In Memory of Nona

We had to do the saddest thing on Saturday. We had to put Nona to sleep. Wynona Judd Bedford lived a good, long life. She was fifteen years old. We got her one year after Joseph was born. We rescued her from the creepiest dog pound in Detroit. If you watch Animal Cops you've seen it. She was born on the streets of Detroit, her little tail was chopped off and she was the shyest puppy in the pound the morning we went to get her. All the other dogs were freaking out, but Nona was just sitting in the back of her cage, kinda like she is there.

She spent the first couple weeks curled up on our couch. We were afraid she wouldn't get friendly. Well, she did. We forgot to crate her one day and when we came home, our entire mattress was shredded and spread all over the house, and she brought us a piece of it with a big smile on her face!

She was the most loyal dog ever. When Sophie was born, she would lay underneath her cradle and growl when people tried to pick her up. She barked at every stranger who came to the door, but if you petted her, she would bring you a sock (her sign of love and why we never can find a pair of socks in our house) and you would be her friend forever.

A couple of years ago we thought she had a stroke and we thought we would have to put her down then, but it turned out to be old dog vestibular syndrome. This weird thing, where dogs lose their sense of equilibrium. She couldn't use her hind legs and her head was cocked to the side. Her eyes would sweep back and forth continuously. But we read online that dogs sort of reboot from this, and lo and behold a couple of weeks later she was back to normal. So we got two more years with her.

But the past few weeks she went downhill. Her legs would shake, she was skin and bones and I'm pretty sure she was both blind and deaf. Joe and I didn't want to remember her like that so we took her to the vet. Joe carried her in and held her on his lap and bawled his eyes out. I haven't seen him cry since his dad passed away. He said he almost took her back home. We couldn't stay and watch, we were afraid she would try to get away and then we would take her home! But she wasn't scared at all when we left her. I miss her so much.

The puppies are looking for her today. Thank goodness they have each other to keep them busy. Hug your old dogs today for me.