Another Death in the Family

Just two months ago, on July 6, we lost our beloved German Shepherd, Luna. Now our equally beloved Sally is gone.

She was in her 18th year, born in 2006. Supposedly a Miniature Pinscher, she was likely mixed with Manchester Terrier. Sally was a rescue and came to us unexpectedly.

She disliked the rain, the cold, the snow, excessive heat, too much sun, too much attention, not enough attention. A very determined soul, everything needed to be her way and she would dig in her dog heels to get whatever she wanted. She usually won.

Like many smaller dogs, she feared nothing.

She didn’t bark much, but she had the oddest trumpeting sound she would emit when communicating a need, a desire, or simply a mood. It was loud, distinctive and I’ve never heard a similar sound from another dog.

Towards the end she became blind, deaf, painfully skinny, with a crackly spine. Her mind was gone - like she had developed some version of dog dementia. But she still was determined, if confused, and still trumpeted from time to time.

At the end, she let out a weak trumpet call. Several minutes after she let our her last breath and her heart stopped, her left eye began to switch. The vet said that nerves sometimes continue to fire even after the animal is clinically dead.

Determined even beyond the end, Sally made her last gesture.

Once again, and so soon, the loss is immeasurable.