Dusty was born on January 19, 1990. When we got to the breeder's house and first saw her, we knew she was the one for us. We chose a purple ribbon to put around her neck and couldn’t wait to return in two weeks to pick her up and take her to her new home.
Dusty was a timid Golden Retriever but she had lots of love to offer. Throughout the years, she gave us warm and special memories. Some of our favorite remembrances are how she used to always follow us around the house, right on our heels, never wanting to be apart from "her people". How she used to sit on the end of the loveseat with her two front paws hanging over the side, her "vulture" pose, so she wouldn't miss out on what was happening in the kitchen. The way she used to crawl under the bed every night, a tight squeeze for a dog her size, but she seemed to always prefer the cozy spots.
Those incredibly long eyelashes and the little black tuft of hair on the side of her neck, her "tattoo" we called it. The way she'd always let the other dogs fetch the ball, even if she got to it first, and then try to steal it from them on their way back. One of the most enjoyable things for Dusty was her "cheerios" treat. Every morning she would follow her mom downstairs for her small handful of cheerios. As soon as she heard the box open, her ears would pop up and she'd come running.
Dusty was diagnosed with Thyroid Cancer in September of 2000. After x-rays and an ultrasound, it was discovered that the cancer had already spread to the lungs. After one session of chemotherapy, she had such an adverse reaction that our oncologist advised stopping the treatments. We immediately put her on a holistic regime that was part of a cancer protocol experiment for pets. We believe that the assortment of vitamins and drugs may have helped some but, ultimately, the aggressive cancer was already too far spread throughout the lungs.
On November 22nd, 2000, Dusty lost her valiant fight with the disease. We weren't ready to let go of our wonderful friend and soul-mate but, in our hearts, we knew the time had come for Dusty to join her older sister, Ayla, across the Rainbow Bridge. Dusty gave us certain signs that it was time for her to go. The night before, she paced around the room struggling to find a comfortable position in which to lie in order ease her breathing. Eventually, she went to a spot in the corner, behind a large chair, where she'd never slept before. On that last day, she sat in front of us and looked deep into our eyes as if to say, "It's OK, I know you love me and have tried your best, but I'm tired of fighting…you can let me go."
The house seems so much quieter now even though she was a silent dog. We look in her favorite resting spots and expect to see her, then realize she's not there. Instead, we know that she is now at Rainbow Bridge frolicking with her sister Ayla and new fur friends underneath the glittering colors of the rainbow, chasing butterflies, and lounging in the bright sunshine. We can imagine their paws clicking along the streets of gold…..healthy, whole, and pain free.
Goodbye our beloved Sweet Pea, our fuzzy Dust-bug. We will forever hold you in our memories.
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