We lost an important member of our family this week and to be honest, we’re all still coming to terms with it. It’s raw. My baby girl battled to the very end, showing that we did aptly name her. She was and will always be Trojan.
We first met Trojan 15 years ago. She was a part of a litter of 5 puppies. Mike and I being novice with picking out dogs, went for the the little girl lingering in the corner. For some reason, we were drawn to her. She willing let us hold her, shy but not fearful. Those deep brown eyes were enchanting. Her deep chestnut colors made her beautiful. The side mustache made her special. As we went to leave, the breeder put her gentle back into the puppy box. Trojan cowered and was immediately overtaken by her more confident mates. But still, we were not deterred. Trojan was our dog and we were sticking with that choose.
She came to her forever home near Thanksgiving. Mike actually had an Eagles game that Sunday, and he uses that as the reason Trojan became a mamma’s dog. There may be some truths to it, but we’ll never know. I do know, that while I was cleaning dishes in preparation for Thanksgiving dinner, Trojan laid in her bed, directly beneath me unwilling to look away. As I hurried around the house, cleaning and tidying up, Trojan matched my every step. And when I finally collapsed with exhaustion, Trojan laid on my chest, gently protecting me even at that young age. I remember waking, and seeing those eyes quietly watching over me. They say that some dogs, fall in love with a single person, while others love everyone. Trojan clearly was in love with her mamma and it started that weekend.
As pretty as Trojan was, she was an athletic dog. She loved to play ball ball. We would launch a golf ball and she would dart off, tail wagging furiously. She had this search system when she couldn’t locate the ball in air. It was systematic and she loved the challenge of finding it. And when she did, she would proudly gobble it up, and come dashing back for more.
Daily walks were a must for Trojan. Every morning, many before sunrise, she would head out with me to the park. She was my protector and I always felt safe with her beside me. She was a right sided walker and those tiny paws made a repetitive sound, a beautiful melody if you will. I used to love listening to them. Snow days were especially fun. I loved being the first one out to the park so that I could see her tiny paw prints everywhere. When we got back, I would take her off leash and she would dash wildly everywhere. Loving life. She would finally make her way back beside me, tail upright and what looked like a happy smile on her face.
Trojan was a warrior. When we found out that she had the dreaded mitral valve disease “MVD”, we were devastated. Penn gave her a year to live. As luck would have it, we found a vet that fostered Cavaliers. She knows the breed well and the health challenges they endure. I started home cooking her meals to get away from toxic kibble. We minimized vaccination to only those that were necessary. She was put on heart medication. Trojan endured for six more years from her diagnosis. She fought and reached fifteen years of age, or 105 in human years. Even the last week of her life, she fought. The ER Vet called her remarkable, after she made it through a surgery in which she really shouldn’t have. As he said, numbers don’t always tell you everything. She knew how to bring the fight.
On her last night, Zachary and I slept on the floor with her, in the family room. I wasn’t sure whether she would make it through the night, but she did. We took her for her final walk in the park, in her stroller. She was very weak. It quickly became evident that Trojan was not going to make it. She finally went home to friends/family already in heaven. She is free. We grieve, but know that it was the right decision. The little girl that could…did. She lived an amazing life and was well loved by everyone. This shy girl made a lasting footprint in all our lives. She showed us how to live a fulfilled life, with unconditional love, fight, lots of tail wagging and smiling. Rest in peace baby girl. You’ll be missed.
