# Indy dog going through the bins once more in a better place :(



## Baby British (Jan 24, 2010)

I wasn't going to do this but I really can't let our beautiful Indy's passing last week go without a mention.

Indy was a beautiful Lab/ lurcher cross that me and my mum got as a 3 year old rescue when I was just 12 years old (I'm 26 now to give you an idea of how how old she was!).

I clearly remember my mum taking me to the kennels to choose a dog and as we wandered past the cages we heard an almighty din coming from one a little further along. A dog was going wild barking at anyone who dared approach and I recall hesitating at the prospect of walking past despite the dog being in a cage. As me and my mum went to pass this dog the racket suddenly stopped. I stole a glance at the previously noisey culprit and witnessed a big wet nose pressed against the bars, huge chocolate eyes fixed on me and my mum and a large sandy tail wagging furiously. In that moment me and my mum found 'our' dog and Indy came home to join the family.

It's difficult to condense a life time of happy memories into a few paragraphs. Indy was such a special girl I really wish it were possible to describe every second of our time with her. To recount to you every moment would surely bring our girl back to us where she belongs but sadly neither are possible.

Indy was true to her Labrador blood and no food ever went to waste in our house even when it had already been placed in the bin. I lost count of the times my mum would have to retrieve the piles of stinking rubbish spread across the kitchen floor after Indy had taken a fancy to some whiffy scrap usually positioned at the very bottom of the litter bin.

As a child I had bad knees and one of the reasons we got a dog was so I could walk it and hopefully strengthen my legs. Indy and I did some miles in the years before I left home. Once I flew the nest the walking reigns were passed on to my younger brother who surely must have also covered some ground in the 9 years since.

One of my favourite memories of Indy is when she was staying with me at my Dad's. My Dad isn't adverse to the odd tipple or two and as a result can usually be found in his local pub. Indy quickly picked up on this and alone in the house one day she decided to escape and walk the 6 miles to his local watering hole and actually sauntered into the bar! On this particular day my Dad was at work but some of his mates were in the bar drinking and recognised Ind from the one ocassion he had taken her there. They rang my Dad who swiftly returned to retrieve the daft (or not so!)old pooch.

Another fond memory was some years later when me and Indy were back with my mum. I'd just returned from a night out on halloween when I'd gone out dressed as a bear (don't ask!) I had a back door key so let my self into the kitchen where Indy slept. The door leading off from the kitchen to the rest of the house had a bolt on it. Mum would slide this across at bed time to prevent Indy opening the door and sneaking upstairs during the night. Usually when I went out of a night the bolt would be left off until I returned (the bolt wasn't on the kitchen side) but on this particular ocassion mum and forgotten and bolted the door, effectively locking me in the kitchen. I had a few fruitless attempts at banging on the door but everyone was out cold. A tad worse for wear I desperately needed to get my head down. Scanning the kitchen it suddenly occurred to me how invitingly cosy Indy's bed was looking.... My mum got up the following morning to find Indy curled up in her bed as usual only this time she was snuggled right up next to a human size bear, fuzzy ears and all. It's a sight that still makes my mum giggle to this day!

After leaving home I had three children. Three gorgeous, boisterous mischeivious lads. As babies when the weather was nice I would sit them outside in their car seats on my mum's lawn. Indy would sit over them as proud as if she had given birth to them herself. God forbid anyone who sauntered past on the road outside because our girl would stand up at the gate and bark at them until they disappeared from view. She never did this when the boys weren't around.

Indy was endlessly patient with the children. Over the years she's probably had her ears tugged, tail trodden on and been poked in the eye on more times than I (or she!) cares to remember but never once did she so much as growl at those clumsy little hands and feet. If my brood got too rowdy Indy would pick herself up and take herself off to bed where she could observe the shenanigans from afar.

It was 2 years ago when I first noticed the fire beginning to fade from Indy's eyes. Now completely deaf, her wirey sandy main was flecked with grey and the limitless exuberance of before was beginning to wane. Indy lost her enthusiasm for long walks instead preffering to potter round the garden or stretch out across the cool tiles of the kitchen. When I would visit my mums she would still come up to greet me, tail wagging madly - maybe even the odd slobbery kiss but the usual jumping up became out of the question. A trip to the vets some months later revealed that our girl had a heart murmer. She was put on tablets for the rest of her life and the result was instantanious. Some of Indy's zest for life returned. Once gain I was treated to the odd jump up or 'paw'. Mum would let her out to go to the toilet and our naughty dog would race off down the road not looking back but undoubtedly thinking 'Can't catch me!' She would always return home some hours later covered head to paw in fox poo and racked with guilt unable to look anyone in the eye.

As the months rolled by, despite being given an initial lease of life by the meds, it became evident that Indy was living on borrowed time. She developed warts all over her body that must have caused her discomfort as Ind would gnaw at them continuously. Those mischeivious chocolate orbs once so full of life began to betray a hint of sadness. Everytime I visited my girl looked thinner and although I was without fail greeted with a tail wag she couldn't always drag herself from her bed to say hello. Her back legs struggled to hold her and more often than not poor Ind looked like a parody of bambi on ice on those kitchen tiles. Mum said that when she stopped eating then she would know it was time.

A few weeks ago I was at my mum's with my boys and they were eating fruit pastels. One of them missed their mouth and the sweet hit the deck. Normally food stuff of any description wouldn't have had chance to hit the floor without our furry hoover ambling over to gobble it up quick before it could be retrieved. On this ocassion Indy barely glanced at the sweet. Eventually I moved across and picked it up myself to place in the bin. I think this is when I knew for sure it was the beginning of the end.

A week or so later my mum told me that Ind wasn't very well. She hadn't had very good toilet control for a while but her stools had become loose and she wasn't eating. One of mum's cats had also had a bad tummy so we all kept fingers crossed that it was just heat getting to our old girl.

I saw a plastic dog bed on free cycle and thought it'd be perfect for Ind. We collected it and took it round for her, lining it with her old faithful fleecy blanket. She climbed into it awkwardly before curling up and resting her chin on the side. Grattitude flashed across those huge sad eye's before they surrendered to yet another slumber. I gently patted her head, fussing the old girl suddenly seemed especially important.

The children had just broken up from school and myself and the OH decided to take them on a surprize break to Lego Land. We would leave for our adventure on the Sunday. Mum rang the night before we were due to head off to say that she planned to take Indy to the vets on Tuesday after the bank holiday as she had began losing a discharge from her back passage. I brushed the news off. My beautiful Indy was indestructable. The vet would prescribe her more tablets and she'd be back brighter and bouncier than ever. Deep down I knew this wasn't so but to consider the alternative was unbearable.

Tuesday brought with it dark heavy rain clouds spilling a torrent of mournful tears. I stood in the centre of Lego land, a rainbow of colours set against a forboding bleak sky. I didn't need to speak to my mum to know that our beautiful Indy was gone.

I finally made the phone call that evening and as soon as I mentioned Indy's name my mum broke down. The vets woudn't treat our girl for an upset stomach as they knew this wasn't the cause. All they offered were pain killers to make her comfortable. Our beautiful Indy dog had given us so much in the way of love, laughter and happy memories in her time with us and the time had come to do something for her in return. My mum and stepdad were with her when she went to sleep for the last time.

If you've read all this then credit to you. I hope I've done Indy dog some justice in describing her life and indeed death. In truth there aren't really any words befitting of how special the old girl was or indeed how deep the pain runs at her loss.

I haven't really spoke with my mum about Indy's passing since returning home. The old girls favourite spot in the garden, a small patch of grass regularly afforded warm sunny rays, is now dusted with disturbed soil. Our girls final resting place. Mum pointed it out briefly but our loss remains to raw to openly speak of our girl at length. Hopefully time will remedy this but until then I thank anyone who has read this for allowing me to share my thoughts and memories today.

Indy


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## francesandjon (Jun 3, 2009)

Indy sounds like she was the best dog a person could wish for.

She was obviously very loved, and will be remembered for the rest of forever.


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## KatieW92 (Jun 7, 2010)

Aww hun, Indy had such a lovely life with you.That was so beautiful to read. RIP Indy  xx


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## PennyH (Dec 30, 2008)

What a lovely tribute to your gorgeous dog.
Run free at the bridge Indy - young again and pain free. 
xxxx


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## jill3 (Feb 18, 2009)

Reading through your tribute it sounds like she had a wonderful life.
You have some great memories of her and in time you and your family will be able to smile and laugh about the good times you had with her.
When our pets go they leave behind such a big gap that it takes time to come to terms with the loss.
It's something that i dread but will always have pets. They give us so much.

R.I.P Indy and run free and enjoy emptying the bins at rainbow bridge xx


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## Kinjilabs (Apr 15, 2009)

Very moving and lovely tribute to Indy, in fact Im in tears here, RIP lovely Indy.


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## Hells_Bells (Jun 12, 2009)

Yep. tears here too.

You should be a writer. That was compelling to read.


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## Lavenderb (Jan 27, 2009)

As sad as the ending was, that was a wonderful written memory of your dear friend Indy.
Thankyou for sharing it


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## JJAK (May 28, 2010)

You put me in tears to, 
may Indy enjoy causing havoc and eating anything and everything the otherside of the rainbow bridge

R.I.P xx


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## hayleyb (Feb 10, 2009)

id like to thankyou for sharing indy with us she seemed like a little gem worth every ounce of love given to her and meaningful of every ounce of love she then returned. 

Her life seemed full of laughter and no doubt alot of love. well doen to your mam and stepdad for allowing her to rest when she showed them it was all too much.

rest in peace Indy lets hope she has found herself a sunny spot over the bridge


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## Tigerneko (Jan 2, 2009)

I'm not great with words & cant think of anything so touching as what others have said, so would just like to say thankyou for a wonderful post about her life & picture of lovely Indy.

I'm sure no words could really fully describe her or do her justice enough, but I think you've got as close as possible.

Run free Indy x


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