Our sweet Sandy Sue...
Sandy really turned out to be my mom's dog. Out of all the dogs I have been blessed with in my life, Sandy had to be the sweetest. He didn't have a mean bone in his body. YES, Sandy was a male collie. It wasn't my choice to name him. Mom liked that name...I just nicknamed him Sandy Sue because he was gentle enough and sweet and loving to be a female. Mom didn't appreciate the nickname, nor my brother, but that was the way it was.
We adopted Sandy from our animal shelter soon after Marty had died. The vet had contacted us and said a male collie was up for adoption. Sandy, (Star), as was the name he was given, was the "Pet of the Week". I thought it was too soon, but when the opportunity came up, Mom really wanted to look. I think we all know how that ended up...
Sandy was a thin collie. He had been abused. We found that out when Dad rolled up a newspaper. He fell to the ground and whined. It was so sad. Never again did we show him a newspaper.
Life for Sandy in our house was an easy one. Mom fattened him up to normal collie size and had him groomed quite often. He was just beautiful. He even liked the silly red bows they put on top of his head. He was a lover, not a fighter, my brother always claimed. There were constant comparisons to Marty, our other collie that had passed away about a month or two before we got Sandy. For me, the only thing they had in common were their looks. No personality is ever duplicated in an animal. We grew to love Sandy so much. I didn't think I would after losing Marty, but I did, and still do...
Sandy did do some funny things. The funniest thing he did to my brother and I was that no one, not even Mom could watch him go to the bathroom. He was too shy! Whenever we walked him on his leash, and the moment arose, we had to turn our heads and look the other way. He refused to go if we were looking. I felt ridiculous, but I honored his wishes. Even after he went blind, somehow he knew we were watching. All of us turned our heads...
He was a comfort to my mom as she was battling breast cancer for all those years. I would see her put her face in his soft fur, stroking his head and neck. He liked to lay at her feet. It was a very touching scene to witness. They were never far apart. They went for walks at the park, as is pictured above, rides in the car and more. He was a special dog. The neighbor repeatedly said it was nice to see a dignified dog in the neighborhood...
As Sandy got older, he developed diabetes. The vet we went to had never seen a collie or a dog of his size ever have diabetes. He contacted Purdue University for advice. They had never experienced it either. Not a good sign. Everything that Sandy had to try was a guess. My dad gave him insulin shots everyday. The vets tried to come up with the right dosage but I don't believe they ever did. He was just too big. Purdue has kept all of Sandys' records, and his legacy is still ongoing because they use that information to help other dogs fight this battle. Sandy may have been a guinea pig for treatment but he lived for two more years...
He was very strong. He never moaned or groaned. As things grew progressively worse and his paw turned black, he went blind. We rearranged all the furniture so he would know his way around. He really seemed happy. He knew we all loved him, and he trusted us...
I think we waited too long to set him free. I don't think any of us could bring ourselves to let him go. I think we all were in denial. Finally, when he had a hard time walking, I knew. Even though he was blind, he was looking directly at me. I teared some and then Dad and I loaded him in the car. I hugged his neck and petted that handsome face one last time. I told him how much I loved him and how happy he made us. I thanked him for being there for Mom. Dad then drove away. I watched as he and Sandy backed out of the driveway. Sandy was "looking" out the window as if he could see me. I will never forget that...
Dad stayed with Sandy at the end. I wasn't strong enough. Dad to this day will not talk about it. I'm just glad he wasn't alone like Marty was.
****CHECK OUT THE UPDATE AT THE BOTTOM OF MARTY'S MEMORIAL!!!****Marty wasn't alone at the end!****
Sandy Sue you are so loved and missed by us but you are with Mom!!!!
Sandy really turned out to be my mom's dog. Out of all the dogs I have been blessed with in my life, Sandy had to be the sweetest. He didn't have a mean bone in his body. YES, Sandy was a male collie. It wasn't my choice to name him. Mom liked that name...I just nicknamed him Sandy Sue because he was gentle enough and sweet and loving to be a female. Mom didn't appreciate the nickname, nor my brother, but that was the way it was.
We adopted Sandy from our animal shelter soon after Marty had died. The vet had contacted us and said a male collie was up for adoption. Sandy, (Star), as was the name he was given, was the "Pet of the Week". I thought it was too soon, but when the opportunity came up, Mom really wanted to look. I think we all know how that ended up...
Sandy was a thin collie. He had been abused. We found that out when Dad rolled up a newspaper. He fell to the ground and whined. It was so sad. Never again did we show him a newspaper.
Life for Sandy in our house was an easy one. Mom fattened him up to normal collie size and had him groomed quite often. He was just beautiful. He even liked the silly red bows they put on top of his head. He was a lover, not a fighter, my brother always claimed. There were constant comparisons to Marty, our other collie that had passed away about a month or two before we got Sandy. For me, the only thing they had in common were their looks. No personality is ever duplicated in an animal. We grew to love Sandy so much. I didn't think I would after losing Marty, but I did, and still do...
Sandy did do some funny things. The funniest thing he did to my brother and I was that no one, not even Mom could watch him go to the bathroom. He was too shy! Whenever we walked him on his leash, and the moment arose, we had to turn our heads and look the other way. He refused to go if we were looking. I felt ridiculous, but I honored his wishes. Even after he went blind, somehow he knew we were watching. All of us turned our heads...
He was a comfort to my mom as she was battling breast cancer for all those years. I would see her put her face in his soft fur, stroking his head and neck. He liked to lay at her feet. It was a very touching scene to witness. They were never far apart. They went for walks at the park, as is pictured above, rides in the car and more. He was a special dog. The neighbor repeatedly said it was nice to see a dignified dog in the neighborhood...
As Sandy got older, he developed diabetes. The vet we went to had never seen a collie or a dog of his size ever have diabetes. He contacted Purdue University for advice. They had never experienced it either. Not a good sign. Everything that Sandy had to try was a guess. My dad gave him insulin shots everyday. The vets tried to come up with the right dosage but I don't believe they ever did. He was just too big. Purdue has kept all of Sandys' records, and his legacy is still ongoing because they use that information to help other dogs fight this battle. Sandy may have been a guinea pig for treatment but he lived for two more years...
He was very strong. He never moaned or groaned. As things grew progressively worse and his paw turned black, he went blind. We rearranged all the furniture so he would know his way around. He really seemed happy. He knew we all loved him, and he trusted us...
I think we waited too long to set him free. I don't think any of us could bring ourselves to let him go. I think we all were in denial. Finally, when he had a hard time walking, I knew. Even though he was blind, he was looking directly at me. I teared some and then Dad and I loaded him in the car. I hugged his neck and petted that handsome face one last time. I told him how much I loved him and how happy he made us. I thanked him for being there for Mom. Dad then drove away. I watched as he and Sandy backed out of the driveway. Sandy was "looking" out the window as if he could see me. I will never forget that...
Dad stayed with Sandy at the end. I wasn't strong enough. Dad to this day will not talk about it. I'm just glad he wasn't alone like Marty was.
****CHECK OUT THE UPDATE AT THE BOTTOM OF MARTY'S MEMORIAL!!!****Marty wasn't alone at the end!****
Sandy Sue you are so loved and missed by us but you are with Mom!!!!
Our sweet Sandy Sue...
Sandy really turned out to be my mom's dog. Out of all the dogs I have been blessed with in my life, Sandy had to be the sweetest. He didn't have a mean bone in his body. YES, Sandy was a male collie. It wasn't my choice to name him. Mom liked that name...I just nicknamed him Sandy Sue because he was gentle enough and sweet and loving to be a female. Mom didn't appreciate the nickname, nor my brother, but that was the way it was.
We adopted Sandy from our animal shelter soon after Marty had died. The vet had contacted us and said a male collie was up for adoption. Sandy, (Star), as was the name he was given, was the "Pet of the Week". I thought it was too soon, but when the opportunity came up, Mom really wanted to look. I think we all know how that ended up...
Sandy was a thin collie. He had been abused. We found that out when Dad rolled up a newspaper. He fell to the ground and whined. It was so sad. Never again did we show him a newspaper.
Life for Sandy in our house was an easy one. Mom fattened him up to normal collie size and had him groomed quite often. He was just beautiful. He even liked the silly red bows they put on top of his head. He was a lover, not a fighter, my brother always claimed. There were constant comparisons to Marty, our other collie that had passed away about a month or two before we got Sandy. For me, the only thing they had in common were their looks. No personality is ever duplicated in an animal. We grew to love Sandy so much. I didn't think I would after losing Marty, but I did, and still do...
Sandy did do some funny things. The funniest thing he did to my brother and I was that no one, not even Mom could watch him go to the bathroom. He was too shy! Whenever we walked him on his leash, and the moment arose, we had to turn our heads and look the other way. He refused to go if we were looking. I felt ridiculous, but I honored his wishes. Even after he went blind, somehow he knew we were watching. All of us turned our heads...
He was a comfort to my mom as she was battling breast cancer for all those years. I would see her put her face in his soft fur, stroking his head and neck. He liked to lay at her feet. It was a very touching scene to witness. They were never far apart. They went for walks at the park, as is pictured above, rides in the car and more. He was a special dog. The neighbor repeatedly said it was nice to see a dignified dog in the neighborhood...
As Sandy got older, he developed diabetes. The vet we went to had never seen a collie or a dog of his size ever have diabetes. He contacted Purdue University for advice. They had never experienced it either. Not a good sign. Everything that Sandy had to try was a guess. My dad gave him insulin shots everyday. The vets tried to come up with the right dosage but I don't believe they ever did. He was just too big. Purdue has kept all of Sandys' records, and his legacy is still ongoing because they use that information to help other dogs fight this battle. Sandy may have been a guinea pig for treatment but he lived for two more years...
He was very strong. He never moaned or groaned. As things grew progressively worse and his paw turned black, he went blind. We rearranged all the furniture so he would know his way around. He really seemed happy. He knew we all loved him, and he trusted us...
I think we waited too long to set him free. I don't think any of us could bring ourselves to let him go. I think we all were in denial. Finally, when he had a hard time walking, I knew. Even though he was blind, he was looking directly at me. I teared some and then Dad and I loaded him in the car. I hugged his neck and petted that handsome face one last time. I told him how much I loved him and how happy he made us. I thanked him for being there for Mom. Dad then drove away. I watched as he and Sandy backed out of the driveway. Sandy was "looking" out the window as if he could see me. I will never forget that...
Dad stayed with Sandy at the end. I wasn't strong enough. Dad to this day will not talk about it. I'm just glad he wasn't alone like Marty was.
****CHECK OUT THE UPDATE AT THE BOTTOM OF MARTY'S MEMORIAL!!!****Marty wasn't alone at the end!****
Sandy Sue you are so loved and missed by us but you are with Mom!!!!
Sandy really turned out to be my mom's dog. Out of all the dogs I have been blessed with in my life, Sandy had to be the sweetest. He didn't have a mean bone in his body. YES, Sandy was a male collie. It wasn't my choice to name him. Mom liked that name...I just nicknamed him Sandy Sue because he was gentle enough and sweet and loving to be a female. Mom didn't appreciate the nickname, nor my brother, but that was the way it was.
We adopted Sandy from our animal shelter soon after Marty had died. The vet had contacted us and said a male collie was up for adoption. Sandy, (Star), as was the name he was given, was the "Pet of the Week". I thought it was too soon, but when the opportunity came up, Mom really wanted to look. I think we all know how that ended up...
Sandy was a thin collie. He had been abused. We found that out when Dad rolled up a newspaper. He fell to the ground and whined. It was so sad. Never again did we show him a newspaper.
Life for Sandy in our house was an easy one. Mom fattened him up to normal collie size and had him groomed quite often. He was just beautiful. He even liked the silly red bows they put on top of his head. He was a lover, not a fighter, my brother always claimed. There were constant comparisons to Marty, our other collie that had passed away about a month or two before we got Sandy. For me, the only thing they had in common were their looks. No personality is ever duplicated in an animal. We grew to love Sandy so much. I didn't think I would after losing Marty, but I did, and still do...
Sandy did do some funny things. The funniest thing he did to my brother and I was that no one, not even Mom could watch him go to the bathroom. He was too shy! Whenever we walked him on his leash, and the moment arose, we had to turn our heads and look the other way. He refused to go if we were looking. I felt ridiculous, but I honored his wishes. Even after he went blind, somehow he knew we were watching. All of us turned our heads...
He was a comfort to my mom as she was battling breast cancer for all those years. I would see her put her face in his soft fur, stroking his head and neck. He liked to lay at her feet. It was a very touching scene to witness. They were never far apart. They went for walks at the park, as is pictured above, rides in the car and more. He was a special dog. The neighbor repeatedly said it was nice to see a dignified dog in the neighborhood...
As Sandy got older, he developed diabetes. The vet we went to had never seen a collie or a dog of his size ever have diabetes. He contacted Purdue University for advice. They had never experienced it either. Not a good sign. Everything that Sandy had to try was a guess. My dad gave him insulin shots everyday. The vets tried to come up with the right dosage but I don't believe they ever did. He was just too big. Purdue has kept all of Sandys' records, and his legacy is still ongoing because they use that information to help other dogs fight this battle. Sandy may have been a guinea pig for treatment but he lived for two more years...
He was very strong. He never moaned or groaned. As things grew progressively worse and his paw turned black, he went blind. We rearranged all the furniture so he would know his way around. He really seemed happy. He knew we all loved him, and he trusted us...
I think we waited too long to set him free. I don't think any of us could bring ourselves to let him go. I think we all were in denial. Finally, when he had a hard time walking, I knew. Even though he was blind, he was looking directly at me. I teared some and then Dad and I loaded him in the car. I hugged his neck and petted that handsome face one last time. I told him how much I loved him and how happy he made us. I thanked him for being there for Mom. Dad then drove away. I watched as he and Sandy backed out of the driveway. Sandy was "looking" out the window as if he could see me. I will never forget that...
Dad stayed with Sandy at the end. I wasn't strong enough. Dad to this day will not talk about it. I'm just glad he wasn't alone like Marty was.
****CHECK OUT THE UPDATE AT THE BOTTOM OF MARTY'S MEMORIAL!!!****Marty wasn't alone at the end!****
Sandy Sue you are so loved and missed by us but you are with Mom!!!!
