Saying goodbye

 Yesterday was a very hard day at the Willits house...

After 13 years of love and loyalty we had to make the hardest decision.

After seeing Charlie  battle cancer for the few weeks we decided it was time to let him go.

The hardest part was the the nights were really ugly and we were 100% sure it was time.

Then the morning would come and life would pour back into his sweet face.

 On the 4th of July Mike took Charlie for a ride so he would get some fresh air. They were gone a while and I was starting to wonder when Mike texted me that they were swimming at the pond. Charlie...he had not really slept much in days. He had not kept any food down in forever and he was throwing up...I will spare you the details... Yet, he swam and swam and wagged his tail the whole time. It was honestly almost too much for Mike and I. Seeing him so full of life when we knew he was dying was a true bitter sweet. I won't lie we both kinda hoped his heart would just give out.

 It did not...

 When we got back home he was wet and cold and incredibly exhausted. I bundled him up and we took turns sitting with him.

 Mike told him that he would take him swimming again tomorrow. 

That night Charlie was sicker than ever. Mike spent the whole night with him. 

We knew it was time.

That morning I called the vet and made the appointment.

 We had one more stop though. 

Mike had promised him swimming...

One last swim before we say goodbye old friend.

 He was exhausted and running on nothing and Mike and I half wondered if he even could

Mike said to me... "there is no way he is going to want to swim"

He was wrong.

Charlie's heart was weak and his swim was weaker but he swam and wagged his tail...

Little did Mike and I know that Charlie also knew it was his last time in the pond. 

He REFUSED to get out. Mike and I tried everything...

Called gently, yelled, threw sticks...

nothing worked.

He knew when he left that water it was over for him. 

Again, this was almost too much for Mike and I. Torn between tears and laughter.

Finally I went in and grabbed ahold of him. My feet are still covered in mud as I write this. It is a sweet reminder of Charlie's last hurrah.

 After we got him out of pond he collapsed on the way back to the truck. 

Mike flew to the truck and backed it up down the path to rescue Charlie.

Again, Mike and I were in awe as he stood up to smell the air and say goodbye to his pond.

We drove from the pond to the vet where Mike and I held him as his heart was stopped and his pain was ended. 

We were very blessed to have him live to be 13 and still be in such good health right to the end. We are still adjusting to life without Charlie and Portis... and our heart hurt ever so much. However, I would not trade any of it for a life without dogs. They are worth every penny.