A Good Dog...

My parents had to put their dog, King, to sleep today. I don't know about all the details yet, but it had something to do with internal bleeding. I don't know if it had to do with the cancer he was recently diagnosed with or not.
He was such a good dog. A happy, laid-back, loving dog. The poster-dog for blowing the "vicious Rottweiler" stereotype out of the water. He was the most social, lovable dog you could ever meet. He attracted people wherever he went and loved every minute of the attention he would get. And once you started petting him, he'd lean into you and would eventually flop over onto his side or back so you could rub his belly.

He would have been 5 years old on July 21st. I last saw him July 4th at my parents' house. I took these pictures of him last Friday, July 2nd. Unless my mom took some of him, I believe these are the last pictures ever taken of him.
He loved chewing on those big knuckle bones...
My parents' previous dog was a Rottweiler named Zeus. Mom wrote in her Facebook status tonight: "Zeus I'm sure is having a good chat with King right now. Zeus says to King... "You got a couch of your own and everything?". King says to Zeus "You just didn't now how to suck up to them like I did". My family always does know how to cope with our grief with humor! King had "his own" couch that he was allowed to get up on. My parents have 2 couches in their living room...the "good" couch and "the dog's couch" (a curbside find).

I've been really broken up about it ever since my dad called me tonight to tell me the news. I can't tell if I'm more sad because King is gone or because I know just how sad this makes my parents. They love their pets very much, and King was very special to them. He was special to me too. He wasn't really my dog, but I feel like he was. I keep wondering how poor Luna will react the next time we visit my parents' house and King isn't there. (is it ridiculous that that thought gets me crying again?)

A friend of mine encouraged me in an email with these Bible verses that he shared with his father in law when they had to put their cat down...

"Rom 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
Rom 8:20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected [the same] in hope,
Rom 8:21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God."

"So basically the animals are waiting for us to get glorified so they won't be subjected to death and disease anymore! Pretty cool thought. I used to be one of those "it's just an animal, they don't have souls" but it's passages like this that show that God has subject creation in the hope of its eventual glorification and restoration to what He intended it to be. "

An interesting and encouraging thought.

Rest in peace King. You were a good dog... a very good dog.

Another Terra Update...

So, my parents came over last night for dinner, and we went to get Terra to bring her home. She'd met Luna before, so that wasn't a huge adjustment...

My parents' dog, King, on the other hand, took some getting used to. She first met him in the barn, and she "exploded" at him (as my Dad puts it). Which is to say that she hissed and took a swipe at him. He's the sweetest dog in the world, and just wants to sniff and play...but the poor kitten didn't know that! The way I keep putting it is to "imagine if a dragon was trying to play with you!" Later, when we got home she ended up getting used to him a little and tolerating being sniffed and licked (even though it was making her head wet!).

Luna follows her wherever she goes!

"Ooo...look! Another cat!" Terra likes the mirror. She keeps going behind it to try and meet the "other cat" she sees!

She likes to climb up on people's shoulders. Dad says he used to train his cats to ride up on his shoulder.

I was thankful that she got used to Dad. She took a swipe at him about 5 seconds after she swiped at King in the barn. The theory is because she smelled King's scent on Dad and associated Dad with King and still felt threatened. But by the end of the night, she seemed to tolerate everyone really well.

I'm pretty sure Terra and Luna love each other!

And they like to play together!