Amazing Gracie

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Yesterday morning I held my 20-week-old lab puppy, Gracie, tight to my chest. She was breathing heavily, and as our plane taxied to the runway for takeoff, she stretched her front legs like she was waking up, and stopped breathing. Just like that. No jerking, no gasping, just quiet. I felt her chest and put my hand in front of her nose to see if I could feel her breathe, but there was nothing. They were de-icing the plane so we could leave Aspen to fly home to Nashville to have Dr. Marc Bercovitch (the wonderful veterinarian internist who we met last week when she was hospitalized because of chronic kidney failure) try to figure out why she had taken such a quick turn for the worse, hoping that going to lower altitude would help. She was just a baby. But in the short time we were lucky enough to have her, she won us over with her big brown eyes, her spunk, her kisses, and her heart.

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I knew she was dying. I think she knew she was dying. We didn’t want her to live like this, but we felt like if we didn’t just try to see if lower altitude would help her feel better, we would regret it. Neither of us was looking forward to making that call, but we knew that we would if we needed to. Our sweet, smart Amazing Grace helped us make that decision.

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When she stopped breathing, it felt like my heart stopped. I took a couple of deep breaths and hugged her close. Then I told Jeff I thought she had stopped breathing. We tried shaking her and calling her name to see if I was mistaken, but she was gone. My heart is broken. But it was strangely peaceful. She wasn’t struggling to breathe. She was not alone.

I can’t explain, especially to non-dog people, how much we loved her. In her short little life, she entered the hearts of everyone who met her. She helped Sugar fill the hole left after we lost Rosie this summer. She was a spunky little fighter, who fought off an infection at 12 days old and lived another 18 weeks. She played hard, loved hard and opened our wounded hearts that were still closed after the loss of our sweet Rosie.

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We will never forget her. We have zero regrets that we brought her into our lives. I just wish we could have helped her. It’s not fair that she was only here for such a short time.

Sweet Amazing Gracie…we love you sweet girl, and will miss you forever.

Gracie’s short life in video…

About Elisha

After our only child left for college, my husband and I decided to pack up and head for the mountains! We split our time between Colorado and North Carolina and love everything about the mountain lifestyle. I write about the empty nest experience, and our adventures living, playing and working. Taking a couple years off from writing while I get my master's degree in Nutrition.
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10 Responses to Amazing Gracie

  1. Kay Harlan Roller says:

    My heart is breaking for you. Grace certainly was
    Amazing! She looked the picture of health. I am so
    Sorry. ❤️

  2. Suzanne Stavert says:

    I am so sorry. As tears are rolling down my face, my heart aches for you. Once we are mothers, we are always mothers, no matter human or not. ❤

  3. Cathy Cooper says:

    So sad Gracie is not in this world. She chose the right people to be with while she was here. My heart hurts for you!

  4. Cindy House says:

    Wow I just read this and am at the Ymca and am In tears . How sad and hard for you in your lap . But atleast she was at peace with the one that loved her . So so sorry. . They definitely steal your heart . Prayers for a mended heart .

    Love ya,
    Cindy

  5. Leslie says:

    How deeply sorry we are to read this and our hearts ache for you and this loss. Surely Grace was just that: amazing, and the blessing she brought to all around her was huge. I think God knew who to send her to for the time she was here!

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