We rescued her from a puppy mill, she was 5 months old. The breeder said she was going to use her just for breeding purposes. My husband talked the breeder into selling her to us. When I saw her, I thought she was the most gorgeous little dog that I had ever seen. A tiny delicate Maltese with white silky hair with black eyes and a little black nose. I couldn't believe she was going to be mine, I had tears of joy, and I instantly fell in love with her. That special bond had begun, I had no idea that she would have such an impact on our lives.
A week later, this little angel was deathly sick. We rushed her to the vet, the breeder had reassured us that she had, had all of her vaccinations. The vet disagreed, and assumed that she hadn't had her vaccinations, after receiving numerous shots and being hooked up to an IV for two days, we were finally able to take her home again. The vet told us that she was quite the little fighter.
Muffy became my little shadow, she was either following me or she was on my lap. And she always slept in between me and my husband. Muffy was never treated like a dog, she was a family member and loved just as much. I refused to go to a lot of places because I could not take Muffy. She tried desperately to even talk. She would make sounds like she was trying to say Momma, and it sounded like Momma too. She would beg treats from my husband, and my husband would tell her, " Tell me what you want", and she would try so hard to communicate with him. One of her personality traits was throwing her little head back and howling like a little wolf. She especially did this if I was gone, and she would continue to do this until I returned. And sometimes she would even get loud in her howling, at one point I didn't believe she did this while I was gone, and finally my husband recorded her howling on the answering machine.
When Muffy was about 7 years old, we got her a little companion, another Maltese, her name was Shelby. One reason why we got Shelby was because she reminded me of Muffy. Muffy tolerated Shelby, she still insisted on remaining the baby, and we let her. Muffy taught Shelby everything she knew, how to use the doggie papers, and her special way of begging for treats. She even taught Shelby how to howl like she did. My husband said whenever I left, it was quite the little chorus between those two. As the years would pass, Shelby would help Muffy with her eye sight and her hearing that eventually would effect her.
When Muffy was about 15 years old, she started losing her hair and her tummy became very swollen. She was diagnosed with cancer of her female organs. We were devasted, the vet convinced us to let him try and save her. We finally agreed, and the vet did in fact save her. Within a month Muffy was acting like a little puppy again and her hair was even growing back. We were very grateful to have more time with her.
By the time Muffy was about 17 and a half, she had very little hearing and very little eye sight. We made sure that we didn't move any furniture, we kept everything the way that she remembered. Shelby would let her know when someone came in, and Muffy would follow Shelby. One afternoon we came home and Muffy was going around and around in circles. It was continuous, no matter how hard she tried she just couldn't stop. We rushed her to the vet, and he told us that it was either inner ear infection or that she had, had a stroke, but that it was probably more likely a stroke. He gave us medication and told us to bring her back in 5 or 6 days unless she got worse. He was hoping that she would improve.
For the next 6 days I helped Muffy with everything, I would put her on her doggie papers and sit with her until she was done. I would hold food and water directly under her nose and help guide her to eat. She still continued to sleep with me, I would get up with her a couple times during the night so she could have water and use her doggie papers. Every morning we would get up and look for any kind of improvements with Muffy.
By the sixth day, there were no improvements with her,.........I could tell Muffy was tired, She didn't even want me to hold her, she just wanted to lay in her little bed by my chair. She didn't respond to my voice, I finally told my husband that I believed that she was miserable. We knew that we had to make a decision, and a very difficult one. My husband called our vet and told him how Muffy was doing. The vet said to bring her in that he wanted to check her, .......but that it sounded like it was time. At this point I literally went to pieces, I was crying uncontrollably. My husband said he would have to take her. We were both still hoping that he would be bringing her back home. Our vet weighed Muffy and she had lost weight, about a half a pound in 6 days. She was already under five pounds. He continued to check her and she wasn't responding, and there were no improvements.
Our vet looked at my husband and said its time,..........my husband started crying, and realized he just couldn't do it, not to Muffy. Our vet that had taken care of Muffy for over 17 years said that he would take good care of Muffy and that it was the best thing to do for Muffy. My husband told him that we would return in the morning, because we wanted to bring Muffy home to bury her.
When my husband returned home without her, we were devasted, in shock, and had tremendous guilt for not being by her side in her final moments of life. So the grief was very overwhelming. I will regret not being with Muffy for those final moments,.....for the rest of my life.
It seems like we must have cried for hours that night,.....finally my husband said that he was going to lay down for a while in the family room. I went into the living room and turned on the television for some kind of noise. I went and turned on my computer, I had to try and get my mind off of Muffy.
About an hour and a half later, I heard this noise....At first I thought it was the television, But the noise wasn't coming from that. I just froze..... and then Shelby our other Maltese started running through the living room back and forth, and she was crying and whining very loudly. Then I heard it again.......and Shelby was still running around and crying......The sound was Howling.........Muffy's howling, she continued for several minutes, ........
and then it stopped. I sat there and wondered if I was losing my mind for several minutes. I finally just listened for hours that night hoping that I would hear her again, but I didn't.
Later, I went and checked on my husband in the family room, he was asleep, I decided not to wake him, to just let him sleep. I had already made a decision with myself not to say anything to him in the morning about hearing Muffy's howling, because i didn't want him to think I was crazy. He didn't believe in things like that. Myself on the other hand had always believed in the unexplained because the same night my father had passed away, he had appeared to me in a dream.
The next morning I got up and my husband was sitting at the dining room table drinking his morning coffee. We started discussing where we were going to bury the baby ( Muffy).
My husband then said he had heard a strange noise the night before,.....I started getting chills down my spine. He then went on to tell me that he had heard howling,,,,,,,Muffy's howling. He said that it was so intense that he sat straight up, and was wide awake. With out saying anything I realized that I had been on one side of the house and he had been on the other. We couldn't have heard each other through the night. I finally told my husband what I had heard also, and how Shelby had reacted. We just looked at each other........and finally I told him that I thought Muffy was trying to tell us that she was all right, and that she would be waiting for us.
I also believe that bond was so strong between Muffy and us, that she was able to contact us. A part of us died with Muffy, our lives will never be the same again. She was a family member, and we had the pleasure of 17 and a half years of giving and receiving that unconditional love and bond with Muffy.
Our lives and hearts had been touched by a little white angel.
Signed: Lucinda Van Zante
A week later, this little angel was deathly sick. We rushed her to the vet, the breeder had reassured us that she had, had all of her vaccinations. The vet disagreed, and assumed that she hadn't had her vaccinations, after receiving numerous shots and being hooked up to an IV for two days, we were finally able to take her home again. The vet told us that she was quite the little fighter.
Muffy became my little shadow, she was either following me or she was on my lap. And she always slept in between me and my husband. Muffy was never treated like a dog, she was a family member and loved just as much. I refused to go to a lot of places because I could not take Muffy. She tried desperately to even talk. She would make sounds like she was trying to say Momma, and it sounded like Momma too. She would beg treats from my husband, and my husband would tell her, " Tell me what you want", and she would try so hard to communicate with him. One of her personality traits was throwing her little head back and howling like a little wolf. She especially did this if I was gone, and she would continue to do this until I returned. And sometimes she would even get loud in her howling, at one point I didn't believe she did this while I was gone, and finally my husband recorded her howling on the answering machine.
When Muffy was about 7 years old, we got her a little companion, another Maltese, her name was Shelby. One reason why we got Shelby was because she reminded me of Muffy. Muffy tolerated Shelby, she still insisted on remaining the baby, and we let her. Muffy taught Shelby everything she knew, how to use the doggie papers, and her special way of begging for treats. She even taught Shelby how to howl like she did. My husband said whenever I left, it was quite the little chorus between those two. As the years would pass, Shelby would help Muffy with her eye sight and her hearing that eventually would effect her.
When Muffy was about 15 years old, she started losing her hair and her tummy became very swollen. She was diagnosed with cancer of her female organs. We were devasted, the vet convinced us to let him try and save her. We finally agreed, and the vet did in fact save her. Within a month Muffy was acting like a little puppy again and her hair was even growing back. We were very grateful to have more time with her.
By the time Muffy was about 17 and a half, she had very little hearing and very little eye sight. We made sure that we didn't move any furniture, we kept everything the way that she remembered. Shelby would let her know when someone came in, and Muffy would follow Shelby. One afternoon we came home and Muffy was going around and around in circles. It was continuous, no matter how hard she tried she just couldn't stop. We rushed her to the vet, and he told us that it was either inner ear infection or that she had, had a stroke, but that it was probably more likely a stroke. He gave us medication and told us to bring her back in 5 or 6 days unless she got worse. He was hoping that she would improve.
For the next 6 days I helped Muffy with everything, I would put her on her doggie papers and sit with her until she was done. I would hold food and water directly under her nose and help guide her to eat. She still continued to sleep with me, I would get up with her a couple times during the night so she could have water and use her doggie papers. Every morning we would get up and look for any kind of improvements with Muffy.
By the sixth day, there were no improvements with her,.........I could tell Muffy was tired, She didn't even want me to hold her, she just wanted to lay in her little bed by my chair. She didn't respond to my voice, I finally told my husband that I believed that she was miserable. We knew that we had to make a decision, and a very difficult one. My husband called our vet and told him how Muffy was doing. The vet said to bring her in that he wanted to check her, .......but that it sounded like it was time. At this point I literally went to pieces, I was crying uncontrollably. My husband said he would have to take her. We were both still hoping that he would be bringing her back home. Our vet weighed Muffy and she had lost weight, about a half a pound in 6 days. She was already under five pounds. He continued to check her and she wasn't responding, and there were no improvements.
Our vet looked at my husband and said its time,..........my husband started crying, and realized he just couldn't do it, not to Muffy. Our vet that had taken care of Muffy for over 17 years said that he would take good care of Muffy and that it was the best thing to do for Muffy. My husband told him that we would return in the morning, because we wanted to bring Muffy home to bury her.
When my husband returned home without her, we were devasted, in shock, and had tremendous guilt for not being by her side in her final moments of life. So the grief was very overwhelming. I will regret not being with Muffy for those final moments,.....for the rest of my life.
It seems like we must have cried for hours that night,.....finally my husband said that he was going to lay down for a while in the family room. I went into the living room and turned on the television for some kind of noise. I went and turned on my computer, I had to try and get my mind off of Muffy.
About an hour and a half later, I heard this noise....At first I thought it was the television, But the noise wasn't coming from that. I just froze..... and then Shelby our other Maltese started running through the living room back and forth, and she was crying and whining very loudly. Then I heard it again.......and Shelby was still running around and crying......The sound was Howling.........Muffy's howling, she continued for several minutes, ........
and then it stopped. I sat there and wondered if I was losing my mind for several minutes. I finally just listened for hours that night hoping that I would hear her again, but I didn't.
Later, I went and checked on my husband in the family room, he was asleep, I decided not to wake him, to just let him sleep. I had already made a decision with myself not to say anything to him in the morning about hearing Muffy's howling, because i didn't want him to think I was crazy. He didn't believe in things like that. Myself on the other hand had always believed in the unexplained because the same night my father had passed away, he had appeared to me in a dream.
The next morning I got up and my husband was sitting at the dining room table drinking his morning coffee. We started discussing where we were going to bury the baby ( Muffy).
My husband then said he had heard a strange noise the night before,.....I started getting chills down my spine. He then went on to tell me that he had heard howling,,,,,,,Muffy's howling. He said that it was so intense that he sat straight up, and was wide awake. With out saying anything I realized that I had been on one side of the house and he had been on the other. We couldn't have heard each other through the night. I finally told my husband what I had heard also, and how Shelby had reacted. We just looked at each other........and finally I told him that I thought Muffy was trying to tell us that she was all right, and that she would be waiting for us.
I also believe that bond was so strong between Muffy and us, that she was able to contact us. A part of us died with Muffy, our lives will never be the same again. She was a family member, and we had the pleasure of 17 and a half years of giving and receiving that unconditional love and bond with Muffy.
Our lives and hearts had been touched by a little white angel.
Signed: Lucinda Van Zante
Our two healing bandaids to patch our broken hearts.
Muffy, The Little White Angel
This story is dedicated to Muffy....
9 - 11 - 1983 = 3 - 9 - 2001
This story is dedicated to Muffy....
9 - 11 - 1983 = 3 - 9 - 2001
