Fit For Our #FiveSibes Alpha Queen: Celebrating Harley's 14½ Birthday

Born on March 10, 2005, our beautiful alpha queen, pupster surrogate momma, and my daughter's and our first Siberian Husky,  turns 14½ today!

You may be wondering why are we celebrating her half birthday? Because, as heartbreaking as it is, we now know she will not be here in March to celebrate her 15th Birthday as I once had hoped.

Heartfelt thanks to Ann at Zoolatry for this beautiful badge.
Thank you all who are sharing it and joining paws for our girl.

As amazing and strong as our queen has been, and how proud I have been of how she still could outrun Pupsters Wolf and Bandit, still splash in her pool like a puppy, tear up a dog bed like there's no tomorrow, and chase her tail until the sun sets, our beloved Husky leader has also been dealing with health issues that we have been treating, but are now slowing her down and, heartbreakingly we are preparing ourselves for her journey, that we as pet parents all dread, to the Rainbow Bridge. 

“Dogs' lives are too short. Their only fault, really.”
~Agnes Sigh Turnbull

Harley began with some health issues back in March of this year, to which we have successfully treated to date. However, this past month has seen her body betray her, slowly at first, and now we fear the breakthrough pain is becoming too much for her treatment, and before it reaches a level that would be too much for her, it is becoming clear her time with us here is nearing an end. 

Each day has been filled with love, and I won't sugarcoat it, many, many tears. There is an awful squeezing in my chest that is my heart breaking into a billion pieces knowing our days are numbered. Still hurting from the sudden loss of our Chloe this past June, I am once again reeling from the thought of losing Harley. Our beautiful pack queen will be joining her true love Gibson and her "adopted" pupster Chloe, who I know are waiting together for her at the Rainbow Bridge, to guide her and stay with her forever in those forever snowy fields farther north of the Rainbow Bridge, where only Siberians go.

So today, on her "half" birthday...we celebrate her. Her amazing life, her bravery, her momma instincts for three puppies who were not of her blood, and for showing us all about joy, zest, Siberian Husky will, and embracing and loving life as only a dog can. So it's her favorite - vanilla ice cream for all!

This has been a week of memories, smiles, tears, and lots of bacon,

burgers, pizza crust, and ice cream for our queen. Oh, how I wish we had more time...so much more time...but, sadly, we do not. Anything more would be selfish and it would be only for me and my broken heart; I owe her more. She deserves the best. And this gut-wrenching decision has to be about her, and her only. Three different calls to the vet, and two postponements behind me, but I think the time has arrived when we are out of postponements. I do not see a failing dog, as others see, but rather an amazing senior girl whose youthful beauty still shines through in my eyes.

 
My goodness, where did almost 15 years go? 

So, in honor of Harley's 14½ Birthday, please give your beloved pets an extra hug and kiss, and extra toss of a ball, play her favorite game Fetch in her honor, and say a prayer with wishes that for her that her final journey on this plane she will feel all the love in our hearts and that it will be very peaceful for her, as she leaves to meet Gibson and Chloe, and all the other amazing fur friends we have made over the many years we here at FiveSibes have been part of this amazing blogging and online community.

  In these days leading up until then...she will be wrapped in so much love and tears, along with as much ice cream, bacon, and pizza as her dear queenly heart desires...but, as for me, I am so not ready...not at all.

 

A Note to our Devoted FiveSibes Readers: We here at FiveSibes will be taking a blogging break to spend time with Harley. Both  of our Blog Hops -- #WaitingWednesday and #FlashbackFriday will be on a hiatus as well. Thank you for understanding.

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