A tribute to Copper

[kriswak]

I thought it was time to share Copper's life with all of you. She past before I joined. But it's now been a year since I lost her and I think it's time.

Copper wasn't always my dog. Friends of mine found her as a tiny puppy abandoned in a field near a work-site in January of 2002. She was only about 6 weeks old and so tiny.

They brought her home to live with them, after a few months their older dogs started picking on her. So at about 6 months she became a shop dog. She lived with their guard dog Slash, a Rottie, and he raised her.

When she was little over two she was hit by one of the work trucks. My friend spend thousands of dollars to save her life, even though the first two vets told them to put her down. They didn't have the heart to make her return to the shop as a guard dog. So they took her home once again, but she just had too much energy for their two aging dogs.

Rocco was a little over a year now and I wanted to get him a playmate. I wasn't really looking to adopt an older dog Copper was now 3 and 1/2 years old. But on May 20th 2005 I took copper home for a trial run. The first few weeks were tough. Copper was never really a pet and she had some issues, food aggression, couldn't walk on a leash and I just didn't trust her alone with Rocco. My parents puppy-sat for the first 3 weeks so the dogs were never alone together. After a few fights they became the best of friends and she became mine.

In May of 2009, I felt a lump on her throat. The next day it was larger and was making it hard for her to breath. I as at the vets as soon as the doors opened on that Thursday Morning. They ran tests and took xrays and gave me some meds. On Friday she could no longer eat and had trouble drinking and was having a hard time breathing. I called the vets and they couldn't do anything for her until the test came back the next week. I just couldn't make my baby suffer that long and with out being able to eat or drink I didn't think she would make it through the weekend. The following week the tests came back bone cancer that had spread to her lymphnodes.

She went to the rainbow bridge on Friday May 22. She was only mine for only 4 years and 2 days. But in that time she learned to be a pet, not a watch dog. She learned what it was like to be loved , played with and sleep inside a house at night.


Here are some photos Copper during the years she was mine.


Got Day May 20, 2005


I loved her curled tail


She graduated and won best heal


She just loved Rocco


Tanner, Copper and Rocco Best of Friends


Rocco and Copper Just chillin


My Happy Girl

I love you Copper and I miss you.

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

Kwak, I am so sorry for your loss. Copper was so blessed to have you. I loved all of the pictures, especially the one of her kissing Rocco. The "three amigos" on the bed is also adorable, and Copper looks so very happy in that picture.

I have to admit that I have tears streaming down my face as I look at the pictures and read her bio. You gave Copper a wonderful life. Hugs and thank you for sharing her with us.

[Deerie me]

She was a lovely looking dog Kris and very obviously happy and well loved by her human friends and doggy friends. Thank you for sharing her with us.

[kriswak]

Sorry Deb, I didn't mean to make anyone sad.

Her life had a rough start but the last four years of her life was full of love and kisses. She learned how to play with toys and lived life to the fullest.

[snifferspommom]

Bless Cooper!! What a great life she had and bless you, Kris, for giving her the best doggie life!!

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

Don't apologize for making me sad angel. Reading about Copper and looking at her lovely pictures, really for the first time, just touched my heart. I'm a bit sappy that way.

I know how happy her life was with you. It's so obvious in the pictures. I think that is what touched my heart the most. I just adore the picture on the bed, as she is smiling so hard, her ears are sideways! Beautiful.....and then I look at Rocco, and he's also having the time of his life.

Thanks for creating such a lovely tribute to Copper and sharing it with us.

[kian]

Copper was beautiful and thank you for sharing her life with us. She was lucky to have you and I'm sure her bonding with Rocco had much to do with your love for them. While her start was rough, her life was a testament of love.

[princelover]

I loved your tribute to Cooper! Thank you for sharing with us.

[Mali, Sasha & Me]

Kris what a great tribute to your lovely Copper!!! She was a beautiful girl and when she found you she found the best home a dog could ever hope for.

[RubyJeansMom]

Awww Kris, It looks like Copper and Rocco were great friends, and she's obviously very happy to have found such a great home with you. I also love the photo of her on the bed, smiling from ear to ear along with her brother Rocco.
Thanks for sharing her story.

[4 the Dogs]

I'm a little teary eyed too. It's so heartwarming to hear a story like Coopers and know that she found such a loving person and home! The picture of her, Rocco and Cooper on the bed has always been a favorite of mine and now even more so.
I'm sorry her life was short, Cooper was obviously a very special girl.

[kriswak]

Thanks for all the kind words. Finding the DP helped me and getting Miley helped both me and Rocco with our loss.

[Phyrie]

Thanks for sharing her with us, Kris. A lovely tribute for a much-loved dog.

What a mix she was! From the sturdy Spitz body and tail, to the Springer speckles on her nose, and then the upright satellite dishes of a GSD's ears! Even her legs are a tiny bit stubby, like a certain Mr. Kessler! Not mention having a great name. The name Copper is a favourite of mine for a dog.

And Deb, thanks for pointing out her ear-stretching smile! I missed that detail in the first glance. How delightful!

And I cried too, reading this. I am moved everytime I read how much our dogs mean to us.