It is with a heavy heart that we share that our beloved Lady has passed over the Rainbow Bridge. We adopted her from Nor Cal GSP in 2020. We were looking to adopt a senior GSP. So glad we did. We adopted our girl when she was 10 years 3 months old. She lived to the ripe old age of 15 years 7 months. What an accomplishment for an old girl!
We quickly discovered that she really didn’t like going for long walks, nor did she want to get her feet wet. She was fine with a bath, but no way would she run after a ball or stick into a lake. If she did go for a walk , she would trot full steam ahead of us with her nose pointing forward and not ever be distracted by anyone or anything until she felt she had walked far enough, she would then stop, look around at her surroundings and then slowly turn around and trot back from where she started at the same fast pace. No amount of coaxing could change her mind. Sometimes she would simply sit down until she was ready to get up and go back. We truly discovered that she was the most stubborn GSP ever. She was something to behold. Quite a determined gal.
She was finicky with her meals from the first day she arrived. Often times she truly acted as if she was hungry, but after we set her food bowl out, she would often lay down next to her food for hours and then proceed to eat it later. Sometimes she just didn’t eat for a day or two. Sometimes she would quickly gobble down her meals. We tried bribing her with extra treats in her meals. Sometimes it worked, often times it didn’t. Vet checks reviewed nothing abnormal. She had her quirks. We adapted to her.
She was a gentle soul, very quiet. She liked to spend most of her time in her bed, either sleeping or watching the activity around her. If she hadn’t seen my husband or I after a while, she would search the house or yard for us. Sometimes she would sit near us or if she felt all was well, she would return back to her bed.
In her later years was diagnosed with severe spinal arthritis. We thought we had almost lost her but the laser treatments worked wonders plus the right pain medication combo.
Two plus years ago she was diagnosed with Cushing’s Disease. She then started having neurological problems as well as muscle atrophy in her hind end due to the Cushing’s. Later she developed Sundowners. Throughout it all she never forget her routine. She knew that at 5 pm we always stopped to sit and relax after the day, time for tossing the ball and time for doggie treats. Lots of doggie treats. Like clockwork at 5 pm, she would race through the house to find us and remind us of what time of the day it was. Because truth be told, that time of the day was totally dedicated to our Lady.
Because of the Cushing’s it finally became too difficult for her hind end to hold her up. She was falling a lot and couldn’t get through the Doggie door without help. She had a peaceful passing. For this I am grateful.
We are having a hard time adjusting to not having her here with us. We loved her quirks, stubbornness and gentle spirit. She was our buddy , best friend, companion and my Yoga partner. She taught us so much and we will be forever grateful for having her in our lives. Thank you Nor Cal GSP for giving us the opportunity to adopt our Lady.
I truly believe adopting a Senior GSP is one of life’s greatest gifts .
Tom and Diana Yannes
