remembers Britty.

My dad sent me some memoirs of our dog Britty. I will post them here and add some of my own. Even now I am saddened to think of his loss. He was a loyal companion and a good dog. He was never mean or temperamental. He loved everyone who was gentle and kind to him. He was always excited to meet new people or animals. At the mention of specific words ("cat", "puppy", "spider", "squirrel", "treat", "ride", "walk", etc.) he would wag his tail like crazy in anticipation. I turned to him many times in my life for comfort, for a friend, for an understanding look. He was always willing to sit with me and let me pet him for as long as I needed to. I always told him that I wished he were a "real boy" because he was so good to me. Now that he is gone, I can hardly imagine what it will be like at home. There was never a time in my current house when we didn't have him. We brought him to that house when we moved there ten years ago. So much has changed in those ten years, but he never did. His health declined, but he remained faithful and good. I agree with my dad, I believe that we will get to see him again in the resurrection. I believe that he will want to be with us and I long to see him in his perfected form.

Here is what my dad wrote about Britty:

"Our dog Britain is terminally ill. Today he was diagnosed with intestinal cancer. It progressed rapidly. He cannot eat or rest peacefully. He is weak and anemic. Yet, Britain is still kind, good natured, and wants to be close to us. We have all shed many tears at this prognosis. I can hardly stand the thought of Britain not being around. Yet, we have many happy memories in his behalf. We have gone jogging, walking, and hiking on the beach and in the mountains. Britain never strayed far, for he wanted to be with us. However, he loved to chase the birds on the beach. He ventured into the surf, but not far, for he did not have a liking for deep water. Britain went jogging with me early on in his life until we realized it was not good for his hips. He loves Paula, Jerry, and Joy Swertfeger, who raised him. He loves other dogs, who were not always friendly. He loves his mom Cally, his dad Indy, and cousin Rosie. Britain loved to smell my hands and clothes after I touched a puppy. Britain loved to eat his dog food and whatever table scraps he could beg for, but he rarely stole food, even if it was in reach. On his birthdays we made him wear a party hat and gave him carrot cake to eat. At Christmas we stuck bows to him that covered his body. On Halloween, we put a costume of a cat on him and took him trick-or-treating. We photographed him, loved him, and snuggled with him, and Britain endured all that. Britain learned many tricks, how to shake, roll-over, play dead, pray, say "mama" and "hello", and choose the ball under a cup. Our friends were amazed. Britty loved to play chase games until he could not do it any longer. It is almost too painful for me to contemplate that he will not be here, but I have hope in a resurrection of all things and that Britain will somehow be with us in the next life. There in his perfected state, he will be able to jump, run and play free from pain. He will be with Cally, Indy, and his siblings who have passed beyond the veil. Britain is one dog in a mission, and we will miss him so much. Even our dog Molly will miss him. She senses that something is amiss, and she has not eaten much since Britain's condition go worse. I am grateful that the sting of death is swallowed up in the hope of Christ. "

"'The soul shall be restored to the body, and the body to the soul; yea, and every limb and joint shall be restored to its body; yea, even a hair of the head shall not be lost; but all things shall be restored to their proper and perfect frame.' Alma 40:23. This is my hope. "

May 2, 2008

"Today, our beloved Britain (Britty) was euthanized. As much as we loved him, and it was because we loved him, we had him put out of his misery. Britain had cancer of his intestines, which left him starving. As we looked into his big, loving eyes, we could see that he was in pain. Could we cause Britain to suffer just so we could scratch his fuzzy ears? No, we could not. So, we took him to the veterinary clinic , all of us but Nichole who is at BYU. Paul James and I gave him a Priesthood blessing, during which I had a hard time speaking. Then, we gently carried him to the car and drove to the clinic. There, the veterinary doctor explained the procedure, we signed some forms, and we all bid a tearful goodbye to our beloved friend. I held Britain, and as I did so, he shook a little, perhaps in fear of the unknown (as he did before he went to be groomed) or perhaps in excitement of knowing he would soon be free from pain and with his loved ones (Cally and Indy). We tried to assure him by our touch that there was nothing to fear. Then, as we held him, the doctor injected Britty with a drug that would put him to sleep and stop his heart. Katie felt his last breath. The veterinary doctor confirmed that his heart was silent. Katie was sobbing, Jenna was sobbing, Paul was sobbing, and Andrew couldn't hold back the tears. Our little dog lay still, just a few involuntary twitches of his nose remained. His eyes rolled back. He was in peace now, his body just a receptacle lying on the floor, but his spirit had gone home to Heavenly Father, the creator of all creatures, and his son the source of the resurrection and the restorer of all things. Britain's body would be respectfully cremated and then placed in a box so that we can remember him. I will never forget this sweet, sweet dog. He was truly one of a kind, and I look forward to seeing him in the resurrection."


Be good Britty. We'll see you soon.