“It Came Without Ribbons”

 The Story of Bitsy

Many of you don’t know the story of Bitsy so I’d thought I’d share it with you this Christmas.

To be blessed with an old dog is like no other blessing.  To be blessed with an old dog named Bitsy is a miracle in itself.  She came to us by accident 5 or 6 years ago when my husband found her in the park, lost without a collar and so sick that we thought she might be dying.  He brought her home and with the help of our Vet, we nursed her back to health.  The days went by as we looked for her owner, she slept on our couch and watched us every minute.  We carried her outside to use the bathroom and gradually she started to eat again. She shook and trembled most of the time.

We did everything we could to find her owner. We put up signs, called the shelters and vets in the area in case anyone was looking for her. With each pet of my hand on her head I knew I was falling in love with this dog and when no one called  I made my husband take down the signs.  I knew we would have to give her back if we found her owners but secretly I hoped they wouldn’t call.

And then one day it happened…my husband came home with this sign:

It was her!   I knew I had to call the number.   I called and said  “I think we have your dog.  She’s been very, very sick so we took her to the vet.  She’s feeling better and I know you must miss her.”  The lady who answered told me it was her son’s dog and that she’d have him call me.

It was so hard waiting for the son to call and I knew he’d want her back because she was so sweet.  I told myself it was silly to fall in love with a dog this fast and that she belonged to someone else.  But I couldn’t help wondering why it had taken so long to put up the lost dog sign.

When the son called I said to him “I’ve fallen in love with your dog and if there’s any chance you don’t want her I’d love to keep her”.   That’s when the miracle happened.  It turned out the son was in school and hardly home anymore.  He had to keep her chained in the back yard when he was gone and apparently she’d escaped from her collar and dug her way out.  He hadn’t been home for while and that’s why it took so long for the signs to go up.

The son came over, brought her “papers” and collar and said we could have her.   Bitsy became our dog!  According to her “papers” she’s a Toy Fox Terrier named Bitsy,  born on October 7th.  To me she will always be Bitsy Button Sutton.  I tell her that I wish I could have seen her in her youth…she whispers the same thing back to me tee hee!

She’s a part of our family now and she just turned 16.  She’s given us the best years of her life no doubt about that, and because she’s so special she’ll get a few of her favorite cookies on Christmas day…Mother’s Taffy Cookies!

She spent so much time outside with her first owners she has mast cell tumors (a kind of skin cancer) that we’ve had to have removed.  Surgery after surgery she comes home and acts as if nothing happened.  She bounces back,  recovers and surgery after surgery our vet tells us it’s a miracle she’s alive.   She has scars on her head, side and legs, she’s deaf now and the black on her face has turned gray.  She’s down to a few precious teeth.   But she runs, plays with toys and prances across the yard.  She follows me every where and she’s such a joy!

In September we found another tumor that had to be removed and this time they didn’t get it all.  Because it’s such a slow growing tumor we’ll watch it carefully and say a few prayers.

As I package up the gifts this year I can’t help but remember that Bitsy is the best present I’ve ever received any time of year.    If you own an old dog or cat you know how it feels.  She’s taught me what strength really is and having her in my life has made me a better person.  Who knew a dog could do so much?  She reminds me of the best things about Christmas.  She’s the gift without ribbons!

Dr. Seuss’ Grinch Christmas Quote

“And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled ’till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store? What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more?”

Give your pet a Christmas hug.

Anne