Captain & Family

Sadly, the time has come for us to say goodbye to our best friend Captain. She has been by our side, enjoying every high and low in our lives for over 17 years. She has developed a rapidly growing mass in her lower intestines and at her advanced age, there is nothing left that can be done for her medically.

So now is the time for us to gather around her, say our final goodbyes and send her off with all the love in the world.

Well, here is the reason for this crowd funding campaign.

I was completely disheartened after being told by our Veterinarian, exactly how expensive euthanasia and cremation is...

The euthanasia is for all of our peace of mind. In case the mass starts growing too quickly in the next couple weeks and captain loses her quality of life. I can not allow her to linger and suffer here, withering away and being in pain. As much as I wish I could selfishly keep her here with me forever, or be able to afford flying to South Korea to get her cloned… I know I will have to be prepared to say goodbye when its time – and the time is very near.

As for the cremation part of her passing - this is for myself, but primarily for my mother.

Cappy was first rescued back in 2000 with two purposes in life, that we had found in her.

The original reason we adopted her, when I was only 13 years old, was to help me cope with the next stages in my life.

We had recently moved to the "big city", so I was scared, lonely, homesick and starting into some of the most awkward years of any child's life...In addition to already being a "social outcast" by looking different than everyone else my age, I also had to have multiple major surgeries on my legs every single year (until I was 17) - which left me bedridden and wheelchair bound for about 6 months out of each year.

Cappy was (and still is) my best friend. She has been by my side, comforting me, giving me hope and a reason to carry on for over 17 years. I am so lucky and blessed to have been able to spend this much time with her....

She was so smart and intuitive. After my surgeries, when I would come home from the hospital, she instinctively knew to avoid jumping on, or putting pressure on my legs.

Only after the first week or two had gone by, would she then start laying her head on my legs....She always knew which one was hurting me more at any particular time and she thought she was "helping" by licking/resting her head on that leg... - or she knew when it was hurting too severely for her to rest her head on, so she would stay up by my head, so I could cuddle my face in-between her and my pillow.

Without Captain and my family by my side, I don't think I would have ever been able to survive those years....I owe her so much and I cant even tell her how I feel about what she has done for me. But at least I can promise to not cause any unnecessary pain to her, by allowing her to suffer...just as she never allowed me to feel any unnecessary pain from her on my legs.

So, the second reason we were so lucky to have Captain come into our lives, was during my copious amounts of "down time" growing up.

I was able to train Cappy to be a hearing assistance dog for my mother.

Especially after my older brothers (and eventually myself), grew up, moved out and/or went to college to start our lives.

We all worried about our mom being home alone each night, while our dad worked his overnight shifts - because she only has 30% hearing in one ear.

She took the that duty, like a fish to water...She would alert our mother of any unusual sounds at night (also during the day) - when the door bell would ring, she would nip at moms toes and walk her over to the door - she would even do the same for mom when the over timer would go off. <3

She was our mothers constant companion and friend. We no longer worried about her being home alone while our dad was at work, or during the day while he was sleeping.

Captain even helped to fill the "empty nest" feeling our parents suffered once we were all moved out of the house.

She has touched our lives in more ways than I could ever express - hence why the "Tell us a little about your fund raiser" box, has turned into a full fledged novel about our furry family member....

So after nearly 18 years of captain being a constant companion, confidant and helper - to myself and especially to my mother.

I really would like to have Captain cremated, so that I can have a memorial necklace made for my mom, with her ashes...

Money is unbelievably tight in all our households right now - but it is Captains time to leave us, the vet gave us the estimate of about 2 weeks left with her.

Life doesn't care if you are in a financially strong point, or how much you beg for more time with your loved one.

Life will move forward in the way it sees fit, in the time it deems necessary, sadly.

Anyone that knows me, is well aware that I find the very thought of going to strangers, friends and loved ones - and asking for help or financial assistance from them, highly uncomfortable and out of character for me....

Especially for something that might seem silly to some people out there.

Like raising money to pay for funeral costs of a family pet, as well as getting a memorial gift for my mother...

But this dog that has been by my side, from my first year as an awkward teenage girl, all the way into womanhood, in my thirties.

She has made more of an impact in my life than I could possibly find the words to express and help someone understand.

The best I can come to explaining how much captain has meant to me in my life - is this quote...

"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened."

-Anatole France-

If you have managed to stay with me this far into the *tome sized*, fund raising description - that I have sobbed my eyes out while typing tonight... I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Even if you are tight on cash also and cant help me raise the funeral funds - I know you are all here for me with open hearts and lots of hugs, and that really does mean the world to me.

I love you all and I thank each and every one of you (especially those that survived reading my insomnia induced, sad, cheesy, mushy, crazy ramblings) <3 <3 <3 <3

You all are my heart and I am grateful to have you all in my life.