Indiana

About two weeks after a well-dog check up in January where Indy appeared to be just fine, Indy had a seizure and collapsed outside on the grass. She got worse in the following days, so I took her into the vet again and he did some tests that showed her body cavity was so swollen with fluid she had a hard time breathing. Over the next week the diuretics she was given brought the swelling down enough to do more accurate tests. We found out she had Hemangiosarcoma, which is a tumor of blood vessels. To our shock we were told she had about one month to live. We prayed for miracles, but also just tried to really appreciate her and make her as comfortable as possible through her sickness.
Jeff left on a work trip to Iraq for a week, then I was to meet him in Italy. The day I was leaving for the airport, we took the following pictures. It was Indy's 10th birthday. She collapsed again when I was about to load her in the car and I knew she would leave us that day. In tears, I eventually coaxed her into the car and we made it to Salt Lake to meet my sister and parents who were going to take care of her. When my parents got her to their house, she bounded out of the car, up the stairs, said hello to Madison and her canine cousins, Tink and Cali. Within a minute she was gone. It was rough news to be told at the airport boarding a plane to a dream vacation. I was the last to board the flight because I was bawling my eyes out on the airport bathroom floor.

We absolutely love that dog as one of our children and are so grateful to have had her in our lives for 10 years of love, protection, companionship and adventures!

My fabulous family buried her next to our beloved family dog, Rocky, in Highland.