Penny
My husband Rusty and I have been married for fifty years, and have had many pets, both dogs and cats, over the years. We loved them all, and still think about and miss every one of them.
The most recent was our last cat , Penny. She was rescued by our son, when he was in college, from the students that lived next door to him in the student apartments. She was just a tiny kitten that was abused by them. They left her outside most of the time, never fed her much, played catch with her, threw her off the second floor balcony to see it she would land on her feet, and finally, he was told that they put her in the microwave and turned it on for a second to see what would happen. That was all he could take, and told them they didn’t deserve to have her and he took her to his place.
At Christmas he brought her home, and when he went back to school, she stayed with us. Penne then lived with us for the next 18 years.
One day we noticed that she was limping and the vet found that she had a tumor on her hip. All the tests showed that it was inoperable. He told us that she was not in pain. For the next 3 months she gradually became less able to get around. Her leg and foot swelled to twice its size, but she kept trying to walk even though she dragged her leg behind her. She seemed happiest when I would pick her up, carry her around, and talk to her, which we did many times everyday.
Finally , when she could no longer get up at all, we knew that the time had come to make that awful decision. When the time came, we took her to our vet. I held her in my arms and told her how much we loved her and didn’t want to do this. She never took her eyes from my face, and when that moment came, the light just suddenly left her beautiful eyes and she was gone.
That was April 12, 2006, but I feel the pain in my heart right now as much as I did on that day.
We will never forget her or any of the other wonderful pets we have had over so many years.
We loved and miss you all.
This picture is of Penny on her last day with us.
Colleen & Rusty from IL
November 2nd, 2007 at 7:43 pm
I’M SORRY. I HAD TO PUT MY BEAUTIFUL OLIVIA DOWN ON GOOD FRIDAY. I MISS HER SO MUCH. I WAS THERE WHEN SHE WAS BORN AND THEN WHEN SHE DIED. I WAS THERE WHEN SHE TOOK HER FIRST BREATH AND WHEN SHE TOOK HER LAST. I KEPT TELLING HER I LOVED HER AND I WOULD NEVER LEAVE HER. I HOPE WE CAN HAVE ALL OUR PETS WITH US SOMEDAY.
November 2nd, 2007 at 8:27 pm
Your story is very touching. I heard it while I was driving home. The description of the way that Penny died is so similar than when we say good by to our dog Xela (cancer of the vagina that recurred after sugery).
The way these so called students treat Penny come from a lack of moral principles. Sometimes I wonder if Democracy is a good political system when these criminals have the same vote as you.
Shopenhauer said best:
“The assumption that animals are without rights and the illusion that our treatment of them has no moral significance is a positively outrageous example of Western crudity and barbarity. Universal compassion is the only guarantee of morality.”
Arthur Schopenhauer, On the Basis of Morality
May God be with Penny!
-=terry=-
November 2nd, 2007 at 8:28 pm
I wanted to say I am sorry for Your loss of Penny!
I have gone thru the loss of many pets as well and know how hard it is.
I have a 7 month old tortoise shell calico named Coaco that looks just like Her!
Again, sorry for Your loss.
Jeff
November 3rd, 2007 at 6:52 am
All cats go to heaven. That’s it.
November 3rd, 2007 at 8:33 am
Dear Mark:
Thank You, Mark. We heard you read our Penny’s story last night and were honored. You understand so well what a pet can mean to all of us who are animal lovers. We had the same painful times that you have felt with Sprite when we had to put our two dogs, Goldie and Buffy to sleep years ago. They never asked anything from us but our love and caring, and were endlessly faithful to the last moment. It helps to know that they will live on forever in our hearts.
Thank you too for what you are doing to try to save our country from those who would destroy it.
I can never understand why people who have all the priveleges of living in this great country do not understand what they have, and that political power means more to them than anything else. Don’t they understand that all of our children, grandchildren, and all of our descendants will inherit the mistakes that are made today. My husband, Rusty, is a veteran of World War 2, who served in the Pacific on the USS Dawson. Americans then knew what they were fighting for, just as the military service people do today. Why doesn’t everyone?
We listen to you every night and agree with all that you say. I write letters often…when I disagree with someone, and also when I agree with people who are trying to save our country. Thank You, Mark, and keep up the good work you are doing.
Colleen & Rusty Dowell
November 3rd, 2007 at 9:54 am
Beautiful Penny…..Looks just like my stray cat I took in 8 years ago… Her name is Dinky Dawg. I also took in Moo Moo, another stray cat about the same time. I truly believe animals are a blessing from God. Their unconditional love and loyalty is so God-like. Having to say good by to our pets is gut wrenching and I still mourn over a cat, Bum, that I had to put to sleep over 8 years ago. For shame on those who abuse and torture our precious animals! Like those college kids did to Penny…