Memories of Sheba

Sheba came to us in the fall of 2005 She was a nearly one year old girl, given up by her family because she needed hip surgery.  Below is a picture taken the first day we met her.

In looking through all the photos of Sheba, I can't help but notice what a good friend she was to all of our dogs. Sheba and Charlie in particular were good friends.  I wish I had some good photos of the two of them together.

Sheba was mentored by some of the best dogs we had. Rudi our packleader was one of them. She left us in 2011 and in so many pictures of Rudi, Sheba was there with her. Below is a fun memory of the two of them rolling on a dead mole.

They both loved the same games. 

And sometimes it could be hard to tell them apart. 

Rudi was clearly the "top dog" in our crew. But Sheba would struggle with her place in the pack. She got into several fights with our girl CarrieAnne, and often she got the worst of it.

When Rudi passed away, it got worse. The fighting became a serious issue and I really considered rehoming Sheba.  I'm not sure when, how or what exactly changed but eventually the two worked it out.  Sheba and CarrieAnne became good companions to one another, and were always running, playing and exploring together.

Through the additions and subtractions, Sheba welcomed each and every one. Charlie may have been her first love, but Todd also had a special place.  The two of them were often together.

Sheba enjoyed a life of good health.

Her love of retrieving and carrying things in her mouth, tennis balls and games of frisbee never changed

Playing tug with Josh, or chasing Todd was great fun for her too.

In any weather, Sheba wanted to play. 

Sheba was an affectionate dog that loved "grown up people"as much as she loved other dogs. She was the perfect dog to take on a walk or on a road trip and to tell your secrets too. Sheba had a quiet and calming spirit that had a way of always making me feel better on my worst days.    

I loved having her with me when I picked blackberries we have on our property.  Sheba always let me know when they were ripe, and it was a race to get to them before she did.

Sheba also loved to eat the pears right off our tree, even if they weren't ripe. I really think she had more of them than we did.  And I was okay with that.

Sheba almost always did as she was asked, and if she didn't want to do it, she would just lay there and wait for US to change our mind.  She was another dog that knew the rules didn't apply to her.

I don't know when I noticed that Sheba was getting older.  To me, she had always been that young dog that I'd met so many years ago.  When I noticed her face turning white, I cheered on the inside because having a "senior girl" just seemed to complete our crew.

I did however, notice that she was slowing down the last few weeks.  But I shrugged it off thinking it was just the heat.  But as you may have read in our last post, that wasn't it at all.  The diagnosis this past Monday of cardiac hemangiosarcoma was totally unexpected.

I'd hoped for more days of grace for her, especially when she seemed to be feeling so much better. When Thursday started out as a good day for her, I never had any thought that our time together would end so suddenly. That morning Sheba was in good spirits, and she was happy as she rolled in the grass...

and she carried the ball around and was wagging her tail. Below is the last picture I took of Sheba.  If I'd known it was going to be the last photo I would take of her, I would have taken a few more.

But I remain grateful and thankful for the nearly 11 years we had together.  Even in my sadness and heartbreak, I am grateful for the gift of her love in our lives. By having Sheba, as well as the other dogs I have found that my fear of death has been lessened -- Because if death means finally joining Sheba and the others who have gone before her, then let it happen when it will.

But until that time comes, I'll treasure all of my memories of a dog that was a great friend and family member.