I saw Nora in one of the saddest Facebook videos I’d ever seen. She was in the shelter just completely shaking and looking terrified, with big, scared eyes. She was eight when I got her. One other person had shown interest in her when she arrived at the shelter, but she decided Nora was not the dog for her after finding out her age. How lucky for me! I’d been looking for a dog and decided she would be the one. Nora was not so sure of that and didn’t let me touch her for the first week I had her. But suddenly something clicked for her, and we quickly began to grow a bond that would last for the rest of her life. She was sassy – super sassy. She never really showed enthusiasm for any other human but me. She was my dog and everyone knew it. She had the goofiest bark and would always throw her head back when she used it. She slept in bed with me every night – she didn’t like cuddling, but we would always fall asleep touching each other in some way. When Nora got sick, I took her to the vet who told me I would be lucky to get six months with her. Towards the end, she showed a few signs of doggie dementia and would pace a lot. Her tip-taps while walking were always around. I miss hearing those. It’s been very quiet. I ended up getting 10 months with Nora and am so grateful I had that time with her. I wanted her to live long enough to have love for at least half of her life. We didn’t get there, but I think the five years got the point across well enough. I miss her every day. My best girl.
