Lost My Best Girl Athena

I am not sure if I can this here so please point me in the right direction and I’ll remove it.

A short story of my time with the best girl: Back in 2016, I was serving in the Air Force and went on my first deployment. Shortly after I got back whilst I was on R&R, my best friend called me saying he found a Breeder that breeds Malinois. Some background, I was a young dog handler and Mals are the main dogs we train with. I was super excited as I wanted a buddy to be with me and was going through a bout of depression after my deployment. I went to go see her when she was two weeks of age and instantly fell in love. She was the sweetest baby and I knew she was the one. She was my soul dog.

A few weeks later the Breeder called me saying he needed us to pick the pups up sooner due to lack of space on his ranch. I took her back with me at six weeks. I know that’s way too early but I’m glad I made the choices I did. She was with me from England to Japan then Louisiana and now Texas. She has always been there with me every step of the way and having to navigate life without her feels impossible. She was there before my wife. She was there in my lowest moments. I lay here asking myself “where did 10 years go?” This all feels like a fever dream. She was the best girl.

The last week or so she just wasn’t being herself. She would still want to play frisbee with me but I noticed her energy levels were declining. I found a vet to see her before the holiday and got terrible news. Her spleen and liver were enlarged and her gallbladder had hardened. After 12+ hours in the ER I decided to keep her home and do an at home euthanasia. I chose her favorite spot in the backyard where she would sunbathe and chill. I didn’t go with surgery because it would’ve been too much on her body. When she was 6/7 I had to get her a blood transfusion because her platelets were low then as well. A blood transfusion on top of an invasive surgery that wasn’t likely to solve the issue was too much on my girl. I wanted her to pass with dignity and peace. Not the way she was the past few days.

My mind was playing tricks on me. I took her on one last truck ride and for a brief moment, I got my old Athena back. I thought I was making the wrong choice for a moment but I know I didn’t. If roles were reversed, she’d want what’s best for me too. For her last meal, I grilled her a nice thick ribeye steak with some bacon and pumpkin purée. She used her last bit of energy to play frisbee with dad one last time. I am heartbroken beyond belief. I miss you babygirl!

Thank you for reading and apologies for the grammatical errors. Dehydrated and in tears typing this. Much love to you all!

ETA: Been three months since that fateful day and I’m still in a lot pain. I miss my girl so much. Hard navigating life without her.

While I’m in the hospital just about recovered from a collapsed lung, Miska began obsessively, licking her foot. So my son had to put her in the collar of shame.

art sauce: https://x.com/squishysuraime/status/2106934437741224178?s=20

she is just over 6 months and is the sweetest kitty ever. just wanted to share her cuteness

This is Simon! He’s roughly three years old and is missing a back leg, but we think he’s just perfect.

Credit goes to @HayesAyla_2

https://x.com/hayesayla_2/status/2106811603111104768?s=46

The cat distribution system hit me with this adorable boy today. I was outside at work when I heard him calling. My coworker and I were able to find him underneath a pallet of firewood.

Yesterday was the first anniversary of our dog’s sudden passing from cancer. It feels like she sent us this little guy to us. My husband says the kitten absolutely cannot stay so my friend will adopt him at the end of the week. I’m so glad he’s going to have a loving family, but I’m heartbroken that it can’t be us.

I took him to the vet so he could get checked out since he had diarrhea. We had tests run that came back negative and have a plan in place to get his diarrhea to stop. The vet said he’s a 6-8 week old male and should be feeling better soon! So far he loves cuddling, playing with my hair and making biscuits.

I am officially adopting this beautiful lady tomorrow from her foster mom! I met her twice and she’s friendly, very playful, and chatty. I had a male black cat for nearly 20 years before he passed peacefully and now have a happy, goofy orange 3 year old boy cat named Gnocchi. I’ve integrated pets before, but what should I keep in mind about a little lady tortie like this? She’s nearly 2 years old.

Found this little one on a flower in the ol' garden. 👋