Princess Olive

Ever since I moved out of my parents’ house, I felt a void in my heart. I soon moved in with my boyfriend, but there was still something missing. When I finally decided that I needed a dog to feel my void, I was anxious. Part of me was worried that I would not be able to care for an animal and that I would not have the time to give an animal the attention they would need. The last thing I wanted to do was get a dog and not be able to properly provide for her. That would just be cruel.

So, I started doing research and realized that I wanted to adopt a dog. I stumbled upon the beauty pictured above. She was a rescue dog and the family that rescued her was so sweet and caring. Their main mission was to rescue stray dogs and train them so they could be adopted. Fortunately, (for me) Olive was trained and ready to be adopted.

Olive's story was a sad one for sure. She was only two and already pregnant with her puppy living on the streets. She had to cross the freeway in order to get food and survive. Now, I live in Arizona, so the heat made her life more miserable. Drivers in Arizona are not always looking out for two stray dogs, so her stress levels must have been through the roof with her always having to be on high alert. Fortunately, she found a wonderful family who took care of her, trained her and showed her love. That's when she came to live with me.

The first time we met, she seemed rather reluctant. It was understandable of course, knowing what type of life she lived. She was only a puppy herself and already lived the life of a senior dog. It only took her about a day to get used to me, and before too long she was already sleeping in the bed.

Even when I was watching TV on the couch, she was always by my side. As soon as I started petting her, she did not want me to stop. Olive would bark at the slightest noise and if someone came over she would go crazy. If Olive knew who you were she would greet you with affection. However, if you were a stranger, she would try and act tough. That is until you started petted her. She was needy, but I loved every moment of her short-lived life.

Olive was my unannounced emotional support animal. She eased my anxiety and seeing her tail wagging every day when I got home from work, brightened my day. Olive had so much energy that it was hard to keep up. We would go to the park for two hours and when we got home, she still wanted to play. It was rare that she would sit still (unless you were petting her). However, I loved all that energy.

Tragically, she passed about a year ago from liver failure. She started walking slower and I thought it was because of the heat. However, when she had trouble walking up and down the stairs, I knew I should take her to the vet. That visit turned into an "you need to take her to the emergency vet right away."

After several hours of waiting at the 24/7 emergency vet, we were informed that she had liver failure. Olive had one liter of built-up fluid and when they drained it, she had lost five pounds. We were informed that they could perform surgery, but there was no guarantee that she would survive it. The last thing I wanted was to cause Olive more stress and I could not put her through that. So, we took her home with about eleven medications and intensive instructions. She past away in my arms about a week later. I was devastated, but I hated seeing her in pain. When she no longer wanted the chicken, I knew it was close to the end and when I knew she no longer was drinking water, I knew it was a matter of days.

Olive did so much for me and her death still pains me. However, from the moment I adopted her. I knew that both of our lives had changed and become better. She had two families that loved her and hopefully that loved outweighed the sadness in her life. I know she made my life more fulfilling, and while I cannot know for sure, I hope her life changed for the better.