I got my first pet when I was 9. A Bassett Hound named Clementine.
My family and I bought her from a local breeding family who was selling her after a complicated birth required Clementine to be spayed.
All the years we were blessed to have her, there were never any dull moments with Clementine.
Once she ate a whole loaf of bread. Another time Clementine ate half of a chocolate cake.
But the most memorable incident was when she required an emergency trip to the vet after eating a whole bowl full of Hershey Kisses, foil and all!
What was one of the sweetest things about Clementine was how mothering she could be. She would always know if one of us weren’t feeling too well. It became her duty to look out for us. One day I came home sick from school and as I laid on the couch, Clementine kept me company, laying her chin on my leg. She definitely made you feel better. Who needed medication when you had Clementine?
One day we noticed Clementine was having trouble breathing and developed a hacking cough. After a series of tests, it was revealed Clementine’s heart was enlarged.
It was clear Clementine wasn’t going to get any better but we went out of our way to make her comfortable.
For two years Clementine was our number one priority… even before family. Some didn’t understand but we didn’t care. Clementine was our baby!
One day Clementine was running around our backyard and had a heart attack. She managed to crawl in the house where she laid behind the coffee table and died.
For nearly eleven years, Clementine was a part of our family. Now that she was gone, there was this emptiness.
You feel like a part of you has died, too.
You think, how can I ever get over this?
But I don’t think you have to nor should you.
We shouldn’t be afraid to live this way.
See The Good would like to thank Amy for her guest post. Amy is a Florida resident and has been self-employed in the dog care field since 2006. She self-published a memoir titled “I Am Not Stupid” which is available through Amazon.com/I Am Not Stupid.
She can be contacted at artemple95@gmail.com or through her LinkedIn profile page: linkedin.com/in/amy-temple-34254a167.
Yes I remember Clementine she was a good family dog. Blessings, Joella
I agree. I have fallen in love with Clementine too just reading your story. I wish I had met her. Yes I know she is a dog. I love dogs, they give more than they take and never complain. And they sometimes do their jobs better than some humans I know who are educated and knowledgeable in their field. Lol