Talia

2009 - 2023

MY BELOVED TALIA FIRST CAME TO ME IN SEPTEMBER 2010. SHE WAS ABANDONED BY HER OWNERS AND I SAW HER ROAMING THE STREETS ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. WHEN I SPOKE TO HER PRIOR OWNERS I WAS TOLD THEY MOVED INTO AN APT AND COULD NOT KEEP HER. THEY ASKED IF I WANTED HER AND I SAID I WOULD KEEP HER FOR THE WEEKEND AND THEN SEE IF SHE WOULD STAY WITH US. IT ONLY TOOK A FEW HOURS TO KNOW SHE WOULD BE MINE. ON ONE OF THE OCCASIONS WHEN I FIRST MET HER I THOUGHT SHE WAS BEAUTIFUL, HAD BEAUTIFUL YELLOW EYES AND HER DEMEANOR WAS SO SO SWEET. I REMEMBER TELLING MY HUSBAND THAT IF THERE WAS A DOG I WANTED IT WOULD BE HER. THE POINT IS SHE DID BECOME OURS. I JUST COULD NOT BELIEVE HER PRIOR OWNERS WERE WILLING TO JUST LET HER FEND FOR HERSELF, THIS TO ME WAS SO WRONG. LUCKY ME, SHE BECAME MINE.

FOR THE FIRST SEVERAL YEARS SHE WAS SO AFRAID OF EVERYTHING. IT IS BELIEVED THAT SHE WAS NOT ONLY ABANDONED BUT ABUSED. SHE WAS LIKE THE TV CHARACTER OF MONK. SHE WAS AFRAID OF BROOMS, GOING OUTSIDE ALONE, YELLING, FLY SWATTERS , STICKS, FLYS, BUGS, LOUD NOISES, THUNDER, RAIN, , FIREWORKS AND WATER TO NAME A FEW. WITH TIME AND LOVE SHE LEARNED TO BE SAFE WITH MOST OF THESE ISSUES EXCEPT FIREWORKS, THUNDER, WATER, MICE, BUGS AND FLIES. IF SHE WAS NAUGHTY AND I WOULD POINT MY FINGER AT HER AND SAY NAUGHTY, MY POOR BABY WOULD PUNISH HERSELF AND GO TO A CORNER OR GO OUTSIDE. BROKE MY HEART EVERYTIME SHE DID THIS. OF COURSE AFTER YEARS SHE GOT OVER THE NAUGHTY FINGER. MY HUSBAND DID NOT WANT HER TO SLEEP ON THE BED WHICH SHE LOVED TO DO. OF COURSE, MY TALIA WON THAT BATTLE. SHE HAD SEVERAL BEDS AND WOULD MOSTLY CHOSE TO SLEEP WITH ME. SHE LOVED HER TREATS, WENT CRAZY WHEN SHE SAW HER DENTAL TREATS, LOVED, LOVED, LOVED GOING TO THE DOCTORS, SHE LOVED ME BRUSING HER TEETH, SHE LOVED HUGS, KISSES, (YET SHE WOULD SHAKE MINE OFF AT TIMES) SHE LOVED SEEING AND BEING WITH HER DOCTORS AND STAFF, SHE LOVED PLAYING, BEING IN YOUR PRESENCE, SHE LOVED, LOVED, LOVED ALL HUMANS, SHE LOVED HER WALKS. ESPECIALLY ON REAL GRASS AND SHE LOVED HER RIDES IN THE CAR.

EVEN THOUGH SHE HAD A ROUGH BEGINNING WITH HER PRIOR OWNERS SHE ROSE ABOVE THIS AND LOVED BEING WITH YOU AND SOCIALIZING WITH ALL PEOPLE.

DUE TO THE PRIOR OWNERS NOT GIVING HER MUCH ATTENTION SHE DID NOT KNOW HOW TO PLAY WITH TOYS. IT WAS MY HUSBAND WHO TAUGHT HER THIS: ESPECIALLY TUG A WAR WITH THE ROPE.

ONE STORY IS WHEN SHE FELT SAFE TO BE OUTSIDE AND DID NOT WANT TO COME INSIDE, I WOULD JUST SAY TO HER, "WHERE'S DR. VERON" AND SHE WOULD RUN INSIDE. HOW SHE LOVED HIM AND DR. J.

AS I TOLD YOU SHE WAS AFRAID OF EVERYTIHNG. WHEN I HAD TO GIVE HER A BATH I LITERALLY WOULD HAVE TO GET IN THE TUB OR/AND SHOWER WITH HER. THIS WAS ONLY ONE OF TIMES HER TAIL WOULD STAY IN BETWEEN HER LEGS. HER TAIL WAS ALWAYS WAGGING UP TO THE END. SHE FOLLOWE ME EVERYWHERE I WENT. SHE WOULD WAKE UP AND THEN MADE SURE I WOULD WAKE UP WITH HER. SADLY, DO TO HER NOT LIKE BEING ALONE WHEN IT WAS DARK SHE WOULD HAVE ANXIETY. SHE LEARNED TO OPEN CLOSETS, KITCHEN CABINETS AND TAKE OUT EVERYTHING. IT WAS A FUNNY CONCERNING SITE.

SHE NEVER CRIED EVEN WHEN SHE HAD SEVERAL SURGERIES. WHEN I FIRST GOT HER SHE HAD TICKS, URINARY INFECTIONS AND TUMMY ISSUES. HER DOCTOR SAID SHE WAS NOT CARED FOR PROPERLY. WHEN THEY DID AN X-RAY ON HER THEY TOLD ME SHE HAD SCARING AROUND HER THROAT DUE TO BEING CHAINED. I DO REMEMBER SEEING HER CHAINED AND LEFT IN THE SUN WITH NOT MUCH ROOM TO MOVE AROUND. I WOULD ALSO HEAR HER CRYING.

SHE WAS A SURVIVOR OF LINGUAL MELANOMA FOR 6 YEARS, SURVIED A TUMOR IN HER TUMMY, TOES GROWTH, AND OTHER HEALTH ISSUES. SHE NEVER COMPLAINED OR CRIED. SHE WAS SUCH A TROOPER WITH ALL HER HEALTH ISSUES.

LUCKILY, WE HAD AMAZING DOCTORS AND NURSES WHO TOOK SUCH GOOD CARE OF HER. THEY LOVED HER AND SHE LOVED THEM. THEY BLESSED HER AND ME BY BEING WITH HER TO THE END. SHE HAD 9 PEOPLE WITH HER. I AM FOREVER GRATEFUL FOR THIS.

ONE LAST STORY I WANT TO SHARE THAT IS SO IMPORTANT TO ME IS TO TELL WHAT A SPECIAL LOVING AND CARING DEMEANOR AND HEART SHE HAD . TEN YEARS AGO A SISTER OF MINE WAS A VICTIM OF A DRIVE BY SHOOTING. THAT NIGHT I COULD NOT SLEEP, CRIED AND KEPT CALLING THE HOSPITAL. THERE WAS A TIME THAT I WOKE UP AND SHE HAD ME CRADLED AS IF SHE WAS TRYING TO NURSE ME. (THIS WAS THE ONLY TIME SHE HAD EVER DONE THIS. IT IS BELIEVED SHE HAD A LITER WHEN SHE WAS YOUNG) She was nevef aggressive only full of love.

I COULD GO ON AND ON ABOUT HER AND ALL THE MEMORIES BUT IT WOULD TAKE YEARS. BUT I HOPE YOU THE READER WILL SEE HOW SHE WAS SO BEYOND SPECIAL. SHE LOVED AND WAS LOVED.

SHE TRULY WAS ONE OF A KIND. SHE WILL ALWAYS BE IN MY HEART AND MISSED. I PRAY I WILL SEE HER IN HEAVEN.