Honeycomb

by Missy
(New Jersey)

"The Prettiest Puppy In The Pool"
On a snowy Winter's day in early 2001, my husband and I packed up our children, Kelli, 15yrs, Frankie, 4 yrs and Hope, 2 yrs old. We took a ride to Bayville, NJ to get our puppy. My younger children were terrified of any and all dogs. Being a dog lover, I knew I needed to fix this. So, off we went. When we entered the home, the woman of the house was quite overwhelmed with several young children and six beautiful puppies in a kiddie pool in her living room. The mother of these pups was a beautiful, petite tri-color collie. Three puppies were brown, three were blonde. I looked into her eyes, one of the blondes, and fell in love. The woman of the house assured me that the mother was raised and very good with children and obviously, the puppies were, as well. She did not know who the father was. He got in and out of a six foot fence without ever being seen. I thank God for this unplanned pregnancy. It produced my Honeycomb. So, I left there with the prettiest puppy in the pool. I brought her to the car where my teenager daughter sat with my toddler and placed this puppy in Hope's lap. No more fear, just love.
Honeycomb was a good puppy (although she thought running after the kids and biting their socks was great fun)! She remained obedient and loyal, calm and protective for all her years. When she was afraid, she'd go to Frankie to hide in his closet during a storm. When Kelli left for college, she looked out the window, awaiting her return. She knew Hope as "her baby" and always gave her hugs and kisses. When my husband came home from work, she would sit, ever so still and patient and wait for as long as it took for him to put his things down. Then her reward...a snuggle and a kiss from her Daddy. She spent every day of her life with me, helping me raise the kids and the two other pups we brought into our home to give her a pack. She was the Alpha female. She had a false pregnancy just when we brought home Shiver, our Jack Russell, and she cared for him as though she had just given birth to him. Our big guy, Shadow, had self-esteem issues and had trouble bonding with people. Honeycomb became his leader. He adored her. He now seems so lost without her.
The working breed in her, kept her vigilantly watching the yard and the street. She loved looking for birds and was very good at it. She was fast and jumped gracefully like a gazelle. She played soccer with the kids and a chase game with me each morning. She loved to pretend she was stalking prey. She'd grab a toy and look at me waiting for me to say slowly .."I'm.... gonna... get you, get you, get you!!!" and she'd run one way and I'd run past her. We'd do it again and again.
Honeycomb was always healthy and active until one day in early September. I noticed her licking her rear hock. It looked like a bug bite or something. Apparently, it was the manifestation of a metastatic sarcoma that ended up almost destroying her leg. We kept her medicated for pain and anxiety and an antibiotic for weeks. There were no viable medical options because of the location of the tumor. I was devastated. Her mind stayed sharp right until the end, as the vet warned us it would. I learned through research that her seeming okay to us was because instinctively dogs hide their injuries. In the end, we allowed the vet to end her suffering on Wednesday, November 2, 2011. This was one of the hardest days of our lives. Our hearts broke. She took a piece of our hearts with her and I'm not sure that they will ever be whole again.
I've had many pets in my lifetime. This girl was different. She was special. I mourn her as I would mourn a child, a sister a friend. She was the best companion any person could hope for. We miss her dearly. Our house feels empty (even with two other dogs here). She will never be forgotten.
A dear, lifelong friend of mine happens to live near Abbey Glenn. She went and visited the hill by St. Francis and took a picture and framed it for me. She assured me that Honeycomb and I would love the peaceful tranquility there. We think it's because the purest of souls rest there.
So, that's the story of our sweet girl, Honeycomb. She will be missed tremendously and loved fiercely forever.
She was the prettiest puppy in the pool.
God Bless Honeycomb
12/8/00-11/2/11