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| In
Memory of Egypt |
??/??/?? - 06/19/04 |
| Egypt's
Story |
Egypt is someone that I don't
often show around or talk about to many people.
She lives deep inside my heart.
She was about 10 when I got her, and I only had her for about a year.
It felt like she had been in my life for an eternity, and yet not
nearly long enough.
I don't know much about Egypt's past. The woman I got her from told me
she had been severely abused for the first part of her life. She led a
well enough life in a family after that. She really loved Egypt, but
had to give her up due to a new living arrangement.
That's where Egypt met me. She was on arthritis pills, but didn't let
that slow her down one bit. The best times were when we ran with each
other at the dog park. I would run as hard as I could and she kept
right in step, even at over 10 years of age. Great Danes have an
average lifespan of around 7 to MAYBE 14 years if they're lucky.
She won "Oldest Female Great Dane" at a Great Dane Rescue event we
attended. We weren't near the announcements at the time, but word
spread around so fast about her that someone approached us to inform us
about the competition and she received a ribbon for it.
Egypt put up with two young male Great Danes in her last year, D'Argo
and Shere Khan, and they knew who was boss.
She slept next to me every night.
Bumps, moles, gray and white hair, she was the most beautiful being
ever to anyone that met her, and with so much happiness, you would
never know she was so abused in her past, or what was inside of her.
Getting ready to go on vacation, she was taken for some checkups at the
best Great Dane vet in the world. The next day, it was discovered that
she had a tumor on her spleen the size of a tennis ball. Inoperable,
and could become fatally worse at any moment.
There was no time to think things over, not because of vacation, that
didn't matter, but because of the tumor.
In three hours, Egypt would be put to sleep.
This photo was taking less than two hours before her last moments,
along with many more photos and video. After a few minutes, I took off
her collar and let her run around completely free in my parents'
backyard. She was so full of energy. It was hard to believe anything
was wrong with her.
I took her back home, fed her about five pounds of ham, she snipped my
finger once (completely my fault, she was so excited about the treat
and didn't notice my fingers one time) I of course pulled my hand back
quickly. She thought she did something wrong and flinched. It felt so
horrible to see her flinch like that. I quickly gave her reassurance. I
hope it was enough for her to understand everything was ok.
At the vet, still happy as ever, we sat and waited for the deed to be
done. She smiled to the last moment.
Egypt's spirit, joy, happiness, energy and story touched the hearts of
everyone she met. And yet, she started off her life in such abuse that
I can only wonder what she went through.
This fundraiser is in memory of the brightest and freest spirit I have
ever had the pleasure to have in my life.
I love you Egypt |
| Honoring
Egypt |
Pets Alive is in need of a Vet
Clinic.
They could do some really incredible things for the animals on site, as
well as for the community, if they had one.
You can help make this happen by clicking over to their website on the
right. They have many different ways you can donate, and it ALL goes
towards a better life for the animals they care for.
The reason I have this page setup is because I think it would be an
incredible honor to her memory if Egypt helped make this happen.
If you haven't already, please read Egypt's story above.
Pets are unconditional love, friendship and companionship. Egypt was
the throw-away of at least one person, and was given up by another. But
she didn't forget how to open up and love and enjoy the last moments of
her life.
I think all creatures deserve that chance.
And it's real shelters (sanctuaries) like Pets Alive that make it
possible for these tossed away companions to have another shot at life.
Pets Alive is a small, independent no-kill shelter in Middletown, NY.
Because they are so small and have such incredible hearts for the ones
they take in, they run into many expenses that they need our help with.
Pets Alive isn't an organization that just says "Give us your money."
Sometimes a donation of something like slip leads, paper towels or
laundry
detergent is more important because it's things like these that the
money donations go towards anyways.
Please help support these incredible people and the lives they save. |
| Quiet
Moments - 6/19/04 |
This is how we spent our last
moments together.
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