Sophie

My mom's dog Sophie passed away last night.  Sophie was a beautiful dog, and she was a good dog.  She had a major heart attack/stroke and died in my mom's arms on the front porch last night around 9 p.m.

Sophie was a beautiful golden retriever mix that my mom adopted from the humane society.  She really was the sweetest dog, however, her only fault was that she liked to escape and run free through the neighborhood, sometimes miles away.  One of these escapades landed Sophie "in trouble."  And a few months later 7 little black puppies were born.  The puppies were a total surprise (the humane society told my mom that Sophie was fixed - obviously they were wrong) but adorable; they all look like black versions of their mother.  My mom donated all but 2 - keeping the only girl (Maggie) and the runt boy (Jordan).  Sophie was the best mother.  Ever since the puppies were born Sophie would let them eat first, and she would take whatever was left.  She never stopped doing that - even nine years later Sophie would still stand back and wait for her "kids" to finish before taking the scraps they left behind.  My mom learned to feed Sophie separately in order for her to get any food. 

I remember many years ago, taking walks in our neighborhood with my mom and Sophie, and we stopped by a neighbor's house to see her newborn baby boy.  This neighbor had also adopted one of Sophie's puppies so they were dog-friendly and all three of us came in.  The new mother was sitting on the couch holding her baby and I held Sophie back for a while, until the neighbor said to let her walk free.  Sophie walked right up to this mom and baby, and started to sniff the little baby's head.  My mom and I were about to jump over and pull Sophie away but the new mom said "it's okay" and  then Sophie calmly licked the little baby's head three times.  It was so sweet to watch and my mom later told me that Sophie was probably just doing her maternal thing, by replacing the baby's scent with her own in order to ward off predators.  Just like she did for her own puppies.  Sophie was a sweetheart.

And while the other dogs weren't allowed to roam the house free while my mom was away during the day (because they'd destroy the place) Sophie was allowed to trot around the house, all by herself, untethered.  Because she was a good dog.

Yesterday morning Sophie went for a swim in the bayou, and took a nice walk through our neighborhood with my mom, un-leashed, because she was that good.  She had a great last day.  And this morning she was buried in my mom's yard, next to a Camellia bush that was given to my mom in honor of my Grandpa who died 6 years ago.  Sophie loved the yard and it is the perfect place for her.

I woke up this morning with swollen eyes from crying so much last night.  I cried when I wrote this post.  I felt so sad that I couldn't be there to help my mom, and so sad that neither my sister nor I was close enough to go over and comfort her last night.  And the next time I visit my mom's house it will be strange and sad to walk through the door and not be greeted by Sophie.  My mom got her just months after she bought her house and Sophie is a part of that house and always will be.  She was such a good dog, and she will be terribly missed.

Sophie with one of my mom's rescue puppies (Itty-Bitty) who was eventually "adopted" into the family.