In Memory...

I am heartbroken as I write this...Our family dog of 11 years has passed away.

Alot of you remember the 3 legged Rottwieler that we had. Her name was Esther.

It was very hard on us as a family, even though we knew her life expectancy was nearing an end and she had already outlived all of her siblings.

Last Saturday, we realized that we hadn't saw her in the past 10 or 12 hours. So we started making phone calls around to the neighbors and Dad stated that on Thursday, he had pulled her up out of the creek, thinking that she was stuck there. I doubted the stuck part, as she never had any problems getting anywhere with her 3 legs, but he did mention that she didn't get up and he just left her lying there. As Tom got home on that Saturday night, he went out in the rain and looked for her for about an hour. It was dark and he couldn't see that well...I called and called for her, the kids did the same. Several times, we broke down. Knowing that she woudl never run off, nor leave. The next day being Sunday, we were gone all day. We left food out, just in case she did make it to the porch. Sunday night, there was no sign on her and no one else in the neighborhood had saw her either. Monday we were sad; Morgan cried several times, but Lukas seemed to handle it well. On Wendnesday, Lukas and I went looking for her again during the day. Tom and I knew at this point that she was dead, we just had to find her body. I saw Tom's vehicle pull in the driveway that evening, but he never came in the house. I got a phonecall from him in the yard. It was Tom and he had found her. She had been lying in the creek, like she always did. She loved the creek and the water of any kind. I told Lukas we had found her and with tears flowing down my cheeks, I went outside to be with Tom. I knew this was gonna be hard for Tom, as his dog to him, is like a child. He just gets so attatched and Esther had definitely been his favorite dog, and one whom he had been with the longest. He met me and hugged me and we just stood quietly waiting on Luke. (Morgan was on a trip) In a second or two, he burst out of the house and with a wildly determined look, ran to the place where Tom had lain her. I think, by the look on his face, he thought she was still alive. He ran to her and stopped abruptly. Then immediatley turned and started bawling.

We stood silently crying as Tom finished digging her grave and I held him. He sobbed quietly the whole time.

For two days, he has done nothing but talk of her and complain of his stomach. I am sure it has upset him more deeply than we know.

Esther WAS the best dog I ever had!!!!