Hannah.

On Friday, we put my precious dog, Hannah, to sleep. She had definitely gotten worse in May. Often she would just stay in one place going in circles to the left for hours. When she stands still, sometimes she would just fall over and not be able to lift her hind legs back up. Two nights ago she fell in the pool. My dad, thankfully, felt a nudge to go check on her. He didn't see her but noticed lots of movement in the pool. He ran outside, got in the pool, and gently lifted her out of the water and onto the side. After spending time with her Thursday during the day, and Friday before the afternoon, we took pictures with her and my dad and siblings said goodbye. My mom and I went to the vet with her. It was hard. There were many tears. But it was also so sweet to finally see her, after receiving a sedative and then the injection, to be still, without twitching or feeling pain. Mom and I held her and petted her and talked to her. Then, she was at peace. I am glad that I was there at the end of her life, just like I was when she was two months old and we first got her from the Humane Society, over 15 years ago.

So here is an ode to my precious Hannah.

My Hannah

Who was the greatest dog in town?
Well, Hannah Henrietta Brown

She was the prettiest in brown and black
With, in fur, a figure eight on her back

We called her frisky, some even said like a fox
She was agile, could jump over stairs and a box

She was faster than any other dog
And quite the priss, worthy of this blog

She would sit on our porch, cross her front paws
And sometimes, she'd run away, without cause

It would take forever, just to get her home
She failed obedience school, never listened to "Come."

She was the best guard dog, despite her small size
The smartest dog I've met, maybe even wise

Never was she a mother
But she cared unlike any other

I used to sit and tell her things
I could not tell to human beings

In younger days, she would jump on me
But then we made it a daily routine

I would pat my thighs
She jump up, I'd sigh

I would kiss her head
She'd kiss my cheek instead

I'd hold her close and pat her side
She'd lick and love and in me confide

She didn't like water, not one bit
She loved digging holes, hiding stuff in it

My dad always gave her scraps of our food
Mom always told him that's not good

She enjoyed playing tag, barking at passers-by
Once she nipped at and bit the pool guy

He's okay, she didn't draw blood
She was just over-protecting us

She also, on her head, had a spot
It was there Char would kiss her a lot

It was a hard thing to let her go
But it was the best thing, we know

She is now at peace, no more suffering
Resting at last, she's finally free

We kept all her dog tags and her colorful collar
Every time we hear it shake, we all think of her

Because she truly was the best dog in town
My precious Hannah Henrietta Brown.