Even though she's gone now, Spotty is my favorite of the Bush dogs. She was born in 1989, in the same year, but a few months before my beloved Annabelle and Wolfie. Spotty died early in 2004. The President and First Lady lovingly put her down because she was having seizures. My Wolfie died February 2004. Annabelle died the following year. I held her in my arms while the vet put her down. She had been having seizures.
So, in a very small, yet personally significant way, I have something in common with the first couple.
Too bad about the doggies, Wolfie.
My family almost always has a dog, but I've only had birds and fish as my own pets. The fish I usually discover belly up, and most of the birds except for two went suddenly as well.
I didn't put Angie down because despite her tumors, she was sitting on her swing and singing all day. I figured she was still happy so I left things to nature.
I tried to have Angel put down when he couldn't stand up anymore, but it was the middle of the night, and I couldn't find an emergency vet. I put some water in a milk cap and put him in a shoebox with a clean towel on the bottom so he wouldn't have to lie on the floor of his cage. He made it through the night (I didn't think he would) and found him perching on the side of the box looking at me the next morning. When He even tried to sit on my finger and chirped when I petted his belly.
He still had a hard time standing after that, but he was able to stay on the perch. With Angel, the problem was organ failure, and he got weaker because nothing he ate was getting into his system. Still, he was eating like a pig, so I know he ate least felt like he had a full tummy. Since he didn't seem to be in pain, I let him go too. He passed away peacefully in my hand about a week later.
Yes Spotty is my favourite one as well.
You brought a tear to my eye when you mentioned Annabelle somehow she and my Gizzy passing made the miles across the sea between us seem nearer.