Bye Bye Betsy

On Monday the much loved Betsy passed away. I still feel odd. I cried when my Mum rang, and a few times after, and now I just feel numb. I think it will hit more once I’m back at my parents place in Sydney.

You can view the post on when we got Betsy here. We never knew how old she was, and soon after adopting her, we realised she was deaf. We weren’t positive at first because her ears were full of mites and we thought that may have been a hindrance, but no, she was deaf. We also found out she had been de-barked. That didn’t stop her barking though, it just came out more of a breathy squeaky noise. Oh but she could snore! Many times I’ve rung Mum and could hear Betsy perfectly in the background snoring her heart out.

I called her Princess because she was a princess to me. It was amazing to see her progress, Frodo helped her learn to be a dog. Taught her that she wasn’t going to get into trouble for doing dog things. That she was never going to be abused. My parents previous dog Emily never really grew much, she was too traumatised, but Betsy thrived. My parents did such an amazing job just showing her how loved she was that you could pat her, something she would shy away from at the start. It was to the point that when people would come into the house, she would come out and actively seek pats.

She’s been going downhill for awhile, her hard life before we adopted her was taking a toll on her. Her heart, her liver. She had doggy dementia, but she was still happy. She still had moments when she would run so fast, when she would demand pats, and she’d still remind Mum every day when it was dinner time. She was very selective with her kisses, and would only give you one lick, preferably on the nose.

A few people have mentioned that she was lucky to have us, but in all honesty, we were lucky to have Betsy. I love all animals, I love all my parents dogs, but Betsy was special. She was one of those dogs who really touched your heart. I know you’re not supposed to have favourites (dog-siblings?), but she was mine. The past few trips I was always scared that it would be the last time I’d see her, so I always made sure that I would give her pats and while she couldn’t hear me, I’d tell her I loved her. I loved her so much.

I’m sure she was greeted by Frodo and Emily over the rainbow bridge, and I’m sure they introduced her to Bailey, the first of my parents Cavalier obsession. They are amazing dogs and touch your life in such a major way, but sadly have so many health problems.

Sleep well Booboo. I hope you’re at peace and all your worries are gone. That wherever you are there are bountiful lizards to chase and crates to sleep in. You are missed and you are loved.