Miss ruby blues

Honey was the full sister to Harlee and one of twelve pups from Zoe's first litter. She was stunning and so funny and goofy! I have such vivid memories of her running along the back 'top' of Auntie Mel's couch! I'd hold my breath, in fear the couch would topple... It never did. Honey was fearless and committed to sharing happiness among all creatures.  

In 2015, Honey and Tico had a beautiful litter of nine puppies, including Brown Sugar. In 2016, we planned a repeat litter with Tico. Honey gave birth to five gorgeous puppies and loved them intensely and deeply for their critical first days. After spending the first week with her babies and in vet appointments, she left us, gracefully and peacefully with her family at home. Such a whirlwind of emotion - the euphoria of birth and new life pummeled to deep sorrow with the discovery of Lymphoma cancer in Honey. We witnessed  the timeless and unbreakable bond of motherhood as  Nana Zoe stepped in and took on the role of a surrogate mother to these five, keeping them clean and schooled with love.

Lymphoma is not considered genetic and more often causes are considered environmental exposure. It is a quick and decisive cancer, striking down its victims within 4-6 weeks of its arrival. It is a definitive reminder to spend quality time with all those you love, especially the four-legged variety.

She was the start of it all...  I remember the road trip to bring her home. It took us three days and like most things that really matter, my whole family needed to get  involved to make it happen. Zoe was so intelligent; it was as if her brain was able to process complex thoughts at a higher level than most people I know. But she was a challenge to train; she would poke holes in my reasoning and motivate me to be better. The fall of 2007 was a dark time - it saw the demise of my marriage and the diagnosis of brain cancer for my father, who left us on Christmas Day. 

Up until this point, Zoe had always been assertive but with my soul heavy and my mood melancholy, it was like she felt she had to intervene. I often think that during this time, if we were walking on a deserted beach, you would only see her footprints. Just like the famous poem, she carried me through this period. She became even more assertive and protective, almost to the point of defiance. She did what she set out to accomplish, which was to snap me out of my grieving and push me forward to what was important in life: my children, Ryerson and Sage, my family and my dream of completing families with their very own doodle.