A Loving Tribute To Syd and Penny, Beloved Pups And Family Members

 

How It Began…

Syd, I can't believe it's been a year since I had to say goodbye to you. Easily the worst day of my life! She wasn't just a dog. There were a lot of things missing in my life while growing up and getting older Syd filled the emptiness, that emptiness most humans couldn't fill. Syd stuck with me through thick and thin and she followed me everywhere, she stole my bath rug to make a bed out of it while I was showering, she was never on the other side of a closed door. I wasn't afraid of the dark or living alone because Syd was always there. As Syd aged, I stopped flying with her because it stressed her out so we took many cross-country trips from Arizona to Florida together by car, she was my little co-pilot and had to sit on the center console so she could see out the windshield and be on dog alert. Oh, and that sweet howl, it would melt my heart! So many stories, memories, and adventures. I never felt a real punch in the heart until I lost you. Syd, I miss you every day and hope you're watching over me from doggy heaven chasing squirrels with no trees. RIP 9/10/03 - 4/25/18.

 

I Opened My Heart Again…

Penny, I thought my heart was shattered in a million pieces from the loss of Syd, and then you came into my life, but you had big paws to fill because Syd filled my heart. We got to know each other; we learned to trust one another, and love flourished. You taught me that my heart was bigger than I ever anticipated.

I've been at a loss for words this past week since we lost our Penny, so I wasn't able to gather my thoughts and memories to write a little story about her, in order to honor her. I lost my previous dog Sydney - who I had for 14 1/2 years - unexpectedly to a quickly spreading cancer on 4/25/18. To say I was devastated was an understatement. I lost my soulmate and was depressed, lost my mind a little bit. I needed some time to heal but I had almost promised myself that I would not consider adopting a senior dog because I wasn't emotionally prepared to lose another dog that soon...until 5 months later my friend Helen connected me with Debbie, who was looking to re-home her Jack Russell Terrier. She Facebook messaged me a photo of Penny and told me that she was around 13 years old, but when I saw that face I fell in love and knew right then and there that I wanted her. By coincidence, I took a 90-minute drive to Marana, AZ to meet Penny on Syd's birthday which was 9/10, then the very next day on 9/11 I went back to bring Penny home. Shortly after, Debbie gifted me with a beautiful antique piano which I also couldn't resist (thank you, Ted & Michael for your help). I now have 2 pianos. And not long after Debbie asked me to help find her Chiweenie Joey a home, which we did after I let him stay in my home for 2 weeks (Jamie is now the proud and loving owner). Anyway, Penny was not Sydney, however she absolutely helped me through the healing process and had her own unique personality. She slept in bed with me for a short time after I got her, then decided she wanted her own space on the floor which kind of hurt my feelings, but I understood and respected her space (Syd always slept in bed with me). Sometimes she even chose to sleep outside overnight after going out the doggy door which puzzled me even more. She was a very independent dog except that she didn't like being the only dog in the house which was evidenced by her occasional howling and barking that I could hear when I was returning to the house.

July 2020, I decided I couldn't handle the AZ hot summers anymore so I put my house on Airbnb, packed up car, dog and bikes and decided to give this traveling housesitting thing a stab...thinking that we would return in a month. Well, the house kept renting so I figured I would continue with this crazy traveling housesitting. Since July, Penny traveled through Utah, Idaho, Washington, Nevada, Oregon and California and I've lost count of how many housesits we did and how many kind people welcomed her into their homes. Penny loved everyone and everyone loved Penny. The icing on the cake was when I was able to have a reunion with Debbie at her new apartment in Lafayette, CA and we got to spend a lot of time together from October until March when Debbie said her goodbye as she moved to Boston. They say things happen for a reason.

Penny started slowing down and having some rough days with the arthritis in her back so after a lot of thinking and planning, and my mother's offer, I made the decision to get a one-way rental car to drive Penny from San Francisco, CA to Palm Coast, FL so that Penny could stay with my mother and so that I could continue with my traveling. When we arrived in FL, it didn't take Penny long to get settled. She enjoyed the company of my mother's senior Jack Russell Terrier Lucky, a feisty Pomeranian named Sophie, a senior Shih Tzu named Bella and her cat that went by the name Kitty. I purchased a PetCam that we put in the kitchen so that I could check on the dogs while I was back in CA and while my mother was out and about on an occasional errand. Penny loved my mother's backyard, and we were pleasantly surprised to see her romping around with this energy that she hadn't had in a long time. I could breathe a sigh of relief knowing that Penny was not only comfortable, but her health was improving at my mother's house. Then last Monday October 4, 2021, I received a text message before I woke that Penny passed away in her arms in the kitchen, most likely from a heart attack. Penny had been at my mother's house for almost six weeks at the time. We were both shocked and devastated as we had plans for Penny and did not expect this at all.

I really want to believe that maybe Penny realized that she was now in a comfortable place continuously surrounded by others, eating wonderful homemade dog food, running around in a big backyard and at 15 years of age she decided it was her time to leave this earth. We loved her so much and I was hoping to see her again. I'm so glad I gave her a hug and a kiss the night before my mother took me back to the airport.

You were the sweetest dog, and we will forever miss you <3 RIP 9/10/05 – 10/4/21

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