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Hello everyone.
My Dinah and I have been growing old together - unfortunately more rapidly than I'd like, especially during the past several months.
It's been a good run. Ten years. Not long enough.
She's suddenly developed a severely painful-to-touch boney protrusion on her face.
My heart is breaking, as I ponder the possibilities told to my by her wonderful vet.
So I simply want to tell of her story - to share her with you.
It's known that she was beaten horribly as a young puppy by her first owner. when he tired of her, she lived for longer than a year chained in someone's yard, even in the bitter frozen winter time. There, she was fed garbage, and allowed to breed indiscrimanently.
At some point a neighbor ran over her. The driver cared for her for 3 months, while her fractured pelvis slowly healed. Then she returned to her chain.
When that owner tired of her, and took her out to shoot her.
She escaped, waliking over 45 miles alone, eating newspaper. We know that, because for days after she was rescued, that's all she excreted.
She was rescued by BRAT after a kind woman found her, starving, and close to death, on her backyard deck.
My life was graced with her through a BRAT adoption.
She's a common girl - her tail only loosly coiled, markings and pedigree too ordinary for competition, with a large scar adorning the top of her left front leg.
Dinah is the most beautiful and sweetest blessing in my life.
She has seen me through some terrible times. The onset of Diabetes, with resultant neuropathy so severe there are days when walking is nearly beyond doing … four strokes in quick succesion, and other events I'll not share here.
She has the sweetest of personalities. If you've read The Red Tent, you can understand why I call her Dinah.
Her brave dignity, unconditional love, and ability to remain sweet tempered with every person she meets (even the ones she doesn't particularly care for) have been my best source of inspirition and encouragement through the worst - as well as the best - days of my life.
Of every gift & grace I've received in my 61 years on this planet, I am most grateful for Dinah.
And my heart is breaking - as I know our goodbye gets closer. It is too quick. Too soon. Damn it.
My religious denomination teaches so many good things. But its tenents include one teaching that simply cannot be true.
It's the doctrine that animals have no souls - and therefore do not go to heaven.
I know they're wrong about that.
Dinah has the soul of a saint.
If I happen do well enough to merit an eternity in heaven and there's no place for Dinah there - it's not a place I want to be.
How could heaven possibly be heaven without her?
It's said God is love.
He must be. He made Dinah.
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Beautiful post about a beautiful dog. My prayers are with you as you and Dinah travel this rough road together.
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I agree with you…if dogs don't go to heaven, it's not a place I want to go. But I believe that Dinah will be waiting at the Rainbow Bridge for you when it's time for you to make that journey and you'll cross over together.
In the meantime, my thoughts and prayers are with you and Dinah.
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Beautifully written. I understand this kind of bond with an animal. Our times with them are never long enough. Cherish the time you do have left with Dinah, and know that when the time comes, it will not be the last time you see her. Bless you both.
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Hugs for your loss. You and your beloved b will be together again, when its your time.
I do truly believe that.
Hugs, hugs, hugs. -
Thank you, all, for your kind encouragement.
I'm a guy who's known for living in my head. One of the greatest gifts of Dinah, is that she has managed to soften my heart like sunshine melts butter.
It's a good thing. Joy has never been so bright. But sadness has also never been so dark, either.
As for that rainbow bridge - I agree, because looking around me, I see that God loves to paint with great sweeps of color.
And I suspect Basenjis were created by His happy laughter.
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When I lost our Mickii, a good friend told me this "She will always be with you, because you carry her soul in your heart"
I have held that close for all of mine that have crossed the rainbow bridge, so I know they have a soul
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Thank you for sharing your story of Dinah and your life together. Her spirit will stay with you, forever. That you found each other is a great thing, she was obviously destined for you, as she survived such horrible early treatment and fought so hard to just survive.
I hope she has a very gentle crossing to the Rainbow Bridge, when her time comes. She will be waiting there for you.
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What a beautiful tribute! I hope you'll opt to stick around because I think you have a wonderful way with words.
As far as animals and heaven, I guess it's a personal thing, but I am sure my God loves me and would not separate me from something I love as much as I love my pups. To do so would not be an act of love.
Peace.
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Thank you for this beautiful tribute. To love a basenji is to understand every single word that was so perfectly written. God bless you both.
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Dinah is indeed a special lady. I do hope her passing will be peaceful and pain free. She deserves a quiet time. I'm sure that animals have a soul and I do know from experience that they are always with us. I am surrounded with lovely memories of all mine who have passed on.
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My heart breaks reading your wonderful story of Dinah - it is so clear she is a huge part of your heart -you will have such wonderful memories of her when it is her time to give up the pain. I also do not believe dogs don't have souls - of course they do - the unconditional love they give, the way they try to help when you are emotionally suffering, the joy they get when they see you coming after a separation - all these and more are proof they are very soulful. A loving companion dog is God's gift. All our hearts are with you, and our tears flow with yours. God bless.
