Sweet, sweet Harley...
I'm sad to say that we had to put our 16 year old dog, Harley, down on Sunday. It was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. You may remember that a year and a half ago we thought we were going to lose Harley, she had had a stroke and we thought that was the end. But, in Harley fashion, she rebounded and perked right up. Although, she did go blind and nearly deaf in the last year she would still show signs of perky Harley every now and then. Knowing "when" the right time was turned out to be very hard. I started praying that God would make it very clear to us when it was "time" and I really feel like HE did that on Sunday morning. Seeing her cry out in pain was unbearable especially since she's been such a quiet dog for 16 years.
Harley has been just the sweetest dog ever! We got so lucky with her when I adopted her from Petsmart 15 years ago when Ty and I were dating. She welcomed Maclaine when we brought this little stranger into our home 7 years after Harley. She even played along with Maclaine when it was dress-up time or any other game Maclaine could get her to play. She was one of those dogs that I never worried about biting or hurting a child, she was just incredibly gentle.
We are sad to not have her in our home anymore and sad that we can't come up with nicknames for her as she was aging. She inherited the name "Harley the pirate dog" when she originally had her stroke because she had a lazy eye for a day and we bought her an eye patch to wear.
Recently when she was completely blind and we would have to scream her name to get her attention, she received the name "Harley Keller." Get it? Helen Keller...Harley Keller. A little insensitive yes, but if you're a part of the Morgan family you just know that if you're teased that means you're loved!
Then, Ty started calling her, "Harley, pretty-girl with the bows in her hair." I asked Ty what that was all about because I had never heard that one before but he said that he knew her time was limited and since she was blind she didn't know if she was ugly or pretty that when she died she should think she was a pretty girl, and what the heck, we'll tell her she had bows in her hair. I thought that was so dang sweet! So, when Maclaine and I were laying and crying with Harley Sunday morning we told her she was a pretty girl with bows in her hair, and don't ever forget it!
Here's Harley 15 years ago...
She was right by Clainey's side when it was potty-training time...
shower time....
nap-time....
dress-up time....
and of course, just when she needed a friend...
Thanks for the memories Harley, pretty-girl with bows in your hair....
