On June 19,2008 I had to put my little Boston terrier to sleep. She came into this world dragging her legs around like a seal. Thankfully the lady that owned her was bound and determined to make her walk, because the vet thought it was hopeless and wanted to put her to sleep then.

Saying Good-Bye to Mackenzie    

     The lady that owned her and her brothers and sisters told me that she was going to make sure she walked or strap her to a skate board.  She gave her physical therapy three or four times a day at least.  By the time we met her at about three or four weeks old she could get around like all of the other puppies.  
     She had just been scrunched in there with all of the other pups too tight.  So to say she came with a little bit of an attitude was sort of an understatement.  I suppose she had to have an attitude to overcome that handicap to start with.  We bought her for my daughter and she was spoiled like a baby.  In fact my husband called her Baby.  She would have been six years old on July 9th. 
     With four children it was always hard to remember my daughter's birthday.  I know that sounds wierd, but for some reason I've always had a mental block when it came to her birhday.  The last thing I did the night before she was born was to vote.  When my daughter was first born I used to think she was born on the 11th for some reason.  I always knew the year I only messed up the day.  Then when Mackenzie came I finally remembered her birthday.  My daughter wonders why she has low self -esteem and blames me for that.  
     She was the sweetest little dog at night, but I have to be honest during the day she was a disaster.  One year we had to have a lady come and train her so we could live with her.  Within one hour the lady had cured all of her problems, but she just developed other ones later on.  The Tasmanian devil died at the zoo and I told my husband we could go there, sneak her in, and they would only notice the difference in her shape.  
     If  the phone rang she would act like she was going to bite me.  She did bite my daughter once when someone came to our house and knocked on the door.  If anyone left their socks laying out where she could get to them she would drag them under the dining room table. 
She'd stand and bark at her reflection in the glass of a piece of furniture
everyday.  As smart as she was in some things you would have thought that she could figure out that she was barking at herself.  
     When I had cancer and was just sitting around trying to get well she would sit on my lap and as hyper as she was she never jumped or acted crazy at all during that time.  If I were in bed she would just lie by my bed and wait.  I can't  imagine going through that without her.  She made it so much easier.  
      She never was sick enough to take her to the vet, but on Wednesday night she had a seizure.  Just out of the blue, and after that she could hardly walk.  I don't think she even knew who I was.  She had another one at around 2:10 A.M. Thursday morning.  My husband and I couldn't stand to see her like that.  The poor little thing couldn't even find her bowl to eat breakfast.  After I took her out I tapped on the crate and was going to pen her up while I took my shower.  She trotted right in, and sat down. 
     From the time we had gotten her you were taking your life in your own hands not to throw a snack of some sort in there first.  I was petrified to try that.  If you ever got your fingers through the door she sounded like she would just take your hand off.  She had a little scar on her head, because when she was a puppy she would just jump up and down banging her head on the roof of the crate.  It made her so mad. 
     When she was a puppy I wanted to have her picture taken so I found a photographer to come to the house.  The poor lady!  She put the puppy up on the coffee table on a sheet and had two stands to hold the sheet up behind the table to take her picture.  That puppy started to back  up and fell behind the table and both stands collapsed on top of her.  We had to dig her out from under the sheet.  That lady really earned her money that day!  The photographer set up a light that exploded and melted three spots in our carpet of which my husband wasn't very happy about.  I really wish I had taken a video of that session.  At one time the puppy was on top of the lady because she had gotten down on the floor to take her picture, and she was chewing on her belt.  You have to admit she was cheap entertainment. 
     I told my husband Christmas would be sad  this year.  We always buy presents for our two dogs and they know what Christmas is.  I'm glad I have a video from a couple of years before.  They always take each others toys just like little kids do.  They get so excited.  
     The house is so quiet now.  My husband hung her little purple leash with the little colored paw prints on his side of the bed.  I don't  have my little friend sitting on my lap anymore.  If there is anybody that doesn't want the mess or worry of a dog you don't know what you're missing.  With all of the love they give you.  As far as I'm concerned a house is not a home without a dog.  
     I'm so grateful to God for giving us animals in our world.  I just pray for Him to give Mackenzie a kiss for me, and hopefully I will see her in heaven some day.   At least that is my wish!
     
     Good-bye Mackenzie I love you so much!