Sheba died Wednesday evening around 10pm, from some unknown reason.
With Boris here, she had been barking and running around with him as
usual. So, I hadn't paid much attention to her, but just before dinner
on, I began to wonder where she was and went out to look for her. She
was lying beside the west fence panting and slobbering. I knew she looked
sick enough to die. I came in and told everyone, Anna and I went back
out. She had walked down to her dog house and was lying down. After
dinner Jacob went out to see how she was and she was foaming at the
mouth. Mom went out and saw her shaking and found the vet's phone number
and called it. He said it sounded like it was too late to do anything.
Mom went back out and Sheba was dead. The next day I took her to the
vet and he did an autopsy. He could not find anything wrong with her.
So we figured maybe she was poisoned by someone!! The vet came up with
nothing, so, yesterday I went over the yard carefully and found what
looked like skin with black fur and a little plastic bag inside it.
Maybe a neighbor(tired of her barking or us) threw a dead rat over the
fence and Sheba chewed it. I found throw up near the garden gate so
she may have been sick over three or four days. We all feel as you do
right now. The home is absolutely feeling empty without her, wanting
to come inside. Even in the morning I feel like someone is gone as she
is not out there running back and forth barking at something. Snoopy
is quiet in his dog house. I noticed him sniffing around trying to figure
out what happened to Sheba. He sniffed where she lay yesterday and decided
to mark the spot by wee weeing next to it. At least he didn't scratch
the ground as he does in his declaration of male hood. Boris and I buried
her in a nice spot next to the forest in the corner of the field next
to the hospita!
So I am writing an epitaph to Sheba. Being grateful and thankful in
all things means seeing the good that God brought to us through Sheba.
I do not remember exactly when we got her. But I remember...
Sheba was a happy tumbling puppy amongst her brothers and sisters. I
picked her up and carried her inside my jacket for home. I think I left
her in the back of the van and waited for the opportune time (dinner).
When mom called us to the dinner table I slipped out and put Sheba inside
my coat and came inside and sat down at my usual spot. By this time
Sheba was squirming as well as making a little noise. I was especially
afraid of the lower gastranom noises that would mean a real disaster
in my jacket. Sheba, I hope I have the right dog, waddled out on the
dinning room table and all eyes were on mom. She didn't like these kind
of surprises. I'm Not sure what happened next, but mom chewed on me
a little bit and then Sheba became a member of our family. Her mom was
a sniffing police dog trained to look for drugs. Her grandfather was
a champion, well-known in German Shepard circles. Several breeders knew
her by site, as she had characteristics of her father. I remember her
eating chickens on Giya. I remember the Christmas or thanksgiving picture
of Sheba on one side of us and a turkey on the other side of us (both
were very much aware of each others presence). I remember several times
she took long excursions. We found her at a German Shepard kennel. I
think she had several good runs of pups. We will look for them somehow.
She had a few runs of street dog pups as well. Sheba had a phobia of
being left behind. She kept me company the two summers I stayed in Belarus
to work on the house. We would take the field route where I would let
Sheba out, once we crossed the road, to let her get in a good run as
I tried to keep ahead of her till the house. She would run along side
yelping that it was no fair to ride when she had to run. From then on
she was crazy to get in the van with us. We will always remember the
bump on her nose, where the white kitten fluffy and her played chicken
with fang and claws. I remember how often Sheba would give Snoopy a
wide birth as Snoopy would get jealous of Anna petting her. Sheba loved
to scrape with Snoopy but grew tired of Snoopy's tirelessness. She would
tell Snoopy she was tired of playing by using her rear to block Snoopy.
Jacob remembers playing rough with Sheba once- sheba came over and sat
on his head. I remember how she loved to bounce balloons off her nose.
I remember how some of the neighbors said she bit them. But I know she
only barked at their heals. She was a good watch dog. I did not mind
her barking as I knew it helped us protect our family.
