Beautiful Maggie - Thank You

Maggie 2 February 2007 to 20 June 2007

Maggie (Margaret Anne H _____) was born on the second of February 1997, and came into my life eight weeks later. I still remember our first meeting, a pet shop in Perth. I took Maggie from her cage and put her in the little play pen they had nearby, a Chihuahua pup in the same pen barked at her – she ran and cowered behind my hand. I fell instantly in love.

The fear and timidity Maggie displayed at the first meeting plagued her for her whole life. Strangers were scary, and barking at them seemed to make them go away – of course if they came too close she would either make friends or cower miserably under the table (or in the wardrobe). I would warn guests to ignore her - and wait for Maggie to approach – left to meet people this way she made forever friends. Rach’, Rae, Colin and many others all loved her (and spoilt her) – how grateful I am to those who loved my girl. Maggie’s other friend was Gilbert – a beautiful ginger tom cat who shared our lives for a little over a year, later Charles became her friend too.
I now know not to get puppies from pet shops and that fearful dogs are hard work. I am certain that had I not chosen Maggie she would have struggled, she (and her fears) controlled so much of my life. However, not for one minute do I regret choosing Miss Maggie. She gave unwavering devotion from the moment we met; we bonded on the long drive back to Albany, 5 hours with this cute puppy on my lap as I drove. While she gave up trying to sit on my lap, in the car, she never gave up sitting on my lap when I sat on the floor at home –all 32kg’s of her.
Maggie was a one owner dog, it did not matter how well others cared for her she would always cry miserably as I left and almost turn her self inside out with excitement when I returned. She had a couple of hunger strikes while I went away and was well known for trying to break into my car, if I stopped for coffee ,with the kind people who had cared for her in my absence.

... with Charles

I can not begin to imagine how many kilometres we walked over the decade we shared. Most nights we walked an hour, some more some less, only in this past year did we drop back to 20 minutes or half an hour. Oh, how she loved her walks. We loved the hill where Maggie posed for some of these shots, and the cooler tree lined paths on warmer days.
We also walked a million miles emotionally – sharing tears and laughter, mental anguish, overwhelming joy, fear and depression, friendships and loneliness. Through it all, Maggie walked beside me – head tucked into my chest – or nuzzling my leg.

...with Gilbert

... with a friends' daughterTonight I cooked for the first time in nearly two weeks – and as I prepared the vegetables I cut the broccoli leaving lots of stalk attached to the stem and turned to give this ‘treat’ to Maggie, a few seconds later I was sobbing at my sink. My funny girl who loved her vegetables, watermelon and oranges is gone. My faithful, tripped over a million times, friend is not beside me anymore, already I miss burying my face in her coat and breathing in her dusky doggy aroma. I miss hearing her snore quietly in the night, and feeling safe in the sure knowledge she was listening out and would bark if the bumps in the night were baddies.

Mummy's Girl - I love you, thank you for taking such good care of me for so long. I always felt safe with you, your unconditional love and trust made me whole, and kept me steady so many times.