My heart is broken...

Conner Cougar Croushore
May? 2002 - May 7, 2012

Oct. 2002 - I picked up Sara at Conner High School one afternoon and a girl had a beautiful dog with a bandana on it sitting in the lobby.  She had found it a few days before tied up to the fence at the Humane Society, dirty, hungry, cold, scared.  She took it home and bathed it and was told she couldn't keep it.  She was looking for a good home for it.  Sara was begging me, I was having no part of it.  I was trying to take care of a blended family of 6 and it was chaotic to say the least.  Mary Sargent - Asst. Principal at CHS told me I needed this dog, Sara was pleading, so I finally said "ask Paul and see what he says".  Knowing good and well he would say NO.  That evening, Sara, in her sweetest voice said, "Pauuullll, can we have a dog?"  His response, "Sure, honey.  Anything you want."  Ugh!  I had lost this battle.  Sara and I went to the girl's home the next day and brought "Conner" home.  This was one of the absolute BEST things to ever happen in my life.  Without a doubt.  We called her Conner Cougar Croushore after the high school.  I thought she was just a puppy and when we took her to the vet, Dr. Greenfield said she was 7 - 10 months old.  We got her shots, got her fixed and settled in. 

I remember Kimmy H. saying her son would say are we talking about Jacob Sarah or Conner Doggie Sara?  People may not know our names, but they would know Conners'. She loved everybody!  The most easy disposition you ever saw in a dog.  She loved all the kids on the street and the attention they gave her.  She loved her walks with Paul every evening, coming into the office at 5:00, looking at him as if to say "what's the deal?  it's time for me."  She loved it when Justin would pick her up (all 50 pounds of her) and fly her around the house and up the stairs so she didn't have to walk up them. (She had severe hip dysplasia)  She loved to climb into Laura's bed and snuggle with her and listen to her secrets.  She loved to snuggle with Sara and tolerated her and Natalie dressing her up in the latest styles.  She loved it when Dennis would come over and lay on the floor beside her and rub her.  She loved all the "kids" (now adults) who came in and out of our house and would just sit and let them pet her forever.  She loved having the Ink or Dye girls come over once a month and would take her turns at being petted by each.  (Her black coat would often sparkle with glitter). She has tolerated Jo Jo coming to live with us.  She's run more with Jo and played more, Jojo has been a blessing to Conner as she's gotten older.  She would always be by my side when I'm home, laying right in the middle of whatever project I would be doing.  She was all of our best friend! 

We've known for a long time that she was not feeling "young".  Last night she wouldn't get up to go to bed.  Justin went to pick her up and "fly" her away, and she screamed in pain.  I petted her and she screamed again.  Paul called Dr. Greenfield and he came right over.  After taking a good look at her, he said we needed to go to the animal urgent care and of course, we didn't hesitate.  They took x-rays and wanted to operate immediately.  We chose to wait until today and see what Dr. Jeff had to say.  We took her in at 8 before his surgeries began.  The news wasn't good.  She had a large mass.  She was in a lot of pain.  We had no choice.  We could not let her suffer anymore.  Paul, Jeff, and I, all three, crying.  Horrible.  Sad.  Hurts so bad.   She has no more pain.  She's running around in God's garden chasing the birds and letting them know that it's her yard. 

I love you Conner Cougar Croushore and I always will.  Thank you God for bringing her into our lives.