Velvet's 15th Birthday

Velvet with her beloved doggie soccer ball.  

She can still dribble it through the yard and pass it to you.

(It is "indestructable." We decided to put it to the test when she was a puppy and destroyed everything.  A real soccer ball would last about 5 minutes. 

Looks like it has held up as advertised... it's about 13 years old now.)

Wow, if you had told me at any point in the last 14 years that this dog would see her 15th birthday, I wouldn't have believed you.  She's the dog with 9 lives.  From starting out as an abandoned 9 month old puppy, to close-call accidents as a puppy (chewing through the 220 line to our A/C unit, for example), to getting "lost" (more like taking herself on a very long hike) in the Stow Conservation Forest on a freezing winter day into the cold dark night, to eating 4 pounds of chocolate in one sitting and nearly dying of caffeine consumption, (I can't even begin to remember how many gravely hazardous things she has eaten and I have had to force her to vomit up,) to cancer, to recurring cancer...  I always hoped she might live this long.  When she had cancer surgery 4.5 years ago, I prayed it would buy us a couple of years, then when the vet told us they didn't get good margins, I prayed for a year.  Here we are, many years later.  Oh, it has come back.  The poor doggie is filled with tumors inside and out (she is far too old to operate on now), but she still asks to play soccer every time you go outside.  She still begs for walks.  She still has control of all of her bodily functions.  She still goes up and down the stairs (although more rarely lately) and still seems pretty happy and content.  She is mostly deaf, going blind, and can only chase the ball about 2 times before getting tired (down from hundreds of times as a puppy.)  She still loves food, has all her teeth, eats all the regular things.  I just really couldn't be happier that she has lasted this long in this good of shape.  I am realistic though.  She is going downhill and it gets faster all the time.  I know our time is very limited with her.  I have grown to respect her so much.  The dogs used to feel like our kids.  Now, they feel like my grandmas.  I am taking care of two elderly women.  It's a doggie nursing home around here.

When a storm is coming in, Velvet loves to lie on the lawn and sniff the air and let the wind blow through her ears.  One night I caught her and Grace out doing the same thing. 

Velvet looks so small now compared to Shadow.  She's lost weight and Shadow has gained.  

But, Velvet dog, it is quite an accomplishment that you've got 15 years under your belt.  Like Grace says "you're the best dog in the Universe!, sorry Shadow."  She's kind of right.  You are one amazing dog and have brought more joy, companionship, and love to our family than we ever could have imagined.

Since we adopted her from a shelter, we don't know her exact birthdate, but know that it is sometime in June.  So, whenever we get a chance during June, we treat her to a doggie birthday treat of vanilla ice cream with a doggie bone on top.  Her only doggie guest, Shadow, gets the same thing.

Happy Birthday V-Dog!!  We love you!!