A beautiful farewell to Cooper and Spicy

Friday, February 9, 2024 - we said our final farewell to our beloved Cooper and Spicy. It was a day of pure love yet such profound sadness. We gave them the beautiful gift of allowing them to pass peacefully, together and surrounded with so much love. They are leaving a void that cannot be described. Our grief is overwhelming. 

The past two weeks were not easy. Cooper's appetite and energy simply weren't there and Spicy was declining in front of our eyes. On Wednesday, we had a two hour in-home consultation with Dr. Katy Mold, from CompassionVet Montreal. We needed guidance and clarity. Although deep inside we already knew this, it became clear that both were at the door step of a potential medical crisis.  They were so fragile. The decision to let them go together was as heartbreaking as it gets but it was the right one. 

Thursday was a day of full pampering, filled with love and whatever tickled their fancy. We took them to the park for one last walk. Our friend Errol joined us. It was a beautiful day. Spicy struggled so I held her in my arms. Cooper sniffed and peed on every tree. Then we sat on a bench and Errol took a photo of us. A wonderful memory of their last walk.

On Friday, we woke up with a profound feeling of impending loss. Despite that, we gave Cooper & Spicy their best morning fun. Cooper had a plate full of ground ham for breakfast. Spicy had some rice, chicken and ground ham. They both devoured their meals. Later in the morning, they enjoyed their snuffle mats filled with little goodies. At 10:30 am, they got their 3 pm crunchy treat. Russell did one last grooming, I did one last top knot. It gave us each some intimate time with both to thank them for being such a huge part of our lives.  Dr. Mold and her assistant Heather arrived at 11:15.

They passed away in the most peaceful and beautiful way, nose to nose. We opted to have their paw prints done in our home. In the end, they were both wrapped in a baby blanket, pink for our girl, blue for our boy. Each were then carefully placed in a doggie bed. Russell and I carried each one in our arms to  Dr. Mold's car and said our final goodbyes. We cannot say enough about the care and love that both Katy and Heather gave us. They are the reason why Cooper & Spicy's passing will forever be remembered both as heart wrenching but also filled with so much compassion. 

We are incredibly at peace with our decision but that doesn't take away the immense sadness that we feel. We have cried a lot in the past few days and the tears will continue to flow. At any moment, we expect to see both in every corner of our home. We have also had some chuckles remembering some of their antics. 

We are leaning on each other in our grief. Our emotional reserve is at its lowest so we need to take care of ourselves. Tomorrow is Russell's birthday. It will be bittersweet. We will go to Montreal for an overnight get away. We hope it will somewhat ease the pain that will be felt on his special day. 

I leave you with the photos of our last walk, their cute little paw prints and flowers given to us by friends to help ease our pain. We are grateful to all who have shown support and sympathy. It really helps. 

Cooper and Spicy gave us some of the best years of our lives, the ultimate unconditional love. In return, we gave them all the love we could possibly give them. We take comfort in that. You are deeply missed sweet little ones. We hope you are both having fun chasing squirrels with the many friends that were waiting for you in doggie heaven. We will always keep you in our hearts and await your return in a few weeks 💕

Spicy cuddled in my arms while Cooper
proudly takes his place on the bench with
Russell on their final walk at Edgewater Park.
Thank you Errol for this photo.

Our good friend Errol was able to share in the 
joy and sorrow on this final stroll. Thank you for
joining us.

Paw prints captured forever.

Lovely flowers in remembrance of
Cooper and Spicy from dear
neighbours Marie & Paul and
Billy the Havanese's mom Cindy