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Monday, November 15, 2010

Betty is an angel in heaven now.


Tears are streaming down my face as I share with our friends that my angel Betty has passed away.

12-22-2007 -  11-14-2010

We adopted her from the French Bulldog Rescue Network. Her gotcha day was December 12th, 2009. We knew she had a seizure disorder, but something about her spirit stole my heart and I knew we belonged together. 


Through our wonderful vet, we were able to keep her seizure free for 9 months. I was dedicated to learning everything I could about canine epilepsy to ensure she had a long life with us. My heart breaks that despite my efforts, I lost my precious girl far too soon. We were all blessed that for 9 wonderful months Betty experienced life without suffering a seizure.

She was my constant companion. If not glued to my side at home, she tagged along in the shopping at whatever store we happened to be shopping in.

Betty LOVED Stella and Gunther and they her. From the second I walked in the door after adopting her, the 3 of them acted as if they had known each other forever.
Betty was my 'heart' dog and a large piece of my heart died with her last night. She suffered debilitating seizures the past 2 days that no creature should have to endure. I set my baby girl free while holding her and telling her how much I loved her and that my life will never be the same without her.

Thank you all for sharing our time with Betty. She will be missed more than I can describe.

Shannon

67 comments:

Unknown said...

I'm sooo sorry to hear about Betty! She was such a character, I know she will be missed.

Hugs to you, Stella and Gunther as you all are grieving. :( :(

pam said...

I am so so sorry...

Anonymous said...

Oh, Shannon. I'm so shocked. I don't know what to say except I'm so, so sorry. Betty was precious and special and I'm so grateful to you for sharing her with us. Thank you also for opening your home and your heart to her and giving her a life filled with such love. She was a very lucky girl.

Run free, sweet Betty.

Hugs,
Amber (and Mayzie, too)

The 'splorin' Wolfies said...

our thoughts are with you.

BRUTUS said...

Oh, Shannon... My heart is absolutely breaking for you. Must have been so hard to see your beautiful girl suffering like that. How lucky you were to be able to share time with Betty, even though it was way too short. And how lucky for her to have found you, and had you there to make a choice that she could not. Sending our love to help heal your hearts.

Michelle, Brutus, Carmen & Mason

Kelly said...

We have been in shambles since we heard the news. Sending love and strength to you all. There are no words to convey our sympathy.

Love, Kelly & Pearl

Punchbugpug said...

Shannon, no words can be expressed to ease your pain. What a wonderful 9 months you gave her...and she gave you! Wrap yourself in cyber hugs from all of us. Special hugs to Stella and Gunther too!!!!

Love,
Punchy

♥ Sallie said...

We are so sorry for your loss.

((((((((((((((((Big Hug))))))))))))))))

Mollie Jo and Bobo said...

We are so sorry to hear about sweet Betty passing. Our hearts go out to you and Stella and Gunther.

Wags and Licks,
Mollie Jo and Bobo and Katie the momma

Kellee the Caffeinated said...

Oh my goodness, I am beyond sorry for your loss!!!! Know that we are thinking about your family today over here at the Monster House!

*HUGS*
The Monster Crew

pugmama said...

we found you thru 'wilma the pug' just today... I am so sorry to read that you are soldiering on without what looks like the sweetest little frenchie puppy ever. she was a lucky little girl.

Unknown said...

Simply, Betty will be missed greatly. The bond between you and Betty was something special to behold. My heart goes out to you, Bruce, Stella and Gunther. You gave your all to her and she returned it abundantly. Run in flowers forever sweet Betty

MurphyDog said...

oh, gosh...such sadness this morning. Betty was such a beautiful girl, and so so lucky to have been part of your smush face family. You gave her the ulimate gift last night, it was a selfless act and one I'm sure she is grateful for.

Hugs to you during this difficult time

Murphydog's Mom

Those Elgin Pugs said...

Our thoughts and prayers are with you all~

animal lover, quilt lover said...

I loved Betty too!!!! She will be a angel watching over you!! I feel your grief!!!

Harry Pugalicious said...

I am heart-broken to hear this. Reading about Betty was always brought laughter and smiles and the blog world will miss her. Hugs to you and your husband and Stella and Gunther.

The Slimmer Pugs, Kitties, and Mama said...

Hi Shannon! I feel extremely sad for your loss...I feel shocked more than anything.
Just wanted to let you know that I bought your family a ticket into the JD & Max auction for Shelby...you can check out the possible surprises Marge, Stella, and Gunter can possibly receive at
http://jdandmaxauctionforshelby.blogspot.com/
We think of your family during this time and wanted to do something nice that shows we care.
Much luvums,
The Slimmer Pug Family (and mamas)

Dexter said...

Oh no! That is heartbreaking. Little Miss Betty was such a wonderful addition to your family. So full of vigor and playful. She will be missed.

Mango Momma

Archie and Melissa said...

oh shannon
i am in complete tears at the loss of your sweet Betty.

She loved you more than words can say.

you saved her and gave her the best possible life.

thank you so much for always sharing her with all of us.

i have made a donation in her name to the FBRN.

i am always here for all of you.

all of my love
melissa

kjpugs said...

Betty... we will miss you so much... hugs to Stella & Gunther and Shannon... we are grieving for her too. We will miss that beautiful face. Thanks Shannon for being such a light in Betty's life.

Unknown said...

Dear Shannon, my heart is broken for you in the loss of this amazing little girl. I am so glad Betty had your absolute love and care and such a loving home for the time she was with you, a time that was much too short. The Canine Epi Angels web site helped me so much with my Java and his seizures, and I hope that you found support and information for her, too.
sending so many pug hugs to you today,
Nancy and the pugs

dw said...

On no, Shannon! I just pulled up my blog and saw the title of Harry's latest post and said oh no, not Betty! Oh I am so sorry! Betty was such a joy, even if I only knew her on your blog. She had attitude and fun and you made her life so good these past 9 months. I'm sure she's looking down and watching over you, thankful to have had such a wonderful mama. *hugs to you and the rest of the Smushie household*

Oisín said...

We are so sorry for your loss, we truly are!
You guys are in our thoughts and prayers! :(

Lots of love
Oisín and Amanda
x

Dana Orsborn said...

Shannon,

Daisy and I are so sorry to hear about Betty. We never had the chance to meet her, but she brightened our day every time we read about her, and saw her photos. We are thinking about you,
and your family.

-Dana & Daisy

Yours Truly said...

Marlene & I are saddened by your loss of Betty. May the love of Stella & Gunther comfort you in this time.

Trudy & Marlene

Lola and also Franklin, too said...

We just can't put into words how sorry we are - all of us. It was so wonderful that Betty had someone like you to care for her. Not everyone would take on a dog with special needs like that. Her life was all too short, but was so filled with love and that's what counts. I hope you are able to heal from this loss. It's clear you are hurting so badly, I wish we could do something for you. Right now all we can do is tell you that we do understand and will be thinking of you and sending you good thoughts for healing.

love from Lola and family.

Sequoia & Petunia & Emma said...

We are sorry to hear about sweet Betty. We will send her extra hugs tonight. Her funny ways and cute face will be missed so much. She was a lucky girl to have you all.


Hugs
Jenn Sequoia and Tuni

Sandy Mastroni said...

dear Shannon
I'm sorry to hear about Betty too .
sending you love

Southern Fried Pugs said...

Thank you for giving her 9 months of heaven.

Hank said...

Shannon, we are truly heartbroken for you, Bruce, and the smushies. She could not have had a greater home.

We will miss Betty so much.

All our love -

Sarah, Hank and Molly

bullie_mama said...

I am so so horribly sorry. It's the worst thing in the world to lose a furry child. They seriously bless our lives and bring us so much joy and happiness and hilarity! I lost both my wiggle bum Bullies within 4 months of each other last year and I don't think I'll ever recover. I miss them dearly to this day.
We will miss you beautiful Betty Boo! I know you're at the Rainbow Bridge snortin & fartin it up with my Hannah & Panda. Tell Gooser hi for us as well, for he passed last night too. Oh you Bullies must be gettin' into so much trouble up there, we'll be seeing you soon.
-Sara and Miss Weezy

Two French Bulldogs said...

We feel like she was ours. Tears are streaming here too. We are SO sorry
Benny & Lily and momma

Stacy Walker said...

Oh I am so sorry to hear this. My heart breaks for you all.

Stacy Walker said...

Oh we are so sorry to hear this. We are thinking of you all.

Oskar said...

We are very sorry to hear about the loss of your dear Betty. We are sending pawerful prayers for healing.

Nubbin wiggles,
Oskar

Pippen said...

It's days like today when we hear about a wonderful pup too late to get to know them that make us sad... Benny and Lily sent us over.

We are so sorry for your loss and are in our thoughts and prayers.

Sam and Pippen

Shawn said...

Shannon,
I saw a posting about Betty and wanted to come over and tell you how sorry I am and hope you find comfort in all these comments. I hope your precious Betty is running in a field chasing butterflies!

Shawn

Lorenza said...

Our thoughts are with you.
Take care
Lorenza

agent99 said...

Oh Shannon - we know how much this hurts. Your selfless love for Betty allowed her many more months of life, the joy of being with Gunther and Stella and in a home filled with love for the last few months. When her body could no longer function, you made the brave decision to set her free of pain and seizures. I know she felt the love you had for her until the last possible moment. Our thoughts are with you, and hope that soon, you memories of Betty bring more joy than sorrow. Thank you for sharing her farty personality and zest for life with us. We will miss her terrribly.
Many hugs and snorts......

Tweedles -- that's me said...

Dear Shannon, Bruce, Gunther and Stella.
I am wrapping my paws around all of you right now. Your hearts are broken and we cry with you.
You have all been family to us and now we too- all of your blogging family feels this sorrow and emptiness. We loved Betty too.
We knew exactly how much you loved Betty, You and Bruve were such a good pawrents to her. She was your baby,,, And Gunther and Stella were the best brother and sister to her.
Your family gave her the best years of her life,,, and she gave you hers. And now that she had to leave,,, there is a big hole in all of your hearts.
As I write, I wish there was something I could do or say to make this terrible sadness go away.
But there is nothing. Only tears are falling,, tears like yours.
The angels in heaven are holding little Betty right now,,, They are rocking her.
You gave the biggest gift in the world when you made the decision to let her to to the Rainbow Bridge.. the hardest decision you ever will make.
We give you love and our prayers that your heart will heal.
We know you are broken
We are soooo sorry.
love
tweedles and moms

♥♥ The OP Pack ♥♥ said...

We are so very sorry for your loss. We so understand the sadness you feel. Hugs to all of you.

Woos ~ Phantom, Thunder, and Ciara

Lacy said...

woofs, sooo sorry for your loss...its so very hard when we lose out best friends..RIP Betty, run with the wind..

a sad,
rocky
bear
jodee
angel lacylulu
and mama

Winston Wilbur said...

Shannon,

Within our tight knit blogging community we make friends, share stories, laugh together and cry together. We are there for each other through the joys and sadness that comes along with having our hearts touched by a special furry friend.

So tonight we shed tears of sorrow at the sudden loss of Betty. I am able to put myself into your shoes, I can imagine the pain you are endearing with Betty now gone. I can feel the sorrow and the sadness. I understand.

Betty is with us still. She is all around us now. She is running free and watching over you. Protecting you and watching out for you as you did for her.

She is physically gone.... but her soul remains and she is never forgotten.

Stubby said...

Oh Shannon! I don't even know where to begin. It seems like just yesterday I was visiting you on the ranch and now sweet Betty is gone. I can't know what you're going through but know that I am with you always.

You gave Betty your heart and in turn she gave you the gift of her soul. She brightened your day like only she could and you are a better person from knowing her. Your tireless care of her and willingness to give her everything she needed are testiments to your capacity to love. She needed you and you needed her.

Words cannot express how I feel right now but in time I know all of us will heal. I will always remember Betty as the carefree spirit that she was. I know I will see her someday at the Bridge and I take comfort in that.

Stubby xoxo

Puglette said...

i am so sorry. i loved betty too, from your blog posts. i am so glad that she was able to have some peace and love with you and your family. you are in my prayers, run free sweet betty, we love you.
hugs,
puglette

Salinger The Pug said...

Shannon,
We are SO SO SO sorry to hear this awful news. We are sending you all our love and smushie hugs across the miles.

Please know that you gave Betty the BEST life she could have possibly had and I'm sure she's telling all of her pals on the other side of the bridge how much fun she had being your furkid!

Please give have a big group hug tonight and give a few extra kisses to Stella, Gunther and Marge for us, ok?

Love,
Laura, Kevin, Holden and Salinger

Frankie Furter and Ernie said...

I am so very much sorry about Betty. She was delightful. I wish I could ease your sorrow.

Chicas Libelulas said...

Ohhh Shannon, we are so sorry to hear about Beituful Betty.
Even though we never had the never met in person,she brightened our day when we read your wonderfull stories and her photos. Our Prayers and thoughts are with all of you!! That you probaly miss her, but we think she in Rainbow Heaven, runing arroung with all furfriends and family.
We are so sorry for your loss.
Hugs and Bechos
Spongy, Licky and Marcella

the booker man said...

miss shannon,
me and asa and mama are so very, very sorry that miss betty had to leave for the bridge. we are thinkin' of you and miss stella and gunther and sendin' lots of huggles.

*woof*
the booker man

Nicole said...

I'm so sorry. My thoughts are prayers are with you and your babies.

Anonymous said...

Shannon, I just read about Betty. I remember when you went out to pick her up. My heart is breaking for you. I know that she was so blessed to have your love for the time she spent with you. Much love and big hugs going out to you and Bruce and Stella and Gunther. May the hole in your heart be filled with happy memories of good times you spent together.
Love you,
Lynn

Casper Bear said...

We are so very sorry for your loss! Betty was a beautiful girl and will be sadly missed.
Lotsa Licks
Casper Bear

Sally said...

We are so very sad for you and your family - we send you all our love and hugs -
D, Sally and paddy

Mack said...

We are so sorry to hear of your loss. "See you again Betty".

Sugars,
Mack

Minnie and Mack said...

We are so sorry for the loss of dear, sweet Betty. Your lives were blessed to share her brief time with you all!

Drools and licks,
Minnie and Mack

Minnie Moo said...

Our heart breaks for you.
Pug snorts, kisses and hugs to you.

Muah,

Minnie Moo

Diane said...

Oh SHannon....I am at a loss for words but certainly not on feelings. I was CRUSHED to hear about Betty through Tweedles. I am beyond sorry. Sending you, Bruce, Gunther & Stella big big hugs & please know we are all here for you! We will miss Betty terribly!xoxoxo Diane

Mia said...

We are so sorry for your loss. We are sending lots of love to you and the Smushies. Please give Stella and Gunther hugs and kisses for us. And BIG (((((((HUG)))))) to you. If there is anything we can do, please let us know.

Love
Jess & Lilo

Ronin The Pug said...

We are sooooo sorry to hear about cute little Betty! :(
We are thinking of you!
Biiiig hug!
Ronin & Human with the computer

The Devil Dog said...

We are so sorry for your loss. Please know that you and your family will be in our prayers and thoughts.

Roxy, Lucky & Mom

Bruschi said...

So sorry for your loss! Betty sounded like a wonderfully sweet girl. This is our first time on the blog and Mommy is crying as if she knew you all....our thoughts and prayers to you, your family and your furry family as well.

Hugs and Licks, Bruschi and Ebby

Ms. ~K said...

Oh Shannon,
My heart is aching for you right now...What a terrible shock!
We will all miss Betty.
Sending you a long, comforting hug,
Kit

Molly the Airedale said...

We are so sorry that we never got to know Betty. Our thoughts and prayers go out to you. We are so very sorry for your loss.

Love ya lots,
Maggie and Mitch

Kristin G. said...

My sincere sympathy to you. Bless you Betty.

Becky said...

What a darling little girl she was. I'm sorry for your loss. We always wonder if we could have done more. I lost my boxer in July and still wonder. Betty knows how much you loved her. I take comfort in believing we will be together again. Came by from Tweedles blog.

Two Pitties in the City said...

We are so sorry to hear this. This is probably one of the last things you expected so soon. She was truly beautiful and unique and you can tell how well-loved she was.

Tucker said...

Oh no! I am so sorry I missed these posts! I was on hiatis and had just too many posts to catch up on!

I am so sorry for the loss of Betty. She stole everyone's hearts and will be very much missed.

woof - Tucker