This post is not so much is not so much about Sandy Hook, which is one of the NPS units that allows dogs at certain times of the year. This is more of a tribute to our dog Monkey, who enjoyed visiting parks with us. She passed away after a sudden and brief illness this week and we are devastated.
In 2011, we rescued Monkey from an overcrowded kill shelter where she’d been held for 4 months without much hope of being adopted before her number was up. We nearly passed her by because her tag said she wasn’t good with children. But as she quietly wagged her tail at us while her neighbors barked, we had a feeling she might be our dog, no matter what the sign said.
And over the course of 8 happy years, we came to realize that she was the one who had adopted us. I am so grateful that we became her forever family.
On Monday night, I stopped by the animal hospital to visit Monkey where she was receiving a transfusion to get her strong enough for surgery. She stood up and wagged her tail at me which I captured in this clip. I hugged her and told her what a good girl she was and asked her to try to get better.
Early the next morning, Monkey took a turn for the worse. The three of us held her and loved her one last time as she crossed the rainbow bridge. I will miss her happy grin, her tireless defense of the perimeter from church people and woodchucks alike, the holes to China she was always digging and the way she looked out for all of us. Rest in peace my sweet, funny girl
Forgive my negligence in visiting your blogs or responding to your comments in a timely manner. I will get back to it soon and meanwhile, our regularly scheduled posts will resume tomorrow.