A Tribute

Ever since I could walk I have had a pet of one sort or another. I have had turtles, fish, mice, (a lab rat that I rescued from my high school biology lab) dogs, cats and birds. I have been so lucky to have so many pets all with their individual personalities and quirks. In 1991 I spotted a cute, gray dog watching me while I was checking the cages for someone special. There sat "Frisky." Dumb name, cute dog. They "estimated" her age to be about a year old. Thelma was a pistol from day one. She chased dogs, geese, and hunted squirrels with a vengeance. She would push Sydney out of my lap and hog up as much of my attention as possible. Thelma has gone on rode trips, camping trips, fishing and horse back riding and most recently to work with me almost everyday for the past five years. She is always near by. I am getting a little nervous as my companion ages and not so gracefully. Sometimes I feel like Thelma is giving me a preview of what I can look forward to as I age. Her hearing is almost gone, she has horrible depth perception now and can't see well in dim light. She has fewer teeth and horrible breath. She is riddled with warts and fatty tumors and she leaks pee frequently. She is not the same dog I shared popcorn with or a bed with for many years. She is tired, walks with a limp and doesn't get up in the car as we approach the house to roll down her window and bark. I know the inevitable is coming, and I am not prepared. As with all of my four legged friends, I love her dearly and only want her to be comfortable, well fed and dry.