Saying Goodbye To Our Poppy

I didn’t think I’d publicly acknowledge saying goodbye to Poppy, our beloved 14-year-old Border Collie Cross. It’s still too raw. But posts popped up in my feed this morning about yesterday being National Rescue Dog Day. They left me drawn to honor our rescue, to acknowledge her life.

When I first started blogging over a decade ago, posts would take me all day to write. I remember editing over and over and fussing over minutiae. Since then I’ve whittled it down to a few hours. Newsletters and blogs take time. Not only are you deciding what to write and then having it make sense and look decent, but you’re deciding what photos to include. Then you need to upload the photos, pump up your “alt tags,” tweak the SEO so the post will pop up higher in the algorithm, set your “meta description” etc … I can only imagine the life of a podcaster. Oof.

I’ve got a busy day ahead of me so please forgive this rushed post.

Poppy Was Ten Weeks Old When We Met

Oscar, our mischievous nine year-old Golden Retriever, passed away suddenly that October. Feeling in need of some dog love, I peeked at our local SPCA website. Just for a second. Two puppies – sisters – were available for viewing. Of course, I went to see them. As my two children were off school the next day, of course, we went to see the puppies. Only Poppy remained. Of course, we agreed to take her home. As a foster. We’d foster her to see if she was a fit.

To see if she was a fit? An adorable puppy who only wanted to be loved and cared for? What was I thinking?

Driving home was interesting. My daughter was learning to drive so she was behind the wheel. My son was beside her and I was in the backseat with Poppy on my lap. We were just three blocks from home when Poppy started throwing up.

“Pull over! She’s upchucking all over my pants!”

“Mother, I cannot. It’s a bus zone. I cannot pull over in a bus zone. It’s illegal.”

You’ll want my daughter around if there’s ever an emergency. She’s annoyingly calm.

Foster? What Foster?

Of course, Poppy became a member of our family.

She was the opposite of dear Oscar. He thrived on getting in trouble. Poppy loathed it. She howled when we left her in the kitchen to drive across town for a swim meet. Just writing that makes me realize how long she was in our lives. Gosh. A swim meet. Those days are in the far distant past. Wow. Anywho, hearing her howling from all the way up in our carport, I bolted back down and banged on the back door.

“Stop it this instant. You’re safe, you’re home, you’re loved,” I hollered, something I’m certain families five houses up are still talking about.

She took in the notes and never howled again. She rarely even barked.

Poppy suffered her first seizure when she was two. We were at another swim meet and I was walking her between events. It was a hot day. All of a sudden she began acting most odd. Rigid like a coyote statue, she began sliding down a muddy bank toward the rushing river. It was terrifying.

The second time was up at the dog park. I was nattering away when another dog owner shouted, “Kelly, what’s wrong with Poppy?”

She was lying on the ground in a full blown seizure. The first episode taught me to remain quiet and calm, for as she was coming out of it the poor girl panicked, her legs all akimbo and it was as if she was blind. I lay on the ground and called to her quietly. She slunk over while folks produced water and offered support.

I will be forever grateful that was her last seizure.

Saying Goodbye To Our Poppy Is So Difficult – Our Girl Completed Us

She accompanied us on trips to Revelstoke, Victoria, Powell River, Savary Island …

Poppy was gentle, attentive and loving. I’ll always treasure her reaction to my then four-year-old great nephew standing on her tail. She gave me an, “Is he serious?” look and patiently waited until he moved on.

Poppy was part of our family for half of my children’s lives. I’ve been blessed with 11 dogs over my lifetime. Poppy was the first rescue. She outlived the eldest but one by four years.

When I’m ready, I’ll be getting another rescue.

What a gem.

Thank you for everything, Poppy. You’ll be missed. So much.