Ginger - Rest in Peace

GINGER

(2004-2016)

 

 

Tuesday, August 9, 2016, was one of the saddest days for our family. 

 

We found our sweet, precious collie, Ginger, dead in the pool that morning.  I let her out at 5 am and found her around 7am when I went to let her back in.  We can only speculate about what happened.  Did she have a heart attack or a seizure and fall in? Did her hips give out and she slipped and fell in? Was she trying to get around the chairs that were too close to the pool?  We will never know what happened to Ginger in her last few moments of life.  But, we will remember what a wonderful dog she  was.  She had the sweetest disposition of any dog I have ever known.

 

On April 4, 2006, I woke up with a nagging urge to go to the dog pound-- or city animal services as it's now called.  The feeling stayed with me all day.  Christopher was 3 months shy of turning 2 and Adam was 8, in the 2nd grade. I had never been to Lubbock's city animal services before, but when I picked Adam up from school we went straight out there.

 

We had discussed getting a dog since our 11 year old golden retriever, Hope, died about a year and a half prior.  When we got to the pound, it seemed like every cage was occupied by a dog needing a home.  We asked to see 3 or 4 dogs.  We took each one to a small fenced off section of grass.  I observed their disposition around the boys.  We played fetch and tried basic sit and stay commands.  We weren't really making a connection with any of the dogs and we were getting ready to leave.  I remember walking among the cages with deafening sounds of dogs barking.  I looked down and saw the sweetest face of the only dog not barking.  The tag on her cage read: GINGER.  I turned to the employee assisting us and said, "What about this one"?  We took her out to the play area and immediately fell in love.  I called my husband at work and we all begged him to let us come home with this sweet girl.  She was surrendered by her owner and her time was going to expire the next day.  He couldn't say No, of course.  So, Ginger came home with us that day and became part of our family.

 

Shortly after coming to live with us, we discovered Ginger has seizures.  They normally occurred when she was startled awake.  We worked with the veterinarian for months to get the proper medication to control the seizures without making her lethargic during the day.  We were able to get the seizures under control, then had to deal with urinary incontinence.  Once again the vet worked with us on getting her medication at the proper dose, so she could have a normal dog life.

 

Ginger loved everyone she came in contact with.  She was in the car with me one day and we were stopped at a red light.  There was a man in a pickup truck next to us, not paying any attention to Ginger.  She kept looking at him, wagging her tail and whining because she wanted to greet him and show him affection.  That was the moment when I thought she would be a wonderful therapy dog.

 

I don't remember exactly how I found out about the free therapy dog training we attended, but God put everything in place.  We went through 10 weeks of training and passed the tests.  Ginger was certified by Therapy Dogs International and we served in Lubbock at University Medical Center, Covenant Hospital, several nursing homes and in a reading program at an elementary school.  Ginger was exceptionally good with children cancer patients.  I am so very thankful for the time I was able to spend with her as a therapy dog. 

 

When we moved to Colleyville 4 years ago, we had so many changes and adjustments that I did not renew her therapy dog certification.  However, she was great therapy for me while the boys were at school.  A few months after we moved her hips started giving out and she could no longer go up and down the stairs.  We added glucosamine and a pain killer to her daily meds.

 

Ginger truly had the sweetest disposition.  If she accidentally got locked in a bathroom or closet, she never barked or whined to get out.  She would patiently wait until she was found. 

 

Ginger was afraid of thunder, Nerf guns, and balloons.  The only thing she did not like and would bark at was the vacuum cleaner.

 

Ginger was dearly loved and gave love in return.

 

Ginger will be forever in our hearts. 

 

Rest in Peace sweet girl.

 

 

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalms 34:18