GOODBYE, LOYAL FRIEND
We said goodbye to Tessa, our 16-1/2 year-old Maltese, Monday evening, January 28, 2013. It was the last act of love that we could
give her.
Tessa came to live with my former wife and I in
November of 1996, when she was about 8 weeks old. She very quickly became part of the family and took on
the personality that would be uniquely hers for most of the rest of her life.
She went through the chewing stage, even
chewing a hole in a wall one time. But she eventually outgrew that. She was
very smart, energetic, set in her ways and a joy to be around. She didn't know
a stranger; she never seemed to be "down." She usually tried -- and
succeeded -- in being the center of attention at any opportunity.
She loved to play with her toys, run, jump, do her tricks, seemingly with great joy (or was it the
treat at the conclusion?).
When we would be away from home, she would go
to my parents' house while we were gone. She loved to ride in the car, and my
Dad and Mom would take her on a daily drive through the country, because as my
Dad would say, "The little thing looks forward to those drives."
As she grew older, arthritis in her knees and
hips, common with that breed, began to slow her down. But her personality
didn't change. When my wife and I divorced, Tessa went to live with her for a
time, but eventually her pending move across the country resulted in the mutual
decision to not put Tessa through that stress because of her age, and she came
to live the rest of her life with my second wife and me.
Tessa continued to be content, together with us
in our home, where she had lived basically all her life, and we continued to
return her love. She and my wife's Cocker, 
liked her own space.
But eventually, age began to take its toll, and
Tessa eventually couldn't see as well as before. She no longer was able to jump
onto the bed to sleep with us. She no longer was able to run and jump, or even
go up and down stairs to "her" room, so she stayed in her room most
of the time. It also seemed she was unable to hear as well. Her teeth were
wearing out and she had more trouble eating the hard "treats" that
she so loved. We switched her to soft food, which she continued to robustly
gobble down even on the last day of her life. Her appetite never waned. In
other words, Tessa was getting old, but we adjusted her lifestyle to compensate
for the maladies of aging.
Ultimately, though, her various maladies began
to more significantly and negatively impact her quality of life. She suffered
through a few seizure-like episodes. And she would frequently have episodes of
whining, barking, and disorientation. Her weight began to drop and leveled out
at around 6 pounds. The vet examined her a couple of
weeks ago and determined that she was suffering from a form of canine dementia,
along with all her other health issues. It was obvious that Tessa was no longer
enjoying life as she traditionally had.
After another seizure last Saturday morning, and seeing her more and more disoriented and
seemingly in pain, we decided that it was time. With all she had given us
through the years, it was time for us to give her peace. So, Monday evening,
while I was holding her in my arms, the vet gave her sedative and she was soon
snoring like she frequently did while sleeping. Then, with no sense of pain and
relaxed and comfortable, Tessa was given the injection to stop her heart. She
was at peace.
It certainly wasn't an easy thing for us, but
it was one of the last acts of love we could show Tessa. The last act of love
was bringing her home and burying her next to
We already miss her; we didn't sleep well last
night. I caught myself looking to see if she was OK when I came in from getting
the newspaper this morning. We'll probably soon get used to her not being here.
But we still have 16-1/2 years of memories of one of the best friends we ever
had.
Goodbye, Tessa.