Sarah – the Best Little Dog in the World
This is dedicated to Sarah Rebekah Green – September 29, 2005 – January 30, 2019
My little Yorkie passed away last night. She hadn’t been doing well for a couple of days but we were still shocked and saddened by her death. She was the best dog ever and never did anything she shouldn’t do, right up to the end.
In December of 2005 I wanted to get another dog. My Basset Hound, Abigail had died after a short battle with stomach cancer, leaving my Dachshund Jack all alone. Jack was a handsome little fellow, black and tan and full of spunk. He had been born blind, as had his litter mates and the breeder in Texas had chosen to go out of business as a result of what they believed to be inbreeding on their part. They were heartbroken and vowed to find homes for all one hundred twenty-five dogs. Some were sent to California and on a sunny Saturday I had chosen Jack at the local pet store. The sign on his cage said “Cactus Jack – visually impaired” but it was evident immediately that Jack was completely blind and couldn’t even see shadows of light. I taught him how to go for walks by saying “up” or “down” at each curb crossing and he loved to hear the sounds and enjoy the smells of the neighborhood. He became popular with neighbors and other animals and wagged his tail wildly to greet someone new.
Abigail the Basset Hound was not impressed. She would turn her head and bark at mealtime and when Jack followed the sound she would reach over and eat his food. I imagined her saying “Can’t we take him back? He still has that “new dog” smell and someone else will take him home.” But Jack grew on her and soon she was allowing him to sleep on her bed and even playing with him at times. After banging his head on the furniture during these play times he learned where everything was.
When Abigail died Jack went into a depression of sorts. not wanting to eat or play or go for walks. I knew he was lonely and decided to get him a companion.
I decided on the Maltese breed because of their size and temperament. I found a breeder about twenty miles away and drove their to see the Maltese puppy they had for sale.
When I arrived it turned out they also had a Yorkshire Terrier. The breeder had two little girls who were sitting on the stairs playing with this tiny Yorkie. They were being too rough with her and at one point tossed her in the air. That was when I asked if she was also available for purchase. When the woman said yes I drove to two ATM machines and a grocery store to withdraw the additional cash.
I drove home with these two puppies in a box and spent the next few days acclimating them to my bedroom before introducing them to Jack.
I was never any good with housebreaking and training puppies over the years and this time was no different. I named the Maltese Micah Samuel after a student I had taught years ago. Sarah Rebekah was the name I chose for the Yorkie.
Micah was a handful from the very beginning, biting my fingers and chewing my pillows and shoes. Sarah was a little angel in comparison and always looked at me with gratitude in her eyes. Perhaps she understood on some level that even though I did not want her initially I had saved her from those two little girls by bringing her home with me. Sarah was approved to visit people at our local hospital and gave them much joy over the years she did that. Both children and elderly people loved holding her and stroking her fur while they were in their beds and could not get up or move around very much.
When I think back over the thirteen years of Sarah’s life I feel like she spent every day being grateful for the life she had, giving back to everyone she met with her loving and gentle manner. And when she was two years old she and Micah created new life. I stayed with Sarah every minute possible leading up to her due date, but one day I went to the grocery store and that’s when she gave birth to her litter of four puppies. When I got home three of them had drowned in their sac and one was whimpering on the kitchen floor. I made every effort to revive the three but to no avail. We called the surviving puppy our miracle and named her Kali.
Sarah did not want to nurse Kali so I would sit with her for a few minutes at a time to allow them to bond. We began feeding Kali with an eyedropper and that worked out well.
Even though the veterinarian and I had figured out when Sarah could be fixed I missed the date by a few days and she became pregnant a few months later. I was so upset with myself for not handling this properly and apologized to Sarah profusely during her nine weeks before the puppies would arrive. To make matters worse, I has leaving for China and would not be there for the delivery.
One puppy was born naturally and the other three were delivered by emergency C-Section. Only two of the four survived and we named them Scooter and Teddy.
Over the years our family of five dogs flourished. They had fun being their own little pack and I loved having them all together.
One day in 2013 I gave Sarah a bath and then left for Santa Barbara. I got a call from a family member just hours later asking me what was wrong with her. I thought I had not been careful and she had gotten water into her lungs. I immediately drove back to Santa Clarita and went directly to the vet’s office. She could not stand up and was breathing hard. The vet who had done the C-Section said that she was bleeding into her abdomen and did not think she would survive the surgery necessary for this condition. I told her that she had done a wonderful job delivering the puppies a year before and that I trusted her to do her best this time. She did and Sarah came home two days later.
Sarah was a sweet angel who brought joy to everyone she encountered. She had been through so much with the two pregnancies and abdominal surgery and still maintained her sweet disposition. Every day I told her she was my special girl and thanked her for the three puppies she had given birth to. She loved to go for walks around the neighborhood, play at the park, and walk along the beach in Santa Barbara.
Even though she was thirteen and not in the best physical condition I believed she had at least a few more years of life with us. She ate the best quality food and had regular visits to the vet but that was not God’s plan.
Throughout the years Kali was in love with Sarah. We referred to her as Kali’s “mom dog” and made sure they had time together every single day. If Sarah went to the vet or the groomer or for a walk, Kali paced back and forth until they were reunited. Kali was at her mom dog’s side when she passed. She let out a mournful cry at the moment Sarah stopped breathing as though she knew it was the end of their life together, at least on earth. I am grateful for this as Kali seems to be taking the situation in stride. I am glad Sarah left this world surrounded by the people and animals that made up her life experience. 
Sarah, I love you and will never forget you. I am grateful for the time we had together and for the memories we made over your lifetime. I know your dog husband, Micah will always miss you. And thank you for giving life to Kali, Teddy, and Scooter so that we can remember you through them every day.