In Memory of Katie: Feb 1st 2011-June 27, 2023

Wallpaper Description:

I took this photo of Katie shortly after she turned 12 years old, in February of this year.
 
I loved and appreciated Katie for many years, but I grew even closer to her when the pandemic shutdowns began in March of 2020. There weren't many places to go. Although our business was deemed essential, a lot of our customers were not considered essential. My work hours were cut in half. So I was home a lot more than usual. This left me plenty of time to get to know, love, and understand Katie better. She spent most of her time by my side. She liked to sleep at my feet when I was working at my computer or relaxing in my recliner. She was a wonderful stay at home buddy for me, and I was happier than ever to have her. 

Unfortunately, this past June, she started ailing. She began to refuse her food which was not like her at all, as she'd always been a good eater. We took her to our vet where they diagnosed her with a liver infection. The vet gave us 4 kinds of medication for the infection. We scrambled eggs for her, brought chicken baby food, and tried everything we could think of to get food and medications down her. Sometimes we could get her to lick baby food off of our fingers, but most of the time she wasn't interested. 
Finally on Monday, June 26, we took her to an emergency Animal Hospital. We left her there to get medication and fluids through an IV. We could tell that it was a very good place, and we left feeling relieved that she would finally be getting nourishment and help. (The vet techs actually sent us 2 pictures of her and notes during her stay.)
We got a call from them the next morning. They said that Katie was no longer dehydrated and we could pick her up that evening, as long as they could get her to eat some food on her own. 

That never happened. At 5pm they called us again. They had not been able to get Katie to eat anything. So they ran further tests on her and discovered that in addition to her liver infection, she also had a rupture in her gall bladder. Katie's body had broken down, and they couldn't do anything to fix her.

So instead of picking Katie up from the animal hospital, we had to come to say goodbye. My heart was torn in two--- and I cried more than I've cried in many years. We met our two children there, and visited with Katie for the last time. Then we all stayed with her while she was gently put to sleep. That happened on Tuesday, June 27th at 6pm.
Katie will always have a special place in my heart. I will never, ever forget her.

CollieSmile

PS. Here is a link of the other wallpapers I have uploaded of Katie over the years...
https://www.desktopnexus.com/search/katieh/

PPS. In case you are wondering, I did get another collie. You can see him and read about him on the following wallpaper... 

Toby, My Birthday Collie
https://animals.desktopnexus.com/wallpaper/2721369/