Joann Brooks walked into her kitchen at Spring Lake Apartments last Saturday morning and found Teddy, her 5-pound teacup Yorkshire, lying near his water bowl trying to get a drink.
“I picked him up and took him outside. I tried to stand him up but he collapsed and died right in front of my eyes,” she said, as her eyes started to tear.
She and her husband, Jerry, were devastated. He kept shaking their pet trying to revive him.
Teddy didn’t move.
“We were weeping hysterically. Jerry cried like a baby. We covered Teddy with his ‘blankie’ and left him in his bed in the corner. We called his veterinarian at Terre Haute,” Joann said.
They didn’t want to bury him in the ground so Teddy was cremated and his ashes placed in a container for the Brooks to keep.
Teddy, 13, was a registered Yorkshire terrier. He became ill two months ago. The vet said he had allergies and emphysema. An earlier experience may have played a role. Teddy had to be rescued from dogs that had attacked him a few years ago, and he suffered a stroke because of it.
Teddy was like the Brookses’ child. They have four grown children but three live out of state and one in Terre Haute. “Teddy was always behind me,” Joann said. “We used to go fishing together.”
Teddy was a hero
Early Christmas morning two years ago, Teddy and Joann played a big part in saving two dogs that had fallen into icy Spring Lake. Teddy began barking relentlessly and pacing the floor. Joann knew Teddy never got upset about the ducks that sat on the ice and melted a spot where they could swim. Finally Joann made her way to the lake, tripping down a dark snow bank. She realized the sounds were coming from the hole. She was terrified and started praying. She didn’t know what to do, but decided to call 911.
Soon officers arrived. One shined his flashlight in the hole and said there were two dogs in the water. Officer Jody Neal used a small boat to slide over the ice and a snare pole to retrieve the dogs. Other officers pulled the boat back to shore.
The Morgan County Humane Society made arrangements with a rescue organization to take the dogs and find good homes for them.
“If it hadn’t been for Teddy, those dogs would probably have drowned in the lake,” she said. “Just like the officers, he was a hero, too.”
Putting away Teddy’s things
In a trembling voice, Joann said, “I had to put all of Teddy’s toys and other things away Saturday evening. It was so sad. He was my baby for years. I have 13 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren and they would talk to Teddy on the phone. They’d yell his name and he would bark.
“When I left Teddy, I took one last look. I saw his little face and curly hair. His ears were standing up. It was the last time I saw him. I cried all the way home,” Joann said. “We will miss him more than I could ever tell.”
Grieving pet owners:
Some animal shelters, kennels, humane societies, veterinary offices and funeral homes can help with cremations or provide information about places that will cremate pets. Pet cemeteries in Indiana and phone numbers that are listed on the Web site of the Association of Pet Cemeteries and the Accredited Pet Cemetery Society follow:
Bloomington: Precious Memories Pet Gardens, 812-824-3950
Eaton: Union Cemetery Association, 317-396-3177
Indianapolis: Memory Gardens Cemetery for Pets 317-895-0955
Mount Vernon: Peaceful Pets Cemetery 812-838-0811
Salem: The Farm Pet Cemetery 812-967-2119
Two toll-free pet loss support hotlines include:
— University of California-Davis veterinary students, weekdays, 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Pacific Time, 800-565-1526
— University of Illinois veterinary students, Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 7-9 p.m. Central time, 877-397-2273
Books to help with pet loss grief:
— “Coping with Sorrow on the Loss of Your Pet,” by Moira Anderson, Alpine Publication (Available at Morgan County Public Library)
— “Pet Loss: A Thoughtful Guide for Adults and Children” by Herbert Nieberg, Harper & Row
— “The Loss of a Pet,” by Wallace Sife, NY Howell Book House (Available at Morgan County Public Library)
Two Web sites to help with pet loss grief:
— The American Veterinary Medical Association’s Pet Loss at
http://www.avma.org/careforanimals/a...nd/goodbye.asp
— The American Veterinary Association at
www.avma.org http://www.reporter-times.com/?modul...54&format=html