It was a sad day yesterday. My family and I had to put down our 16 year-old sheltie, Sable, who had been battling bladder cancer. Sable tried to hold on for as long as she could, but yesterday she gave up her fight.  Up until yesterday she had been energetic and strong but that changed very suddenly.  We had no choice but to put her to sleep as she refused to eat, had a difficult time drinking, and had little to no energy. However, even in the face of adversity, she still stayed positive and died with a smile on her face.  She is reunited with her best buddy Comet, our cat who died last June.

It broke our hearts to let her go but we didn’t want her to be in pain.  Sable ended up passing away in the arms of my parents.  As the vet technician told us, “What better way to go than in the arms of people we love.”

I miss her terribly as she was my sidekick and one of my best friends.  Every time I looked in her eyes, I was reminded of how blessed I am to have her in my life. It is true what they say about a dog’s eyes; when they look at you, you can’t help but smile.

Even though she was getting older and battling cancer, she had the energy of a puppy.  A couple weeks ago, when we took her for a walk, a stranger complimented us on our puppy.  I’m sure Sable loved that compliment!

She loved playing with us and was such a sporty dog.  We called her our little competitor. I dare you to try to play basketball, soccer, football, or badminton with her around.

Sable also taught me to be perseverant and overcome obstacles.  Her breed doesn’t swim but that didn't stop her from learning.  We, her owners, love the water and from an early age she learned to love it too.

She had to be around us, as from her perspective, we were the most important things in her life. She didn’t care about things.  This was evident as she was only interested in the object if we were using it.  For example, if you gave her a ball to go play with herself, she would lose interest.  However, if I was passing a ball with my sisters, she had to get involved.

The one lesson that she really taught me was the importance of loving unconditionally.  Sable was always so excited to see me and even if I did something that she didn’t like (i.e., give her a pill), she was quick to forgive me.  It really didn’t matter what I looked like or what I had achieved, she still loved me! Those things didn’t matter to her.

Sable has known me for more than half of my life. That is a long time. She has been around me for many accomplishments and has seen me through the highs and the lows. Despite all of this, every time I see her, I smile; she is the sweetest thing around. I love her dearly. People can’t help but fall in love with her. She is a member of my family. Sable taught me about unconditional love, perseverance, forgiveness, always having fun, and living life to the fullest. It is no wonder that they say, a dog is a person’s best friend.

Life goes by so quickly. It was strange holding her yesterday and realizing that this was the last time I would be able to do this. The experience made me understand how precious life is.

It is really weird coming back home today and realizing that she isn’t here.  Her waterbowl, food dishes, leash, and all her toys are still here, but she is not.  Without her those things mean nothing.

Thank you Sable for your presence in my life.  RIP.  I love you.

You have left your paw print on my heart and it will remain there always.

Thank you for reading and your presence at this beach retreat. You Rock! I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts in the comment section below.

See you at the beach!