Tasha
Tasha was more than just the best dog in the world. She was a daughter and a sister in our family, and losing her is perhaps one of the hardest things we’ve ever gone through. In the 14 years we had her in our lives, Tasha wrapped herself so tightly around her hearts that it’s difficult to imagine how we will ever get over losing her, but we know that in the end it was for the best. Her pain was too much for all of us to bear, even together, though we all wish we could have carried some of it for her.
Tasha could run faster than any dog you’ll ever see, and her favorite job in the world was patrolling our back yard to “protect” us from wayward squirrels. She loved her obnoxious squeaky red ball, which we all tolerated for the sake of her happiness. Sometimes she’d curl up into a ball on her bed so small and tight you could hardly believe it was a whole dog in there. She was a regular pizza bandit and managed to steal slices off of the plates of our friends when we were kids. She let us call her weird nicknames (Taco, Muffin, Goose) and would come running every time, just because she recognized the affection in our voices as we used them. She loved us so deeply, and would greet us with such joy whenever we came home after a long day away.
Tasha was a very, very special dog. When we knew it was time for our beautiful girl to go, we trusted Caring Pathways to take care of her. We wanted her last moments on Earth to be in the peace and quiet of her own home with her family. Dr. Kary helped make our pain a little easier to bear, and she made sure to talk us through everything as she did it. She gave us our time to say goodbye, and when Tasha was taken away she was wrapped so carefully in a blanket it was almost like she was asleep. Nothing about the experience was cold or detached. Dr. Kary cried with us and hugged us when she had to leave with our girl. Saying goodbye was the hardest thing in the world, and she was understanding and empathetic every step of the way, never once rushing us or making light of our feelings.
Tasha’s only responsibility in the world was to love us and accept our love in return, and she did it beautifully. We will miss having her white tufts of fur all over our house. We will miss her radiant soul.
Thank you, Caring Pathways, for all that you’ve done for us.