Dr. Forslund,
Aspen was heartbroken when her lifelong friend/sister (not from the same mom)Chelan passed away November 3, 2009. When our sweet dog Chelan passed we poured all of our heart and love into Aspen. We knew she needed the extra love now that her lifelong companion was gone. We took Aspen everywhere with us, many walks and played and petted her ton.
Aspen was the kind of dog that was always happy, when you came home she would grab anything into her mouth; bills, flip flops, occasionally her toys, whatever was closest, and with a soft mouth. She would do her welcome growl…ra ra ra ra rooooooo, cracked us up every time. It was fun to come home, because no matter what mood you were in, she would always make us laugh, and smile. When you petted her and got down on the ground, she would always nuzzle you and attempt to steam roll you. Whenever someone was sad in the family, she would sense it and come near and wag her tail and nuzzle. She was perceptive of our moods, especially me. When I was sad or blue, I knew I could lean on Aspen, literally. I would bury my face in her fur and lay on her. When I was pregnant with each of our three children, she followed me around the whole entire pregnancy. She was such a supportive dog.
On July 27th after a couple of days of shortness of breath, and many heart wrenching vet visits and tests she was diagnosed with metastatic lung cancer. I was at the vet with her, and she was so bad, it was cruel to put her back in the car and go home, I hadn’t even called Dr. Forslund yet. I couldn’t let her suffer anymore, I knew it was time. She walked down the hall to the room wagging her tail to the very end… the vet tech said “See, she is showing us how it is done. This is how you live your life, and go out.”. Such a true and profound statement about Aspen, she was the sweetest most giving unconditional loving being ever. As she laid there I stroked her face and told her I loved her. She looked at me and nuzzled her face into my chest. It reminded me when I first saw her when she was a puppy…she came up to me and nuzzled her face into my leg, I knew we had to have her. I kissed her muzzle and smelled the precious puppy breath scent that was strangely always present on her muzzle all her life. The vet administered the drug used to euthanize. I told Aspen I loved her and to have fun playing with Chelan. She rested her head on my hand and her shortened labored breathing stopped. She was finally at peace; she looked so beautiful her head in my hand.
I called Dr. Forslund, I had to have her take care of her body, because I knew it would be done in a humane way. I also wanted to make sure I had a paw print ceramic tile, like the one we had for Chelan. Now we have both Aspen and Chelan’s paw print tiles hanging. Dr. Forslund came immediately and picked her up and took care of her. I was at ease knowing that she was in good caring hands. You see Dr. Forslund knew Aspen, she was present when we had to euthanize Chelan. She remembered her right away, and was greatly sympathetic. I just have to say that this service is the most beautiful means of being able to deal with the death of your most beloved pet.
Thank you; it has been a tough year. Our family feels so empty without our beautiful golden retrievers Chelan and Aspen. But thanks to your service, the end was a peaceful way for them to leave this world. Can’t thank you enough for your kindness and compassion.
Sincerely,
The Mathes Family
Laguna Niguel