These past twelve years, I’ve shared my life with a variety of different animals including two Labradors. And a few days ago, things really didn’t look very good for one of them. Bella fell ill very suddenly and couldn’t eat. And when a Labrador stops eating, things are very serious. It was the Bank Holiday weekend, and the vets were closed. Poor Bella kept retching very violently making a noise that sounded as though it should be coming from a buffalo instead of from a dog. She grew very weak and with her last ounces of energy, she went off into the garden and lay down under a bush. And she didn’t move again. She spent the whole night out there, and she clearly thought that she was about to die.
The following morning, my owner took her to the vets as an emergency patient. By this stage, Bella was too weak to move, so he had to pick up all 28kg of her, and carry her to the car, and then into the vets. And the vet that she saw didn’t hold out much hope. Bella has diabetes and was experiencing a massive hyper, - (too much sugar in the blood). She was put on a drip and given massive doses of insulin and antibiotics, and then it was a waiting game to see if she’d pull through. And she spent the night there in a comatose state.
By the following morning, her blood readings were almost back to normal, but there was still little sign of life in Bella, and the vets were worried that something else was going on. An ultrasound was done showing a build-up of blood-infused liquid in her abdomen, leading the vets to conclude that she must have a tumour somewhere. And so euthanasia was discussed and agreed.
Now, my owner’s wife had to travel back from Sussex, and my owner’s son from Cornwall, so it was agreed that she should spend one more night at the vets giving them time to return before she was put to sleep the following afternoon.
My owner spent a difficult morning at work, trying to put on the act of being cheerful, when in fact he was feeling anything but. The following day, a grave was dug in the garden, and a few minutes before the appointed time, my owner downed a glass of rum for added strength. And then, as he was about to set off for the vets, the phone rang. It was the vets calling; Bella had suddenly perked up and was eating again. And so, at the eleventh hour, she received a stay of execution and is back home with us again. And as you can see in the picture, I am doing my best to welcome her back. She’s still not totally out of the woods. There may well be something else going on inside her, but at least we can enjoy her presence for a little bit longer. Because after having had her for eleven years, there would be a big hole left in our family if she was no longer a part of it.
Life isn’t always easy; it comes with all kinds of ups and downs and roller-coaster rides, and we simply can’t control what happens. Which is why we are told by Jesus to have faith. To believe in Him, and to believe that ultimately, all will be well even if that’s in the next life rather than this one. And is there a place for Labradors (and parrots!) in Heaven? Of course, there is. Would God go to all of the trouble of creating such wonderful creatures such as us, only for us to simply turn to dust? No way!
“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us."
(Romans 8:18)
“…creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.” (Romans 8: 21)
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