The dog's yelping brought my family running immediately. To my horror, it was true. I had backed the car over Roxy. The kids had put her in the house like I asked, but she had escaped out the back door. Just like the other times she was hit by a car, she didn't seem to have any broken bones, but she was obviously in pain. We followed the practical advice my veterinarian brother-in-law always gave us. "See how she does overnight and then take her to the vet tomorrow." The vet couldn't tell us much and took a "wait and see" attitude, but I knew Roxy would be okay the following morning. I was getting ready to head out for my morning walk. As usual I grabbed her leash. Sure enough, she staggered to her feet and took a few steps. She wasn't really up to a walk yet, but we knew she was on the road to recovery.
Roxy put a lot of miles on those short little legs of hers. Besides her daily walks, she loved to chase the kids around the yard or run back and forth in the hallway between two kids (one of them likely being John) who yelled encouragingly, "Come on, Roxy."
Roxy really did love our family. During vacation we always left her with friends or family so that she wouldn't be alone or cooped up in her kennel. She seemed to have a hard time while we were gone and my dad suggested we look into a "doggie anti-depressant" for her.
By the time Aaron left on his mission in 2011, Roxy was slowing down a bit. She was especially close to him, usually sleeping on his bed, and we hoped she would be here to welcome him home. First she welcomed Lavender to the family and she adjusted very well to having a little one around. In fact, she was always gentle with our granddaughters too. When they got to be too much, she usually left the room or climbed under the coffee table where they couldn't reach her.
In 2012, Roxy couldn't make it for the whole 3 mile walk. We usually looped by the house after a mile and she seemed satisfied. Eventually, even that became too much for her. She could no longer climb the stairs and started sleeping downstairs. Her walks became shorter and shorter until finally she ventured just a few yards out the door onto the grass. When Aaron arrived home in late 2013, he was really sad to see her decline.
It seemed fitting that he was the one to find her the morning she died. He got up around 5:00 AM to let her outside and at first he thought she was just sleeping. We were in Chicago, but Ryan came over to help bury her and say goodbye.
I am grateful we had Roxy in our home for 11 years. She was a sweet dog and we will always remember her and miss her. John won't miss the vet bills, but you notice that in the end, Roxy left so peacefully that we didn't need to take a trip to the vet. I guess that was her way of saying thank you.
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