Jilly

Jilly arrived at Old Dog Heaven on July 18th, 2021 from Bellingham, WA. Jilly belonged to a friend who could no longer care for her. She was rescued from a shelter in Hood River, Oregon in 2014. When she came home back then, it was clear she suffered extreme neglect. She was so thin, you could count every rib and see all the notches of her spine. But once she came home, she settled right in to her new and wonderful life. 

Jilly is now a 13-year-old beauty and sweet as pie. The very sad news is that Jillybean doesn't have much time left. What appeared to be an abscess is actually a substantial oral tumor indicative of advanced cancer, perhaps oral melanoma. Looking closely, the whole right side of her face is misshapen. She is bleeding from her mouth at times, and on her second day at Old Dog Heaven, Jilly started to have nosebleeds. Perhaps, she has a few weeks to several months to live.

As an old lady, Jilly deals with all sorts of other issues, like deafness, severe periodontal disease, muscle loss, and significant arthritis. Still, with all of these issues, Jilly is happy to be at Old Dog Heaven. She loves going on long walks with Rocky and Uncle Max, and enjoys playing at the park. She sleeps most of the day, but loves to get snuggles and follow the other dogs out onto the porch to bark at the neighborhood dogs.

Jilly is going to take a chunk of this heart with her when she goes. She teaches me about how to suffer with grace, how to feel joy when in pain, and how to love so purely and so fully, even when things are hard. Old Dog Heaven is grateful for every moment she is with us.     

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On July 29, 2021 at 12:16 pm, Jilly's old legs gave out from under her and she fell. When she hit the floor, she must have bitten the tumor now bulging out her cheek because it ruptured and began to bleed profusely. We rushed to the vet and once in the office, before any meds were administered, a peace came down and settled upon her. Jilly became aware that it was her time and she began to let go. Twelve days after arriving at Old Dog Heaven, Jilly passed away at 1:32 pm.

We had one joy-filled week together before her decline. She played at the park, enjoyed walks through the neighborhood, ate big satisfying meals, and delighted in lots of snuggle time. She was so happy. Every moment was a blessing, and for that I am thankful. You are loved, girl, and I will always miss your sweet, gentle presence.