Linda's Last Chance

by Linda
(Edgewater, Florida)

I had two standard poodles growing up, but the first came to us full grown, and the second when I was a teenager (enough said there to explain my head). But I have loved all animals all my life. My first..Jody...was the sister I never had, the companion and playmate, and the protector. She wouldn't let any other neighborhood kids threaten me without a low growl...then a smile. I went off to college and left Jody and our younger boy Zack at home. When I came home to wash clothes one weekend, I was calling for Jody when my Mother just said "Linda STOP"...I had Jody put down last week. Oh Lord I felt so guilty....and so lost....but to be honest, Jody was 18 years old. She was blind, and deaf, and was now having trouble even going potty....so I recovered...and knew she was in a better place.
Fast Forward
I married and had one little boy who was ashmatic. I begged my husband to get him a dog. He conceded to a Lhasa Apso because a friend of his had one and it didnt have the fur. We wound up breeding her (never again for me!) and keeping one pup. They both died of old age, and I loved them...but to me they were beloved pets.
I begged my husband for a Standard Poodle. I brought home every piece of information I could find to convince him (a police officer) that not all poodles were hyper and yappy..and that the Standard was a k-9 unlike any other. Finally he agreed, and we traveled across the State of Michigan to find the perfect black female. "Linda's Last Chance" out of "Black Rasberry Sara" and I can only remember her fathers name was Clyde I believe.
How can I tell you what she became to me?????
Everything
My husband the cop was so impressed in the first year how smart, elegant, loving and fun she was he wanted another. So he contacted the breeder and she had a male with the same father, but another mother. The mother was not so pretty....and Clyde did only what Clyde could contribute. We named this huge male Standard Chase. I love him .....but hes NOT the brightest crayon in the box...but Chance immediatly accepted him like a young lady of grace and breeding. She let him take her toys...her food....cuddle with her...even hang off her ears when he was little. Never once growling or being pushy. Not to say she wouldnt let him know some limits. But a firm look....a slap of a paw, and he got the picture. He adored her too...and if I asked Chance to do something...Chase would watch her and do it too. I groomed them myself (self taught) and people would ask if they were show dogs....and I would say ...no...just loved fur children. Would you let someone else dress your child?
I have so many stories....all wonderful....until the last one.
I normally would board them at my Vets office. But a toy poodle little boy came to live with us, and their was no room. So we checked out a Kennel between our city and the airport because we had to go to a convention in Las Vegas for a week. It seemed perfect! The owner even had a standard and loved them. I was concerned because Chance was 12 and Chase was 11 and the puppy was only 8 months. In Vegas I was missing them bad....had a bad feeling....so I paid extra money to get my husband and I on an earlier flight home. We spent the night waiting in the airport to get on a flight home....but the weather in Orlando was bad, and we circled the airport as the sky's cryed for over an hour. Two friends had been alerted to get the kids in case of something like this. When I got home finally full of excitement to be with my babies..the woman came up to me crying saying she was so sorry......
I thought she had broken something at the house or something....I had no idea what could be wrong. Then she said....."Chance died yesterday at the kennel...they said it was a massive heart attack". Then she told me what story they told her. They took her body to my Vet...who said its not uncommon ...but she came in frozen, and they could do an autopsy ...but I didnt want to cut her up.. I am making arrangements for cremation, and I make pottery so I will make an urn for her myself when I can finally face it. I took a card and with lipstick on, I kissed the back, and asked them to put that with her...so she has her kiss goodbye from Mommy.
My husband has tried to help...he hurts too......he bought me a tiny toy poodle with long beautiful legs like Chance...and we named her Carli.......and I still have Chance's half brother Chase and little Cary....but I feel like I am outside of the world...and the air I breath is full of pain. I try to not let it control me, and I know it will get better with time.....
But the World has Lost One Great Lady when Chance went to the Rainbow Bridge.....and I have lost my best friend, my confidant, my daughter I was so proud of and my fear of the future of losing Chase is almost more than I can bear.
If you have had a fur child like Chance....you will understand. If you have not ........let me leave you saying this. For all this pain....I would never have missed it for the world. A Standard Poodle is what God achieved when he made the perfect companion. Bright, Beautiful and with a heart that out-matches most humans.
P.S. The only reason I didnt get another Standard is because of my health...I was in an elevator accident and I can not groom them like I did for the past dozen years. If I were healthy physically....I would have a house full of them! God bless you all...