Today, the Barks Brothers suddenly lost one of their own. It wasn't entirely unexpected, but the timing was a total surprise...
Bailey Bender, Ambassadog for Northern VA Sheltie Rescue died in my arms this morning of heart failure at just over 13 years old.
We knew he had congestive heart failure. He's had that for a few years. However, no one can predict exactly when that organ (or any vital organ) will suddenly quit working. Today was Bailey's day. We had no warning at all.
When I got up this morning, I immediately noticed that he had a fast, shallow, rattling pant. It sounded totally different from anything I had ever heard from him. After a few minutes, I realized that in this case, we were too far from any emergency vet to make a difference. I bundled him up in the back seat of my Honda and took him to our local vet.
When I got there, they hadn't opened yet. I got into the back seat and put his head on my lap. He was trembling furiously and his nose slowly dripped water...I held him gently and told him that we loved him, that he was a good dog and that I was there for him. This lasted only a few minutes before he stopped breathing and slowly went limp in my arms. He was at peace, gone to the Bridge to be with Brownie, Banzai and our other deceased pets.
RIP Bailey. We loved you and will miss you terribly. Your old collar and leash are hung with Bailey's, your old favorite toys sit next to his.