Goodbye, Sweet Nikki

My mom called me last night with some sad news. Nikki, our little Schnauzer who was almost 15 years old, had reached the end of her life. I wish I had a picture of her to pay a proper tribute, I'll have to get one from Mom.

I was surprised at how upset I was to hear the news. Nikki hasn't been a part of my daily life for a good 8 years now. But, she was a big part of my growing up, and she always remembered me when I came to visit. She was a piece of home.

I remember so clearly the day we went to the pound to see her run around outside of her pen. She was shy and dirty, but my mom saw the diamond in the rough and decided to give her a home. We fell in love with that cute little dog immediately and she quickly became an irreplaceable part of our family. We loved her mustache, her floppy ears, and the way she would cock her head to one side when you talked to her. She loved carrots and picking peas out of the garden. She was spunky and young and frequently enjoyed running a frenzied lap around the yard (or the living room!) when she got excited. She was mischievious, often knocking over the trash can if we left her alone too long, but almost always well-behaved. She always greeted us with an elated yap when she heard us pull into the garage after being away. My dad mocked her high-pitched bark by mimicking "wipe! wipe! wipe!" but I secretly loved that she would warn us if any stranger were to approach the house, especially on our nights home alone while Mom and Dad were out. She was also a handy cleaner-upper of dropped crumbs and squished bugs.

In recent years, Nikki lost her sight and most of her hearing. She slept a lot and was more fragile than before. Sometimes she would have an accident in the house and you could tell it embarassed her. However, she would occasionally surprise us with a burst of enthusiasm reminiscent of her energetic youth.

Nikki was fine when my mom left for work yesterday morning. She couldn't have been suffering too long when Mom came home to find her unable to move. She was mercifully allowed to leave this life quickly and painlessly as the vet put her to sleep with her loving human mother at her side. I'm glad that she is free from the pains and burdens of a body that could no longer keep up with her spirit. However, she will certainly be missed. Save a place for us in heaven, little Nikki. We love you.