Tears for many reasons

I'd give almost anything to make today Wednesday, because today already sucks and it's only 7am. Today, Storm will be euthanized. A sweet loving, caring, beautiful dog will be killed by my decision to have it done. A syringe full of barbiturates will pierce the vein in her leg and her heart will go into immediate arrest and she will be dead.

Storm came here on the 8th of June 2011.

Pulled from the home of a crackhead in Manassas VA and very much pregnant. Prince William County Police wanted her as far away from her owners as possible, and were put in contact with me. I picked her up the same day they called and brought her home. Storm responded favorably right away to good food and lovin. She wanted nothing more than to lay with a human on the sofa... in a chair.... wherever. We could tell right away that she had been starved of affection and had only been used as a machine to produce pups for what we could only assume was illegal entertainment.

June 18th 2011, Storm delivered 9 Beautiful babies to us.

All healthy and with the same marbled coloring as their Mama. I was surprised at the size of the litter, given Storms small stature, but I guess that's what crackheads/breeders look for in a breeding machine. Now though, Storm looked skinnier than ever and was always on the lookout for more groceries.

June 28, 2011 Six Motherless pups arrived from BCHS.

Just ten days later, these six gorgeous pups joined the family and Storm took them as if they were her very own.... nursing and cleaning and protecting them. I could tell the difference between her pups and the new ones and I'm sure she could too, but she paid it no mind. We bottle fed to help with nursing demands and all 15 pups started growing.

July 1st - 5th, 2011 All Nine of Storms pups passed away.

We originally thought it may have been an upper respiratory issue that took them, but then we got the autopsy results back on Dooley and discovered he died of Parvo. We never tested the pups to see if it was parvo that took them, we can only assume. What I DO know, is that holding an innocent puppy as it takes it's last breath ever is the most dreadful and deafening silence I've ever had to experience. Now we had to sit and wait for the other six to die? I couldn't do it. I refused to sit and watch as their lungs quit on them and caused their tiny little hearts to stop beating. I had taken the six new pups to the vet to also have them put down, but they talked me out of it. I couldn't bear to watch them slowly and painfully die like the first nine. With a "Promise" to be there when or IF I needed them, I placed my trust in the vet staff and headed home with six, seriously pumped up on antibiotics, puppies.

July 7th, 2011 The Six pups eye started to open.

With an estimated birth date of June 25th, 2011, these six babies are now 5 1/2 weeks old. Weaned from their surrogate mama and eating on their own. having survived what we think was parvo, I have great hopes for this litter. Fortunately for them, they're starting to look a lot less like pitbulls and instead just cute pups. Storm in all her awesomeness did a Terrific job keeping these babies alive.

July 25th, 2011 Storm attacked Niles.

I hadn't been home 30 minutes. Let all the dogs out like I ALWAYS do, and I heard the growl gurgle. That sound that says, it's not play... something is wrong. I raced outside to find Storm straddling Niles and ripping his throat open. I pulled her off of him, put him in a crate, crated all the dogs and raced off to the vet with Niles. She had ripped a hole in his esophagus, barely missing a jugular vein. Three hours in surgery, he was covered in stitched and drain tubes and we headed home. It's been a week and Niles is recovering at an amazing and rapid speed. Storm however has continued her random attempts at attacking several other dogs here. I've come to the point where she has to be monitored when she's not crated. She's tried to go after Niles twice more now and just this morning, went after Francine. My decision, as hard as it is, has been made. Storm is too unpredictably volatile. Today it's small dogs and cats that are in her cross hairs. Tomorrow it may be a child. I can't take that risk and I won't ask anyone else to take it either. Storm, we love you. You were a victim of bad breeding, by Monsters. You're a loving sweet lady, that did what she was bred to do and went above and beyond that role to take care of others in need. You're a cuddler, a licker and an overall luvbug. Sadly, you're also a killer with a prey drive larger than a wolf. It's not your fault and you can't stop it. I forgive you for what happened with Niles. I thank you for what you did for these pups and I ask that you forgive me for what I'm about to do. Enjoy that bridge Fine Lady, you deserve it, you really do. Leave this world knowing a kind hand and kind words and a full satisfied belly.

Tears are shed for many reasons, but today, there will be tears shed for only you.