry.
All the bright colors I loved had gone away.
Coco sees with her heart

Coco sees with her heart

That’s when I learned I was blind.
But I didn’t have to see to know my Mommy was smiling.

And I didn’t have to see to know the children were laughing.

And I didn’t have to see to love with my heart.

Because I am a brave dog – I am Coco the Love Dog.

 

(This story is dedicated to Coco whose love lives on forever in all the Love Dogs)

  

By Sue Grundfest | Also posted in News | Comments (0)

We always get the dog we need

October 5, 2010 – 4:59 am
Kirby visited Coco at the vet daily
Kirby visited Coco at the vet daily
Kirby snuggled close enough for Coco to hold on
Kirby snuggled close enough for Coco to hold on

Sometimes you wonder why a particular dog came into your life. When I adopted Kirby everyone thought I was crazy. He was funny looking, much older than I had wanted and had a whole host of health issues. But I saw a special spark in his eyes and knew he would fit into our family perfectly.

And he did.

He doted on his big sister Coco. He followed her around, learned from watching her, respected her in her blind and deaf condition and always wanted to sleep cuddling with her.

And in August I knew for certain why Kirby was sent to us. Coco developed a very rapidly developing brain disease and after several days at our vet, I brought her home.  I didn’t know if she had one day or one month or one year to live, but I knew she had to be home with Kirby and Kirby needed to be with her. Coco could not stand, walk or recognize her surroundings. Several strokes and seizures took away a lot of her body but not her spirit. She knew Kirby and invited him to cuddle up close, and he stayed with her watching over her.

He twice alerted me to an oncoming seizure by barking and circling. I put Coco on the ground in a safe spot and he sat right up close as she experienced something no dog or human should.

Coco the Love Dog died peacefully in my arms on Sunday, August 1, 2010 after fourteen years and five months of a wonderful life. She lived long enough to win every award therapy dogs could be honored with, to change thousands of lives with her strength and spirit, to live longer than most dogs with insulin-dependent diabetes and to teach Kirby everything he needs to know to carry on the Love Dog legacy.

Kirby came into my life for a purpose. To teach me about loving again and moving on and never forgetting and always remembering how each and every dog changes our lives, and us.

By Sue Grundfest | Also posted in Kirby photos, News | Comments (0)