It is with great sadness to report here that Reese’s Piece and Will Willis crossed over this past Wednesday, March 25th.
I saw this dreadful decision coming towards me for months. Just over a year ago it was discovered that Willis had a small tumor in his bladder...which was the cause of repeated attempts to urinate every time we went outside.
I’ve since learned that this is fairly common in Chihuahuas, so I sought out information as to what I could do to help him and what I could expect moving forward. On the other end of this...the outcome was commonly a serious emergency situation which by no means did I want to put Willis or myself through.
For starters...he was 15. And well this matters...because if you’ve had geriatric dogs...you know that there comes a point where throwing money at these little guys might buy time...but it can’t buy well-being. And that deeply mattered to me.
Willis also was battling patellar luxation in his hind legs...and over the past few months he no longer stood tall...but rather hunkered down a bit...I’m certain to soften the discomfort he was experiencing in his hind legs.
Don’t get me wrong...Willis...like all Chihuahuas...went 90 miles an hour in most everything he did and fidgeted and was often very restless. It’s just part of the breed. You cannot make them slow down...but their own bodies can.
Yet he still looked me in the eye with a loyalty and a concern for my safety as head of my security team non-stop. He often followed me around the house and stood slightly behind me and within inches of my leg. Often when I couldn’t find him I’d look down and he’d be right there next to me. Chihuahuas are like that...fierce and loyal and all heart. Willis was no different.
He arrived in the family in 2017 when his first person passed away. It was a unique situation because we had just lost Dodi...and then Willis lost Wayne (his person)...and then well...Willis came and met Pieces. Which didn’t go very well at first. Pieces viewed Willis as an impostor for quite a while. But he didn’t care...he still led with his heart...and eventually Pieces accepted Willis into the pack.
He immediately captured the heart of anyone nearby as soon as he walked into the room. He had that kind of attractive energy...like a cute lil fierce and talkative pup would do. He was a sweet sweet boy.
Willis showed me how to love everyone equally...so long as they gave you some energy and attention in return. Rest in peace my little tan and white toed buddy. You are deeply missed.
Now let’s talk about Reese’s Pieces.
Oh my goodness that sweet girl..and drama queen was the boss of the town...but in her later years she bossed more from the backseat...unless her body was required to block between whatever dog was in the room and Willis. (I saw her do this recently and realized that she was “security teaming” on Willis’ behalf...and this confirmed for me that he was very important to her.)
She was discovered at the Ft Defiance Animal shelter in Defiance, Ohio and her ears were bigger than life itself. I knew as soon as I walked into the room that she was coming home with me and she filled my life up with stories and drama and laughter and joy ever since. That was 2011.
I remember walking out of the shelter with her in my arms and the person behind the desk said, “Good luck, she’s a drama queen.”
Boy oh boy they were right...but this made me smile about Pieces. She knew what she wanted...and she learned how to dramatize in order to create the reality she wanted. Mostly.
Her hearing was lost almost completely in the last few months. Which took me a while to figure out. Prior to this...if you squeaked a squeaker toy three rooms over she’d come running and rip it from your hands. She was tons of fun with the squeakers. And then she couldn’t hear them any more and play time become only minutes...when it used to last hours.
The good news was...when a thunderstorm rolled through, or fireworks popped off she now slept all the way through it. No anxiety, no panting, just calm and relaxed because she couldn’t hear it any more.
Pieces had a heart murmur her whole life...and that began to take it’s toll and that showed in her breathing in the night. She also had teeth that declared war on her. And it was an abscess that flared that brought me to having to make the unavoidable decisions coming at me. She too was 15.
It’s a sad thing to watch your pups deteriorate over time. And its even more sad to realize that the time to make that decision is creeping toward you like a snake in the grass.
But...I can truly celebrate a life well lived with both these precious beings. 15 wonderful years with Pieces and 9 wonderful years with Willis.
I cannot begin to describe the void and the energy vacuum that exists in the new reality I find myself. Literally everything changed in a day.
But I’ve already realized...I have much to learn about grief. And sitting with it in the room and in my heart. More to come on this journey as I walk into the next chapter of my life.
Long live the littles!
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