A year ago, around Christmas, we found out she had crippling cancer that prevented her from walking. Her limp went from bad to worse and pain meds didn’t last long. Bless her beautiful heart, she kept trying to make the best of the pain and loved us as unconditionally as she always had. Never a complaint from this friend, though we knew just how badly she hurt. It would be selfish of us to make her continue through that pain because we couldn’t bear living in a Brodieless world, although we still barely can. In just two quick months we had to heartbreakingly say goodbye to the best dog we had ever known and a friend we knew we could never replace.
Aside from our own grief, we had the heartbreak of our kids, especially our then 3-year-old daughter. She had been with Brodie every day since she was born and loved her just as deeply as any of us. It was a tender age to lose a beloved family pet. Shortly after that, my mom and her husband, who live next door, co-adopted a puppy with us from the shelter for my daughter to pour her love into. She named her Bella and has spent the year loving her despite the fact that Bella has to spend the majority of time next door at my mom’s (unlike Brodie who could be here all the time) because she is so big and still being trained and knocks over our toddler son and any visitors we have.
Last Friday we found out horrible news from the vet. We took her in for x-rays because we knew she was running strange and her hind legs didn’t seem to be developing like her front legs were. Bella has the worst case of hip dysplasia the vet has seen in 20 years of practice. It is a birth defect and horrible luck. The vet asked if we wanted her put down immediately. I was outside the church we hold our homeschool co-op at and I burst into tears. The thought of what this would do to my little girl was overwhelming. She still talks regularly about how she misses Brodie and includes her in her prayers as she knows Brodie lives with God in her heart and in Heaven. All I could hear in my head was my daughter’s farewells to Bella that morning on our way to co-op, “Bye, Bella,” she had cheered, “I’ll see you when I get home from learning with my friends!”
I knew we couldn’t do anything before giving my daughter a chance to say goodbye to Bella and also didn’t know how to even break the news that Bella was sick. My friends at the co-op gave me support and hugs. I tried to pull myself together in front of the kids, but the tears kept falling anyway. I was cursing under my breath the drive home and once the kids fell asleep I wept my way to a migraine.
My mom, myself and many friends all said prayers that night. I asked God for a way to comfort my little girl, not realizing how much comfort I needed myself. My mom asked Him to feel the burden of pain in her heart.
God is amazing. The next day, He brought an unbelievable turn of events, an answered prayer right to our doorsteps. The kids went to the store for a few hours with my husband. Home alone again, I started to sob. I called my mom, confessing I couldn't shut it off, I couldn't stop mourning Brodie, how everything with Bella was refreshing our loss. I know we'll never have a Brodie again, but we started talking about possibly adopting an older dog from the Safe Haven Humane Society before we did anything with Bella. I called the number while the kids were still gone to explain our needs, a gentle dog that was playful but calm. I got a machine. Suddenly, my mom came to the door with a gentle, sweet, nice dog, a lab/retriever mix. We both laughed at the thought of the irony, knowing that a dog this nice and well behaved with a collar will have an owner coming to look for it soon. Sure enough, the dog belonged to the neighbors behind us. We complimented them on what a nice dog they had. Here is where the miracle started to fully reveal itself. Come to find out, they have three dogs, are not home as often as they would like to care for them, and offered to let us keep the dog, for free. My mouth dropped open. What were the chances? This dog is trained, fixed, up to date on shots and meds. She is calm, sweet and loving. At 9-years-old, she is so good with the kids, they can walk her and she doesn't pull them down. They even gave us her crate she sleeps in at night (although before long I am sure she will be sleeping on my daughter’s bed).
My daughter is the happiest girl in the world to adopt this dog that actually gets to stay at our house instead of at Grandma’s, and it will make the transition so much easier when Bella needs to go back to live with God. It is such an answer to prayer. The woman said she didn't know why the dog just took off unexplainably that day, but we know why. She walked right up to my mom's back door and licked her hand. That is from God, knowing we needed another dog to love and a little girl needed a place to pour her love and this dog is just perfect. Zelda Ballerina has found a home in our hearts and we feel the warmth of God’s blessing bringing her to our door. He truly heard our cries and sent us a gentle spirit to ease our pain.
“My new dog looks so much like Brodie, mom, and she has nice eyes like Brodie had,” my four-year-old reflected. “I think Brodie and Zelda would have been friends and liked each other.”
You can be sure of it. I also don’t doubt that Brodie is happily running again and waiting for the day she shows Bella how to run without pain, either. What a merciful God indeed.
"May God be merciful to us, bless us, and cause His face to shine on us." -Psalms 67:1
Brodie
Bella
Zelda Ballerina
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