Your Pet Tributes

by Michele
(Chicago)

Sweet Miss Tommy, you will always be Mommy's #1 baby. When I think of you I think of your loyal, strong and sensitive personality. Your happiness was always so apparent, you would light up when I walked in the door, as if I'd been gone for years and you couldn't be happier to see me. My house felt "full" because of you.

10 lb. Tommy, you were the toughest girl, always the Queen Bee and boss of every situation and every dog in the vicinity, but the only dog I have ever known who could tune in to people and their feelings. If I was so much as having a bad day, you would show extra care and curl up to me and press up against me, as if you couldn't get close enough. And if I was sick, you would lay next to me and not move one inch until I was better... always seeming to be under the weather along with me. I could literally feel your sensitivity and concern. Your loving soul was what made you so precious, Tom-Tom.

Some things that will forever put a smile on my face about Miss Tommy:
- Ability to peel edamame, then eat just the beans

- Ability to shell pistachios to eat the nut and leave the shell

- Folding her paws in front of her, so elegantly, while lying down.

- Cuddling with me while we slept, and when she was healthy I would would occasionally wake up to her having her head on my pillow, with the rest of her body covered up - truly sleeping right next to me.

- Her favorite foods were broccoli, brussell sprouts, and carrots.

- Obsession with squeaky toys. I remember her finding one from my shopping bag on the floor - I hadn't had time yet to cut the tags off and she was running around with it in her mouth, squeaking it and celebrating the fact that she had it - wiggling her butt and literally wearing a smile.

- Tennis balls. I could throw one in the backyard for hours, she was such a fast runner she would beat it to the other side before it landed.

- Record-setting time to kill a squeaker in a squeaky toy. Typical was less than a minute, even when in advanced stages of liver cancer.

- Pride in wearing clothing (t-shirts), she knew she looked beautiful.

- Tommy's contentedness while I was holding her, and the quiet noises she would make in my ear. Such a loving girl.

- Kris the dog walker just reminded me of how Tommy would always stand up on her hind legs when they would encounter someone on the sidewalk - she loved people, and she would also jump up on strollers to see babies. She LOVED babies.

- Fondness for the Furminator. I would bring it out, and she would run over to me and rub against my legs, begging for me to brush her with it. She even came to know the word "furminator", and would get excited when I said it.

- Greeting me when I walked in the back door, she would immediately run over to the foot of the bed and stand up on it to balance so she would be closer to my height. She would wag her tail unlike any other time ever, my coming home made her happier than anything.

- Sunshine. I've never seen a dog so content as when Tommy was lying on my deck couch in the sun on an 80 degree day. She would also climb to the top floor of the outdoor stairs of my building and sunbathe (to be closer to the sun).

- Not only cooperative, but happy to put on her collar prior to a walk. She would hold still and stretch out her neck, like "here ya go! I'm making it easy for ya!"

- The protective barks during our walks, Toms wanted to keep me and Nikki safe from everything. The ferocious barking at the paper bag blowing across the street was one of the funniest.

- The massive flip-outs at the sight of a squirrel. Unparalleled. The best happened early this summer, when she was already diagnosed with terminal liver cancer and had just shown signs of starting to slow down... during our walk, she spotted a squirrel right next to us. The squirrel bolted up a tree, which of course meant Tommy had to follow. She jumped onto the tree several times, claws grasping and trying to climb each time, making it to about 6 feet (taller than me) at one point. She continued until she was breathing heavily. I let her do it because she absolutely loved it and HATED that squirrel. A little boy and his dad stopped to watch her the entire time, the dad was laughing outloud, saying "she's so athletic". My silly Tom-Tom, such a tough girl.

- Peeing on Daphne's head and face. After Daphne joined us (end of July), we were all 4 out for a walk and Tommy held herself up on her front legs to pee (which she did every time she peed, everyone loved that she exhibited her strength and quirkiness that way!), Daphne was just strolling along, not paying attention and walked underneath Tommy... just when Tommy peed all over her face including her eye. I stood in 1 spot laughing so hard I could barely breathe. I think Tommy was secretly happy too...

- The quiet noises she would make when I would touch my head to hers. She would always touch foreheads with me, look me in the eye and not pull away until I did. We did this at least once every day and that is how she ended her life, I was talking to her at the vet office with my forehead against hers, looking in her eyes telling her I love her over and over, that I'll see her again one day, that she's my angel baby and she won't have to be in pain anymore.

Tommy's permanent sleeping spot was right next to me in bed, pressing up against me as hard as she could (she would scoot in as close as possible) and curled up. She would always climb under the covers on whichever side my chest was facing, so she could be close to my face. Her favorite thing in the world was for me to whisper in her ear, she would press her ear against my mouth to urge me to do that when she was on my lap, or we were lying together. When I stopped, she would move her head to make sure her ear was again pressed against my mouth, to say "No.. you're not done, I would like more whispering, please."

This would never be complete, or an accurate remembrance of Tommy without mention of walktime. I had to refer to it as w-a-l-k since the time she was small, or she would exhibit a freak out from excitement - no way I could get the leash on and get us out the front door fast enough. Tommy led the pack (me, Tommy and Nikki) during our walks, and when she was healthy even after a 90 minute fast-walk, she would be several feet ahead and still pulling to go faster. Tommy received many compliments over the years during our walks about how beautiful she was, which she never seemed to express doubt about anyway.

Tommy, I felt like you could always understand me, even though you couldn't speak to tell me. When we had our talk a few weeks before you went to pet heaven, you looked in my eyes for 20 minutes, without looking away, listening intently. I'm positive you understood every word I said. I wanted to assure you that as tough as you were, there was no reason at all to worry about me and that the other girls and me will be fine and that my worry is just for you to feel comfortable letting go, and as soon as you are done fighting the pain you can just give me a signal and I'll know it's time. I wanted you to understand that you are my #1 best girlfriend ever, and no dog will ever take your place in my heart. I will always love you more than anything, Miss Tommy.