We love you Annie

I am at a complete and utter loss. We lost a member of our family last night and I have a true feeling that something is missing in our house.

Annie, our wonderful dog went to heaven last night. It was very unexpected for us. She had been throwing up for the last couple of days and we took her to an emergency vet yesterday when she was to lethargic to get up out of her own vomit. We thought they would give her IV fluids and send us on our way with our baby feeling better. After a very long day of ups and downs, many x-rays and blood work we found out she had a blockage. The doctor seemed to think it was a rawhide, so she had emergency surgery. When they opened her up, she was eaten up with cancer. She had tumors everywhere. It is crazy, we had no idea. In fact, yesterday morning, she couldn't pick her head up but was still able to wag her tail to greet me.

Brian and I are devastated, it all happened so fast. In a sense it is a good thing. She didn't suffer for too long and we weren't left with the decisions of having to take care of a terminally ill pet. God is good. I thanked Him last night for putting Annie in our family when he did. She was just what we needed. We adopted her after having to put down Haden our first dog that Brian and I adopted together. Haden had aggression issues and we couldn't have him in the house with Madison who at the time was 6 months old. We were so saddened and the wonderful founder of Adopt A Golden contacted us and told us she had the perfect dog for us and boy did she ever.

From the second Annie stepped foot into our house she has loved us unconditionally. At all times she would wag her tail, try to sit in your lap, and lick you all over. She couldn't give enough love and for that we will be forever grateful. She was so gentle and loving with Madison and Carter and let them roll all over her, use her as a pillow, and ride her like a horse. She was very protective of us, especially me and the kids. Whenever someone approached us that she wasn't sure of, she put her body in between us.

She was the BEST dog anybody could ask for. She loved to sit in your lap and be petted, she loved to swim, she loved her stuffed animals, she loved to play ball, she loved Hudson (our cat), she loved to play with Kylie, TJ, and Kaiser, she loved car rides and long trips. She loved the beach, just like us. Most of all she loved us and we loved her.

I will never forget the time that we had with her. I know that we will never find a dog like her. She was something special. I hope that she is in heaven looking down from a beautiful beach, chasing tennis balls and swimming in the water. We love you Annie.