In Memoriam - Mollie

Mollie the beautiful grey Bearded Collie led a wonderful life— with memories galore of her happy days with guardian Dan and his family, and lately as a "large" part of the BrightHaven family.

As Mollie grew older, her health issues became more and more difficult to manage for Dan and his family, despite the creation of a roster to get home during the day to try (often in vain or too late!) to help her out to potty. Mollie was becoming more and more unsteady on her feet, as well as losing her senses of sight and hearing. More importantly, she was having seizures and causing even more worry within the family.

Of course, none of these little issues caused Mollie herself due concern and Dan was not about to end her life due to such trivialities. Sadly the solution was not as easily decided, and Dan searched high and low to find someone to care for his darling girl.

One day he was recommended to see if BrightHaven would network to find Mollie safe haven and so we talked things over... As I listened to his story I began to realize that no-one in their right mind would offer his girl a home. After all who would adopt a scruffy, doddering, arthritic, seizing, almost deaf, almost blind, incontinent, 16 year old, heavy dog? Hmmmm—no, not me—I refused, and refused – until I was completely worn down and gave in to Dan's most urgent pleas.

And so Mollie came to be our Valentine on February 14th this year!

Life certainly changed somewhat at BrightHaven after her arrival—although dear Mollie actually settled in pretty quickly and soon established the routine that was to be hers until the day she collapsed. The thing that changed most dramatically for us was our laundry!! Soon our washing machines and dryers were begging a break as Mollie had more and more accidents. We tried to establish a roster for garden walks frequently and that worked quite well but it was tough for an old lady to keep having to get up when she preferred to nap and quite honestly, she said—I don't mind wetting my bed at all—I will simply then get up and move to a dry bed...oh la!!!

Seriously though, Mollie's health was not very good and she was taking several strong drugs until our remarkable Dr. Jeff (Levy) took over and began prescribing homeopathically. Mollie, most astonishingly, responded amazingly well and was soon walking with a spring in her step and never a seizure in sight. Her appetite was never an issue—other than stopping her from eating too much...she adored her new natural, raw meat based diet and, I guess took to it like a duck to water—only wishing for more!

However much we groomed and bathed her, Mollie was one of those large old ladies that always looked scruffy—and perhaps delighted in it. Adored by all for her sweetness and kindness, Mollie soon blossomed to become everyone's shaggy darling and a BrightHaven favorite with volunteers and at seminars.

You can see her proudly immortalized on the Animal Reiki Source website, home page—shown with Kathleen (Prasad) during a Reiki treatment— as the fourth picture to roll over when one enters the web site: www.animalreikisource.com.

Almost three weeks ago Mollie sat down, never to get up again, and our last days have been spent lovingly in her end of life comfort care. Dr. Jeff reevaluated her condition and prescribed daily, optimistic that maybe Mollie had a chance of recovery, but maybe it was simply her time and her body's way of expressing that.

Dan and his daughter Sophie spent last Sunday afternoon stroking and chatting with Mollie, and maybe that was her sign to make preparations for her departure—we will never know.

Happily Mollie remained comfortable, peaceful and dignified until the end came. She took food and water almost to the last day and even during last night she wished to take short drinks of water and most importantly, have company.

Richard, Fray and I took turns to be with her during the nights—offering food and water as needed and plenty of dry sheets as required—a somewhat daunting task in the wee small hours of the morning, but never the less, a labor of love indeed.

Early this morning we bade farewell to our dear sweet girl who, after almost seventeen happy years, has moved on from this life.

She died as she lived—in peace, love and serenity with merely a whisper breath as her fare-thee-well to us all. She slipped away in peace and in our arms in the sweetest death one could wish for— a special ending for a special lady who brought light to many lives and who will be missed greatly.

Peace, my heart, let the time for the parting be sweet.
Let it not be a death, but completeness.
Let love melt into memory and pain into songs.
Let the flight through the night sky end in
the folding of wings over the nest.
Let the last touch of your hands be gentle,
like the flower of the night.
Stand still, O Beautiful End, for a moment,
and say your last words in silence.
I bow to you and hold up my lamp to light you on your way.

- Rabindranath Tagore

Tweet

Back to In Memoriam Index page