Marnie: Our Special Gift

Marnie came into our lives because our old friend Calhoun had left us. Diagnosed with an osteosarcoma at age 12, we played with him, gave him pain pills and treats and loved him until the day he could no longer walk to his water bowl alone or climb the stairs. It wasn’t too long after the diagnosis that we said good bye. When we returned from vacation shortly thereafter, we all felt the need to find another pet…the house was too empty without Calhoun. Though we were looking for a puppy, Calhoun’s breeder offered us Marnie…her then 6 year old poodle who had been neutered after two litters. Marnie had been given to others first, but was returned because she never came back when she was let out….she loved chasing squirrels and deer….their loss was our gain. And until two days ago, she continued to chase squirrels whenever she could. We went to meet Marnie and she was a sweetheart….especially the way she played with her daughter…. Though much quieter than Calhoun we took her home and as the saying goes, she wormed her way into our hearts. She was delicate…a black poodle with lovely graceful head. Her movements were feminine though not dainty. Chasing tennis balls was her passion….and she thrilled Noah this summer by catching the ones he threw to her. He got so excited every time she caught the ball in the air, and, through her he learned the phrase “fly ball.” But, most important she loved being loved. She never got enough attention, enough pets, or enough opportunities to lick people. Visitors would constantly find a head under their hands…..and she often slept on the bathroom rug when I was in the shower.She was a wonderful companion . She started to behave a bit strangely Friday night….in the midst of the storm. She jumped into bed with us (something she usually only does on cold cold winter nights) and could not seem to get comfortable. We thought it was storm anxiety….but a day later she stopped eating, was quite lethargic. Initially the vets thought it was an obstruction from a foreign object, but, during surgery they noted a large tumor surrounding her ileum. We could not bear the thought of putting her through the major surgery, likely complications, eventual chemotherapy and likely bad outcome in a short while….so we opted to say good-bye. She was with us far too short a time, but I have to believe she was a special gift embodying sweetness and grace that we had the good fortune to live with for at least a few years.