goodbye gemini

my parents had to put one of our dogs to sleep this past weekend.  gemini was the sweetest, smartest dog.  she sat like a meerkat and loved it when you called her a pretty dog.  my favorite trick was pointing my finger at her and saying bang bang!  she'd flop over dramatically and play dead for a split second before she was up expecting her treat.

gemini was originally my dog.  i got her right after i graduated from college.  she was a rat terrier, a breed i'd never really heard of when i started looking for a dog.  i didn't intend on picking her but when i saw her look up at me with the sweetest little eyes i had to take her home.  whenever you held her she was the sweetest, calmest puppy.  as soon as you set her down to play, she tore around like her butt was on fire, skidding into walls or doors.  it was like having two completely different dogs, so i thought gemini would be a fitting name.

on one of those occasions where she was running like a crazy dog, she ran into some stationary moving boxes and snapped her foreleg.  the vet put a little doggie cast on her leg and told me to keep her from running on it for a few weeks.  have you ever tried to keep a puppy from running?!  well i tried my best but one night i was taking her outside to do her business when she just sprinted away.  all of a sudden i saw her rolling head over heels and yelping in terror.  i was sure she had re-broken her leg so i ran over and scooped  her up on the opposite side.  gemini promptly whipped her head around and bit right into my hand.  i nearly dropped her but then i realized that it wasn't the same leg bothering her.  it was actually her other foreleg.  she did this the night before we were supposed to take an 8 hour drive up the east coast so i could start my new job.  i had to take her to the emergency vet who informed me that she had shattered the elbow of her other leg and that she would require surgery.  he gave me some drugs and told me to get her to the vet as soon as we got to north carolina.  she ended up sitting on a pillow on my lap for most of the drive.

once we got to town, i took her to the nc state vet school in raleigh.  they had a great reputation and being a school, they were a little more affordable.  only a little.  the student vet informed me that she would need surgery on both legs or that she should be put to sleep.  she was only 3 months old so i guess he assumed it would be easy to put a puppy to sleep but i was already in love with her and couldn't imagine putting her down for just having broken legs.  many people pointed out that i could get a new dog for less than that surgery would cost but i didn't care.

after a year in north carolina, i found out i'd have to live in a dorm in texas for 8 months so my parents agreed to let gemini stay with them until i got my next assignment.  during those 8 months, gemini and my dad had a special bond, especially after his boston terrier died.  i knew it would be difficult to take her back.  after texas i found out i would be going to hawaii.  at that time hawaii had one of the strictest/longest quarantines for pets coming into the islands (because they have never had rabies there).  couple that with many rental places not allowing pets and my heavy traveling schedule for work and i knew it would just be better for gemini to stay with my parents.

recently, gemini was inexplicably losing a lot of weight and having bladder issues.  the vet finally said it was time.  it may have been renal cancer.  regardless, gemini is no longer suffering.  she was a good dog, was very loved, and will be missed...