January 24, 2018 – The Hustlin’ Homemaker

“When I needed a hand, I found your paw.”

Today I am sharing the story of our beloved pup Maggie that we recently lost on January 14, 2018.

On October 12, 2005, little Maggie was born. Maggie was a Maltese and only weighed a few pounds. JJ and I had been dating for two years, and he surprised me with her right around Christmas. He drove to Houston with a few of his friends to get her, and they named her Sha-nay-nay on the way home.

That night, after I got home from work, JJ called me to come over to his apartment. She was waiting for me, and I named her Maggie. She was SO CUTE.

I took her back to my apartment and we instantly became best friends.

Maggie was such a sweet pup. Over the years she was like my child, I dressed her up in clothes (which she actually really loved!), and took her everywhere I went!

Having Maggie taught me how to care and love for something so little. She prepared me to be the mother I am today.

A few apartments, our marriage, and our first house…Maggie was there for all of it. In 2009, we got Mollie, a Lhasa-Apso maltese mix. Maggie had a playmate.

Throughout the years, Maggie was the sweetest little dog. You could pull a treat out of her mouth without so much as a growl. She loved treats and also toys. People would say that they never saw a dog who liked toys more than she did. Also, the barking. Maggie loved to bark and did constantly!

In 2011, we had our first daughter, Allison. I remember Maggie would lay right next to her wherever she was, in the swing, in her baby bouncer…Maggie was always by her.

Soon after, we moved to Fort Worth, had a daughter Ashley in 2014, and soon moved back to south Texas. Maggie became the girls’ best friend. She was like our little night patrol, going room to room at night checking on the girls. She was a little protector.

Fast forward a few years, and we could tell Maggie was getting old. Last October, we noticed Maggie was feeling fragile. You could feel her backbone, and she seemed to be losing weight. On Christmas, she was so happy, she found a toy in her stocking and immediately ripped it up, just like she always did with toys.

After that day, she began going downhill fast. After a few visits to the vet, we were told that there was really nothing we could do for Maggie. She wasn’t eating or drinking, and could barely walk. She needed surgery, but her little heart wouldn’t make it.

My husband took her to the vet to be put down because she was suffering. She wouldn’t sleep, which was very unusual. She slept most of the day normally, and she wouldn’t close her eyes. I think that she knew if she did, she wouldn’t wake up. When I would look at her, she would turn her head and wouldn’t look at me. It was absolutely heartbreaking, and it was like it wasn’t even her.

That Sunday was probably the worst day of our lives. We had to explain to the girls what was happening, and they were both very upset. Even today, a week later, we are all still shocked and devastated. It’s not the same around here without Maggie. She was almost 13, and she had a great life with us, she really did, but it is still really hard to not have her anymore. We all miss her so much.

We buried Maggie towards the back of our property, and I bought this stone for her. In the spring, we will plant a tree for her.