Abbey, our Angel Dog, crossed over that Rainbow Bridge on Thursday, September 11, 2008 at 9:15 a.m.  From the moment she bounded into my life, a stray dog who found me while hiking in the country on Ocober 19, 1996, I’ve always called her my Angel Dog.

She was our first dog and taught us so much about her species, not to mention living life in the moment, unconditional love and growing older gracefully.  She was a raging beauty in her younger years and a gorgeous white-haired female in the end.  I knew very little about dogs when she came into our life and imagine that Brad and I brought her into our home on a  Sunday evening and left her inside and home alone with 3 cats while we went to work on that Monday!  Nary a thing was out of order when we returned.  She was always perfect.  Oh…well…there were the dog/dog reactivity issues, but perfect nonetheless.  She also helped raise two Aussie puppies and you know that took some work!

She was one of those dogs……an old soul, who brought more joy to my life than I can begin to describe.  I prepared a photo album in memory of her that is somewhat in chronological order.  And Brad created one of his beautiful Barn Angels to grace her resting spot at the top of our pasture where the rest of the Waggoner menagerie resides (including the ashes of my Mother who passed away 2 months ago).

There’s a huge hole in our hearts and in our home, but we know the sorrow we feel is only because of the joy she brought to our lives.  In time, all the fabulous memories we have of her will melt over the grief we’re now experiencing.  She was a treasure!  This photo was taken at my Mother’s Celebration of Life service in July.  Mother began calling Abbey “The White Dog” several years ago, so now Mama Shirley and Abbey are surely dancing up there somewhere today, I just know it.