Remembering Joanna

Dachshunds

Joanna
2000-2011

On Sunday I had to make the agonizing decision to let Joanna go to the Rainbow Bridge. I got her as a foster last February. She was mostly blind, and didn't really like to picked up or petted. As she became comfortable finding her way around my house she became more interested in human contact. She still didn't want to be picked up, but she definitely liked to be wherever the people were, especially if there were people in the kitchen!

She even learned to use the doggie door, putting my own two-year-old Evie (who was afraid of it) to shame! So Evie learned to use the doggie door, thanks to Joanna. In early summer of last year, Joanna went down in the back. I thought surely a dog this old would not come back from such difficult surgery, but she did! Thanks to Dr. Caplan's skill, lots of home therapy, and acupuncture from Dr. C, she bounced back. She even walked better than before! Then the feisty came out. You better not walk past her without at least a "Hello," preferably a pickup and a pet! She loved to sit outside and soak up the sun, and she even would squeak a toy now and then.

This last round of health issues, however, proved to be too much. It was time for her to rest and join the others on the Rainbow Bridge. I only had her for a little over a year, but she's as dear to me as any dog I've ever had, and I miss her greatly.

DEBORAH ABSALON

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