Back in the late 1980’s my sister got a Corgi, Ben. Ben was a super chill dog. He was sweet and smart and just an all-around neat dog. Several years later, I got my first Corgi, Mindy. I was considering a puppy and then I met her. She came running at me, jumped into my lap and was smothering me with kisses. She was just over a year old. It was love at first sight. I brought her home and that was the start of an incredible experience.
I took Mindy everywhere dogs were allowed. She was my little, happy shadow. We’d go boating and she’d jump in if she saw a fish (PSA: get a life jacket for your dog if you take him/her boating). We’d go to the battlefield at Gettysburg. There was one area she refused to go. We had been hiking around and there was a path through the woods. I started up, but she absolutely refused to go. I turned around and her hackles were raised and she was growling, so needless to say, we didn’t go up that trail.
Mindy loved everyone! She nursed a sick kitten to health. She tried to play with a black bear. Her best friend was a tuxedo cat named Koko. She’d pick him up by his scruff and carry him around.
Then, in August 2001, things changed. She was dropping weight dramatically. She wasn’t eating much. I took her to the vet and the diagnosis was a very aggressive cancer. It was not treatable, but with surgery, it would buy her time. I opted for the surgery and for 3 glorious weeks we had a blast! We went to a local fair and when people heard her story they were very generous. She got homemade dog biscuits from one vendor and beef from another. She got a ball from someone and lots of love from everyone we met. We went to Gettysburg and sat on the ledge of the Pennsylvania memorial at dawn.
When she was ready, she let me know that it was time to go. We were out of options and she was starting to feel badly. I let her go on 18 September 2001. It was the hardest thing I have ever done. I hadn’t had a dog that had bonded so closely. I was devastated. It took months to feel like I could breathe again. Her death still extremely painful to remember, but I was given a piece of advice that has really helped me. When I was really struggling with her death, my friend said that the universe picked me, above anyone else, to receive the gift of Mindy. That she was meant for me. That I should focus on the good memories and not allow myself to become immersed in anger over the shortness of her life and the cancer that took her from me.
So, here we are…the 1st Annual Corgi Cruise. Dedicated to my heart dog, Mindy. I’m sure she’d approve (although I bet she wouldn’t approve of having to stay home).
I hope you can join me. I’d love to hear about your Corgi(s), laugh about the silliness, cry about the sad times, and most of all, get to know people who love Corgis as much as I do.
💜💜💜💜🐾💜