Guard Dog(Abby) 2025

My mother suffered from dementia for the last 10 years of her life, through her eighties, dying just short of her ninety-first birthday.  Up until the last year she lived alone with her dog Abby. My two siblings and I did as much as we could to allow her to keep living by herself in her little house. My sister managed her finances from afar, my brother visited her every Sunday to hike and take care of things, and I called everyday to check in.  However, it was her dog, Abby, that really gave her life the most meaning.  A border collie rescue, Abby was Mom’s shadow. She was my mother’s very best friend-non judgmental and always present, never saying “You already told me that!”.  She also took advantage of mom, ferociously protecting her and nearly pulling her off her feet by yanking the leash when other dogs would get too close, and convincing my mother that she always needed more food since Mom couldn’t remember if she had fed her or not.  All seemed fine and then it wasn’t. Abby seemed lethargic for a few days and then quietly went out into the back yard and died, still a relatively young dog. Of course, Mom was heartbroken. She followed Abby that fall.