The loss of a friend – Rest in peace, Diamond (1998-2012)

On August 27, 2012 my wife and I lost one of our most cherished and beloved friends – our 14yr old Chihuahua. Diamond is and will always be loved and missed. We now have a hole where this friend of over a decade provided us with unconditional support and love.
Diamond was our little tank for many, many years.. This little girl has traveled from U.S. coast to coast and was always making friends everywhere that she went. Never one to turn down a snack or 16th meal, Diamond was always the slightly standoffish life of the party – and she will be missed by all that knew her.

An example of her personality comes from early in our relationship… While traveling west through Colorado for work, I would get frustrated when encountering traffic… Out of frustration I would often “huff and puff” – her just sitting on a pile of clothes and such in the back seat looking confused/nervous… Then, out of no where, with each huff or puff she would crawl forward and gently scratch at my shoulder as if to say “Calm down – it will be ok”… This continued through all of our travels… I’d huff or puff and she’d reassure me… Amazing how a the reassurance of a little 7lb Chihuahua named Diamond can take the frustration and tension right out of a angry grown man.

I had the privilege of calling her a best friend for nearly 13 of her 14.5 years on this planet and feel a better man because of this. Not ‘just our pet’, Diamond truly was my family and I will miss her deeply until the day that I die.

Diamond battled a un-diagnosed digestive/stomach/intestinal issue for the past year and a half… My wife and I spent countless sleepless nights caring for her and more time that we can count in and out of vets and clinics trying to find the root of her problems. In the end, ‘severe IDB’ was believed the be the problem, though vets were ultimately unsure…

Yesterday, Aug 27, 2012 our little girl lost her battle as a result of an internal rupture and we were forced to make one of the toughest decisions of our lives and have her put to sleep per the vet’s recommendation.

While one of the hardest things that I have ever had to do, I was allowed to hold her as she went – telling her how much that I loved her as my wife stroked her, telling her the same. I cleared her a spot in the back at her favorite scavenging area (just in the woods where she felt out of sight and free to do what she wanted (eating)) and I take some minor solace knowing that she is no longer in any pain – despite the selfish part of me wanting just one more day with her..

Diamond, you are loved and will be eternally missed.

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