Do all dogs go to heaven?

Almost 15 years ago, the family was blessed with not one but two four-footed children, two border collies, Romeo and Lushka.

Brother and sister kept everyone busy and entertained. They were like two naughty kids, always up to some mischief.

Soon, the mischief was replaced with companionship and love. We discovered that border collies are devoted, obedient dogs that enjoy our company. Whatever we do, they just want to be part of it.

With our move to the coast, we had to leave the two behind as we were first renting while looking for a property to buy, and no animals were allowed. It was our greatest joy when we moved into our own home and we could bring them “home.” I don’t know who was the happiest—us or them.

It was quite an adjustment for them. Not only did they have the change in weather and the noise of the ocean, but also the monkeys that are roaming our town and our garden.

Romeo, the placid one. Nothing can bother him. As long as he has food and his basket, he is happy.

As for Lushka, it is a different story. She is the active one. She will chase the monkeys and bark at 5:00 in the morning at the joggers running past our home, waking up the neighbors. She is also the one who will sneak into the house at night first to see if we are going to share our snacks with her and later fall asleep in front of our bed.

Of course, as with all fathers, she is my husband's brown-eyed girl.

The song, Brown Eyed Girl by Morrison, after all the years, now makes sense to me.

Hey, where did we go?
Days when the rains came
Down in the hollow
Playin' a new game
Laughin' and a-runnin', hey, hey
Skippin' and a-jumpin'
In the misty morning fog with
Our, our hearts a-thumping, and you
My brown-eyed girl
And you, my brown-eyed girl

A week ago, we noticed that she was not well. We decided to take her to the vet for a routine visit. After some X-rays were done, the vet told us about her grim diagnosis. Not only is Lushka sitting with an enlarged kidney, but she also has swollen glands all over her body.

She told us that she could do a biopsy and run some tests, but she could not assure us that the prognosis would be cancer.

Getting the terrible news that it was cancer was a huge shock to the family, as the word alone is like a swear word in our family.
She also told us that she would not recommend any treatment as she is just too old and putting her through the treatment would be devastating for her. “All that you can do is make sure she is comfortable and give her a lot of love.”

Our animals become like children to us, making it incredibly painful when we have to face their declining health. It was emotional turmoil for us as reality set in. Shock, sadness, anger, and denial—we went through all of these emotions. I think we were thinking of them being with us forever and ever, but that is not reality. All that we wanted to do was savor the moment we had left with her. How long? Nobody could tell.

The week went by, and it was as if everything was back to normal. She was chasing the monkeys again, barking at the joggers, and running down the driveway when she heard the car or hubby’s motorbike. Not to mention bugging her brother.

Friday evening, it all changed. First, my stepson noticed her eyes, which looked like they were popping out of her head. Next, she wanted to be as close as possible to us all the time.

I got up at 4:00 yesterday morning to pack a lunch box for my stepson, as he was leaving with the school bus to play in a rugby tournament.
Lushka would always follow me to the kitchen in the mornings, as she knew she was getting spoiled. She did not follow me. I found one of my slippers lying in the doorway. Strange…

When my husband got home after dropping my son off at school, he called me. He found Lushka wandering in the garage, looking like she didn’t know where she was. She started walking into the walls and furniture. We thought there was something wrong with her spatial orientation. Did she maybe have a stroke during the night?

As the day progressed, it became worse. We could not leave her alone for one second. It was in the afternoon that we realized she was completely blind.

Later, it was confirmed by the vet. She could no longer see. She was completely blind. What makes it so terrible is that it happened overnight, and she didn’t even have time to adapt to it. She is now like our baby. We have to be with her all the time, as we are too scared that she will walk into something and hurt herself.
Hubby carries her outside and sits by her so that she can do her thing. She only eats and drinks if we feed her. Make no mistakes; as sick as she is, she is still looking for those biscuits that were dunked in my tea.

We were told that due to the swollen kidney, her organs would slowly start to shut down. She might live for a maximum of four weeks.
It is now left to us to make a decision. Do we want to prolong her suffering, or do we want her to go to heaven? And my answer is YES! All dogs go to heaven. It is her time to go.

We’ve decided not to go to church today. This day belongs to her. All we want to do today is shower her with love and attention, finding that closure before the final goodbye. Giving her all her favorite treats and taking lots of photos. We want to make memories.

We have also decided not to have her cremated but rather to make a donation for animal cancer research.

Saying goodbye to a beloved pet is a painful journey, but cherishing the good times can help us find closure. Their unconditional love will stay in our hearts forever.

It is with big crocodile tears that I am writing this post, but somehow it has given me the closure I was looking for.

Lushka, you will be missed!

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