Today I read my introduction on my blog, as I mentioned my love for my dog Millie,I thought I would write about my best friend
Millie came into our family’s life’s ten years ago, a puppy from our friends the Sutton’s dog “Summers”pup. Millie was chosen and named by Kirstie and named as it was supposed to be her dog, she soon became the family’s dog. Our friends, the Holst family also got one of the puppies Hamish who was Millie’s brother- friend and spent many walks together.
Millie was a crazy puppy, she chewed everything in sight, if she was left alone! One particular day she chewed a pool bean bag, which lead to the pool area turned into a snow covered scene. But on that day we where having a Christmas party for the plumbing team, Peter did not see the funny side to Millie’s decorating efforts!
One of Millies chewing days she was almost taken to the RSPCA for adoption, again Peter not happy. She managed to make it through the first two years and stay in our family for the next eight years, fully loved and adored by us all! One of my memories is standing in the vets discussing her separation anxiety, too funny.
When we got Millie we still had Skye another beautiful golden retriever much loved by us all. Skye made it to sixteen, she tolerated Milly but I know Millie loved and respected her. As when Skye passed away Millie would not sit on her Bed ever!
Millie has always hated being a passenger in the car and has hated thunder, so much so during the night ended up by our bedside. She has loved everyone in our family. Loved being a gran fur baby, as mum and dad minded her often. At dads she would sleep by his side, something she’s not allowed at home.
Millie is extremely needy, she loves to be patted constantly by anyone willing. She has a nasty bark, which I have loved when strangers have come up my drive. Even though she would not hurt anyone!
Although she has not a good side when it comes to possums and birds, she’s a tad naughty.
Millie has had a special toy for her whole life, a round yellow ring we call Your Toy, when ever a person she likes comes or I think when she feels happy she grabs it and greats the person.
Millie can’t be a true retriever as she has never loved swimming like Skye did. She doesn’t mind going in the sea, she just doesn’t love swimming! She’s happy in the shallow water, but does love running along the beach.
One of Millie’s little trate is when walking and we get to the end of dominion road, she will tug on the lead to go over to the track to the beach, her happy place!
Over the years we have been on many morning walks together, she has always had to be the leader. At the end of the walk she was always happy enough to wait for me outside many coffee shops. With admirers stopping by to give her a pat and a hello. She has known my movements so much so, if there was a storm coming and no one was home she would take herself off down to the Main Street and wait outside the cafe or the supermarket I had previously been.Millie and her old friend Rusty – Byrnes!
Above Millie and her old friend Rolly – Stewart family dog!
Millie has always been by my side anywhere in the house or garden when I’m home, which is something I’m going to truly miss.
This next photo is of Millie after a visit to Phyllis dog grooming, Phyillie thought it would be really funny to decorate Millie , she was not amused!
When Millie was a pup I thought it would be a great idea to teach her to bring the paper up from the front gate. She was a great learner and she loved picking the paper up for us, but she also loved picking our neighbor’s paper up for us too. This never went down with them well, I would get a call from Kerrie our neighbor first thing in the morning Re their missing paper, never a hello just she has their paper. So downstairs I went picked up their paper and tossed it over the fence.After one stern morning phone call I went down the street and paid their weekly paper bill just to keep the peace!
Another of Millie’s habits, is when Peter arrives home from work Millie runs up to the car, jumps up for a hello cuddle and Peters crusts from his lunch of the day! There special time also is Wednesday evening bin walk, Millie loves as she walks down the drive with Peter for a run around the court.
When the kids come home Millie would bound up to them for a big cuddle on two legs, truly like a human hug which is loved by all in the family not so others!
2018 while we where away I got a call from Nick so say Millie wasn’t moving to well. Our neighbour Andrew a vet took a look at her and recommended she had surgery for a crucial ligament operation on her leg. This really did not go smoothly, the recovery was not easy. Nick carried her upstairs morning and night. I took her to dog physiotherapy which she didn’t recover well from. After this operation I no longer had Millie to go on long walks with anymore.
June 2019, the Sunday before Peters birthday Millie was not her self, she didn’t eat and was drinking a lot of water. So again a text was sent to Andrew, he came over to see her and recommend we come to his surgery on the Monday morning for some tests. Unfortunately not great results and off to a night in the vet hospital in Mornington. Peters birthday I picked her up from the hospital to be told she has inoperable Liver Cancer with an infection causing her to feel terrible. We are now all devastated as we all love Millie in different ways. (I lost the plot at the Vets)
Taking Millie home to take the best care and happy days to be had by a truly beautiful soul dog.
This photo was taken the day after her diagnosis, it was a lovely sunny winters day, here’s where I sat and enjoyed this moment with her.
Millie is much loved, everything you could ever ask for in a beautiful dog, we are so lucky to have her in our lives.
Always nearby in the garden
Millie tolerating miss Emma, who loves her very much!
Three weeks into being told Millie has liver cancer, she has now started to not want to eat. I’m struggling trying to give her anything to keep her going. It is extremely sad loosing her .
By week four of her diagnoses Millie has refused to eat, I’ve tried everything. For a few days mince meat, rice and vegetables worked. Followed then by fresh roast chickens for a while. I tried everything to get her antibiotics into her, but she knew I was tricking her. It has been heart breaking watching my Beautiful dog loose her battle. The last few days she was loosing her strength in getting up, she had sadness in her eyes, you could tell she felt like shit. So by the 26th of July it was time to call the vet and say goodbye to the most loving family dog I or us could ever wish for. I spent the morning with her by my side on the couch comforting her and telling how much I loved her and thanking her for being by my side. We where lucky to have to lovely girls from the vets to help Peter and I cope with the goodbye process, in the most peaceful way.
Day after I feel devastated, lost and lonely. I have majorly learnt this past month to be so much more sympathetic to anyone loosing a pet.
I also feel so sad for people that can’t afford the luxury of being able to take their pet to a vet, it’s been a big struggle caring for a terminally ill dog.
Thank you Milly for a wonderful 10 years with you by our sides.
One week on the house feels empty, we all look at where she slept each morning expecting to say good morning. I look for her out of the corner of my eyes as she always stared at me in the kitchen, or at the back door. I hate driving up the drive waiting to see her jump up to say welcome home. I actually hate being home alone without her. It’s a horrible time of grieving after twenty five years of having a dog in our lives to suddenly not have a happy face around to say hi!
Born on the 13th of March 2009 – passed away on the 26/07/2019
