Della, gone too soon

Queen Della, ally of Serena, mother of the dozen Danes, midnight slayer of rabbit, canine mother of the year. 

I lost my first female German Shepherd just a few months after my first partner died. It felt like a punch in the gut followed up by a kick upside the head. Losing Della today just a few months after losing Maya had a similar impact. But Della's greatest impact wasn't the pain of losing her, it will forever be the joy she brought to our lives for the past five years. 

She was a major feature of our lives and our household, from the very beginning to the very end, but Della's impact extended far beyond our home. There's the obvious impact she had on the 12 homes who adopted her 12-pack of puppies, of course, but even that is just the tip of the iceberg. Della's story reached far and wide, something that she came to really appreciate when complete strangers knew her name and showered her with attention and praise. 

Taking Della out in public was always a social event. She was a very striking dog even if her markings didn't fit the AKC breed standard. Della set her own standard. She was a harlequin, but she also had significant merle markings, and even the least little touch of fawn. It gave her a "cookies and cream" complexion that never failed to draw looks and inspire comments from admirers. 

Aside from her looks, Della had something special that people would pick up on when meeting her. She had a charisma that any politician would envy. She was always self-assured, confident, and in command of any situation in which she found herself. You can see it in her stance, her noble bearing, and most definitely in her eyes. Her eyes had the deepest soul-penetrating radar I've ever encountered. They could take the full measure of a person with just a glance. They had a fire in them, the fire of life.

My favorite Della story demonstrates both her intelligence and her loyalty. It happened when we were out in the pasture playing ball with Theo and Serena. Della had no interest in the ball, but Serena wanted it and Theo had it. Della came running and basically body slammed Theo, dislodging the ball from his mouth and leaving him a bit stunned and surprised, which gave Serena the chance to snatch the ball and run off with it. Della was a valuable ally and always a loyal friend. 

It's never easy to euthanize a dog, even when it is the last act of kindness we can perform for them. But I don't think I've ever had a rougher time parting with a dog than this one. I had really hoped and had reason to expect that we'd have several more years together. Bone cancer sucks. It brought down a vibrant dog in the prime of her life. Although she hasn't been able to bear weight on that leg for past several weeks, it had barely slowed her down until recently. The pain meds had kept her relatively comfortable, but she had already outlasted the estimates they gave us when she was first diagnosed and it was not realistic to believe that she would make it another three weeks. I've been carrying her back end up the stairs for the past few weeks and lately I've noticed that she was providing less of an assist than she once did, even with her front legs. I believe that it's better to call it quits a week too soon rather than a week too late. Although she must have been in pain, she never really showed it. Her eyes were as bright and eager as ever right up to the end. 

The puppy days. She was a proud and happy mother of many.

Sweet Serena, her soulmate. I think Della decided to live here as soon as she met Serena. Whether it was high flying games or snuggling, Della loved spending time with Serena.

She liked us well enough too.

Beautiful in any setting.

Gone too soon.