Little did I know that on October 3, 2008 my world and heart were about to be forever changed. This is the story of my Maggie, a senior boxer adopted by accident or fate. While I had been yearning for a boxer, my husband wasn’t 100% ready and he was not keen on the idea of a boxer. Our discussions led to a mutual agreement that I could “rescue” one that I could rehome within two weeks. I started browsing the adopt a pet page daily in search of a boxer that “looked” adoptable, but was out of time. I came across a cute girl at the SEAACA shelter in Downey and confirmed over the phone that her last day was Oct 2nd. At 4:00 pm they said she was still there, so I made the trek to get this cute girl.
The previous week I had seen a photo of a nameless female, older, emaciated and outright pathetic looking. As awful as this sounds, I filtered her out because I didn’t think I could fulfill my end of the agreement with being able to find this girl a home in two weeks. When I found the “pretty” girl’s kennel, there also stood 3 other girls in that small space. Guess who was in there too? The bag of bones with her ears raw and bloody from flies eating the flesh and looking even sadder than her awful intake photo. She came up to me and pressed her face against the chain link to ask for one pet, for just one human to show her some love before she died. They told me I absolutely had to take her too because she was going to be put down the following morning as well. Argg, my heart was so torn. I thought, “who is going to want her? How do I explain her to my husband? ” I paced and paced with my cell phone dead about what to do and finally said, “Ok, I’ll take her too.”
I expected to take them both with me that night, but the staff explained that they needed to be spayed first. “Spayed? She’ll barely survive one more night, much less surgery.” Oh, the rules are so stupid some times. I begged and pleaded to let me take them right then, but to no avail. I paid the adoption fee for both and was shown their cards. Both of them had stamped in red “refused by rescue due to age.” Ah, that explains why the puppy with green snot oozing from his nose had a hold on him from rescue sight unseen. How naïve was I to think that rescue was for those needing rescue most.
SEAACA called the next morning to tell me that both would be released on medical waiver and I could come get them. There now stood 38 miles between me, the “pretty one” and this being that needed me, so I off I went still debating how to announce to Michael he would be coming home to not one, but two boxers. When I picked them up, I was told the walking skeleton was used as a breeding machine, starved down to skin and bones and then discarded to the streets of Montebello with no name. I took her home and called her Maggie. I gave her a bath, my husband made her a bed and we fed her. I wasn’t sure what we were going to do with her, but for that first night I just laid down next to her and asked her not die. I put my arms around her, tears falling from my face and begged her to not die.
She survived the night, but still she was sad, so very sad. She barely lifted her head above the ground, yet she had accepted my plea to not die, accepted nourishment and with all of the grace in the world accepted my love. Her third morning here she greeted me with a slight wag of her nub. Standing before me was my new friend that I had been missing my entire life and my heart knew right then and there that she was home.
As Maggie put on a few pounds and started to hold her head up, an absolutely beautiful dog appeared. There was gray in her face, but she had this gorgeous red hue to her coat and was so regal. My beautiful red head I called her back then. She had a mammary tumor that was removed with her spay 6 weeks later. How could this girl that had been missing from my life for so long have cancer? Fortunately, the biopsy came back as a benign tumor. We thought she was around 7 years old at the time, but my wonderful vet suspected she was a bit older than that. I knew boxers didn’t have long life expectancies, but for some reason I always chanted to her “14 baby, 14” as if I could will her to defy the odds of her breed and past to stay with me to the maximum life potential of a large dog.
And so it began, our journey together. She was quiet, so very quiet that we started calling her “Silent Maggie.” She picked up many nick names along the way. I sang to her “Maggie Moo, Bug a Boo, who loves you? Mommy does.” She was just perfect, perfect in every way. Yes, she was old, but she still was cool. As time went on, she slowed a bit and grayed further, yet her joy in being part of our family never waned. Nothing made her happier than knowing she was loved and being given the opportunity to love back. I’m fortunate to have a few people in my life who have come as close to loving me unconditionally as is humanly possible, but Maggie was not human. She loved me with all my flaws each and every day and never asked for anything other than to be near me.
Maggie’s past was a mystery to me other than knowing that it was some variation of an ugly story. Unlike me though and most humans, she shed her past that third morning with that wag of her nub and that look in her eye that life was starting anew. She forgave all of humanity for what was done to her and was able to just revel in the simple pleasures of a new life. Her happiness and joy gave me happiness and joy. She taught me the power of forgiveness, how to forget painful yesterdays and go forward with a pure heart. She lived in the moment and was so happy just to have a few simple things. A sun bath, a belly rub, a kibble omelet or a trek in the park was ecstasy to her. When I grow up I want to be just like Maggie.
We had a few scares with several more mammary tumors that fortunately were also benign and I was starting to believe that my super trooper from the streets of Montebello was going to be one of those special babies that could make “14, 14 baby.” I won’t go into detail about the health challenges we faced starting with the first seizure Nov 7, 2011 and ending with a neurological episode on February 18, 2014 that brought our amazing run to an end. I will only say that my sweet pea ,love bug ,best boxer in the whole wide world ever shocked and awed all of us, particularly her A list team of vets and specialists. Her will to be here and love us drove her body to respond positively to treatment. Dr A said she was a cat because she had 9 lives. Nope, no matter what her body tried to throw at her she overcame it. She had a few bumps in the road, but 99% of her days living with adult onset epilepsy, acute and then chronic renal disease, chronic pancreatitis, IBD, ARVC and mammary cancer were happy days for her. All she wanted was love and a couple of walks.
As much as I loved those first 3 years filled with typical dog days of being greeted with boxer hugs and kisses, going to the park, trips to Paso Robles, treats, cuddling, going for walks, her dad’s famous kibble omelets, giggling as she asked for belly rubs,etc… it was in the 27 months of care giving where the most profound bond developed. I had made her a promise and that was that I would do anything in the world for her as long as she wanted to be here and I would not let her suffer ever again. With each diagnosis we joined yet another yahoo pet group. These groups of strangers became friends, collectively sharing information, triumphs and grief. I was the member, but so was Maggie. Over time many people from all over the world became her surrogate auntie or uncle and sent her healing vibes and love each and every day.
I had spreadsheets for all her test results and the schedule we developed. The schedule was continually tweaked and modified to her needs. Alarms went off at midnight, 2:00 am, 4:30 am, 7:00 am, etc… She was always at my feet as I researched, ordered supplements, refilled scripts and updated spreadsheets. Some days I was tired, but Maggie never complained, not even about daily sub/q fluids. She even did a little dance for me whenever it was time to go to a vet or acupuncture, which she loved. She took her meds and supplements and ate her green beans and kale without any protesting. She would just look at me with those big brown eyes so full of love. I was the human trying to control and fix everything and Maggie was what most of us yearn for, the Zen soul who lived in the moment.
They always said “she will tell you when it’s time” and I sometimes worried that perhaps I wouldn’t know and be able to keep my promise to her to never let her suffer. In true Maggie fashion, she didn’t leave me wrenching over the decision. Her body made it for us with a neurological episode that suddenly left her unable to use her back legs, locked her bladder where it couldn’t even be expressed and then seemed to pervade her entire body. Her dad was away on business and if a catheter couldn’t be inserted I would have to let her go without him by her side. Maggie dear Maggie wouldn’t let that happen. The catheter went in flawlessly, I brought her home and he dad rushed home early. We held a vigil around her for the next 28 hours.
Never in the previous 27 months did the word euthanasia come up. The word was only spoken on Feb 19th when after all of her vets and specialists put their heads together and couldn’t recommend any treatment to reverse the neurological problem that came on so suddenly. I don’t think Maggie wanted to leave me, but her body spoke loud and clear that it had run its natural course. For 27 months I struggled with the thought of what could happen, worried about whether I would have her endure a 3 day rule so that I was certain that her body had indeed hit its limits. My precious baby even spared me that torment. There was no doubt she was happy until the moment her body said no more. Her final blessing was to have her exit from the physical world be one where her mom and dad and baby sister were able to cherish her not in pain or suffering before being released in peace.
It is impossible to put into words the deeply spiritual connection I experienced with Maggie. It was as if she understood every pain I had ever experienced in life. She put her paws right on my heart and said “together we are one.” I was her sun and she was mine. A magical and mystical aura was around her that was visible to so many. You looked at Maggie and could see right into her soul, her sweet gentle old soul and it touched you. Maggie was my heart dog and will forever be my heart dog. 5 years, 4 months and 17 days of unconditional love shared. Her spirit left her body at 6:20 pm February 20, 2014, but remains forever in my heart and in the hearts of those that loved her. Run free sweet baby, run free. Mommy loves you always and forever.
PS The hubby fell for her too. It wasn’t long before “dad” was greeting her first, asking for kisses, inviting her up on his chair, making her kibble omelets, sneaking treats to her and giving her half of the bed. He’s now one of those crazy people who has to go say hello to every boxer he sees. J
Contact the Organizer - See more at: http://www.petcaring.com/animal-rescue/maggie-s-legacy-and-memorial-/37371#sthash.iOfv6NWj.dpuf
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