Today we said goodbye to a beloved member of our family. My family’s dog Lacy was put to sleep after struggling with cancer for several weeks. I can still remember the day we brought her home. I was 16 years old and my mom took my three siblings and I to the pet store to pick out a new puppy. We instantly fell in love with Lacy’s sweet face and warm personality. She was a mix between a lab and a golden retriever and was the best dog anyone could ever ask for. I remember carrying her under my arm like a football to show her off to all my friends. Lacy was loyal and loving and loved to chase squirrels in my parents back yard. She was born on May 12, 1996 and nearly made it to her 13th birthday. She was such a good girl, and even as the cancer took hold of her she still looked at you with eyes filled with happiness and love and wagged her tail fiercely as you pet her.

She was such a staple in our family and the source (oddly enough) of some really weird song’s and names. We affectionately called her LayBay for years… I can’t really remember who came up with it or when but I’m pretty sure it originated from smooshing Lacy together with Baby and somehow ending up with LayBay. When my mom gave me Lucy on Christmas of 2004 I was so shocked that I got a puppy as my gift, I couldn’t think of a name for her. Everyone kept hounding me asking “whats her name whats her name?” I finally blurted out Lucy. I simply couldn’t think of anything suitable so it was the next best thing to Lacy I could come up with on the spot. Lacy was also the inspiration for some very interesting songs.  My all time favorite song would have to be Lacy the Bumble Bee by my brother Adam. It went something like this:

Lacy the bumblebee…
The biggest bee
In the bumble tree

Yeah it was short and sweet and made no sense at all but we all loved it. She was our big teddy bear around the house and it will be hard to imagine life without her around. We all knew the end was near when she was barely able to walk, but no one really wanted to confront the reality that someone we loved would be leaving us soon. I got a phone call from my mom today around lunch time letting me know she had taken her to the vet to be put down peacefully. Lacy had stopped eating and drinking and my parents couldn’t watch her continue to suffer. My mom was there with her as she went to sleep and her ashes will soon be scattered throughout a garden in my parent’s backyard. Although I saw her just last week it is still sad knowing that next time I go home to my mom’s house my sweet Lacy will not be waiting by the door to greet me.

Here are a few pictures I shot of her in my parent’s front yard this past December. My sweet LayBay… your gentle spirit will be missed.

I only wish I had a picture of her lion tail.  My dad used to shave her hair because she shed so much and would always trim her tail to look just like a lion’s tail.  It was the funniest thing ever.  Her long skinny tail with a poofy pointy tip.  My silly sweet puppy… thank you for all the love you brought into our lives.