Scout

I've been dreading writing this post.  Sadly, in December, our family had to say goodbye to our beloved dog, Scout.  After only 3 years as a member of our family her health began to rapidly decline.  We discovered a few months before that she was suffering from thyroid issues and was in the early stages of heart failure.  In addition to that she began suffering terribly from arthritis.  Her pain must have been becoming too much to bare as she began lashing out at Paisley in a violent manner.  Dog fights were becoming a new normal in our house, and eventually she even growled at one of the kids.

It's never easy to say goodbye to family.  Never.  But, this was especially difficult.  The decision to have a dog "put to sleep" is not one I take lightly.  Worrying about whether or not Scout was going to hurt someone became a daily concern, and knowing that she was in so much pain that she was not acting as her loving and sweet self at all times was becoming too much.  Telling the kids was difficult.  Explaining to them that Scout was very sick, in a way they may not really be able to visibly see, was challenging and heartbreaking.

On top of all of that, Scout was my pal.  My shadow.  Bless her heart, she followed me everywhere.  I was never alone, always hearing her faint snoring in the background or feeling her nudge for attention.  She always took up her post with me in my sewing room, and I miss turning around to see her looking at me sleepily from her chair.  And every night, when I feed the dogs dinner, I think of her and her enthusiasm for food.  She is missed and we hope she knows how loved she was. We're so lucky she was a part of our family.