CUBBY'S TRIBUTE

Lisa Gelb created Santa Paws Walk for love of animals, but most especially for her much adored dog, Cubby.  Santa Paws Walk presented a way to spend even more time with Cubby.  This is the last photo taken of Cubby and Lisa.  As Lisa says, "Being with one loving animal for almost 17 years, and having done so much with Cubby; it's losing a part of me."  This Santa Paws Walk is dedicated to Cubby and Lisa with much appreciation for their positive impact on animals in our area.

Cubby's Last Parade

Cubby passed on today at 3:00 under the shade of the Dogwood tree, surrounded by the flowers, animals and the thing she loved the most, her Mom.

          The last two weeks she has let me know that it is time for her to leave home.  Even though we had an agreement she would leave when she was 17, I let her go.  At 16 years, 7 months, she got pretty darn close. She started out a Tallahassee Lassie that I discovered one day while reading the classified ads. Keeshond/Samoyed mix puppies for sale, at $35 each.  Something told me one of these puppies was mine.  At 8 weeks old, I brought her home and my life has never been the same.  I have been enriched so much by this puppy that cost 77 cents a pound.  Cubby inspired me to create the Santa Paws Walk www.santapawswalk.org that helps TREATS raise funds for animals in need. The Santa Paws Walk is still being done to this day, and has saved countless animals without homes and in need of help.  Cubby led the Parade with Santa for several years and then was ready for her close-up--a trip to Hollywood.

          After Cubby and I landed in Hollywood, she caused quite the sensation as I walked her around the block. Everyone wanted to know how old my "puppy" was. even though she was getting up there in years.  She and I had many adventures, she rode shot gun with me in my convertible across country, flew several times on Delta to meet up with me wherever we would wind up. The one constant in my life, for the past 17 years that I could count on was Cubby.  She was always by my side and I by hers.  We were a team who helped each other and made each other happy.  I am so proud to have been her Mom and realize how special and lucky I was to have her. I often told her that I was the luckiest person in the world to have her as my puppy.

          Her health has been failing as of late, and she needed me more to get around and help her walk, get up, take her to the vet and keep her on medications and her hip ailments under control.  Through the entire process of needing my help more and becoming less independent, she never complained or seemed upset. She knew I was there and would take care of her.  She would greet me every day with a big smile and just want to be by my side.  I would get up several times a night to let her out, be there to help her get up and encourage her to keep on going.  We'd go outside where she would walk like a puppy, happy to be outside, walking off leash, and would actually make a run on several occasions, even if just for a couple hundred yards before sitting down and smiling at me to come and get her.  The smile that was so much a part of Cubby is one of the things I loved the most, and it hurt to see it begin to subside.

          The past few weeks, her spirit has begun to go south, like her body that has finally given up on her.  I knew it was time to let her go and move on.  Like the trooper she is, she spent the past two days smiling for me and giving me comfort.  Having her smile with me, sitting in the sunshine under the dogwood tree, surrounded by flowers, I knew the place and time were right for her to leave home.  Her vet, Dr. Driscoll, (who was kind enough to take her in to kennel her when no one else would) said it may take up to 30 seconds for her to pass.  It took about 5 seconds.  Clearly, she was ready to go and join her ex boyfriends Sake
and Trooper in Doggie Heaven.  Today, she passed over very peacefully, her head in my lap, while I told her how much I loved her and felt her last puppy breaths. I miss her so much, and hope that I will dream of her tonight and for many nights to come.

          I know she is in a better place, but it's only been 30 minutes and I miss her terribly.  The house is empty, it's going to be hard to not see her, hear her or hug  her ever again. There will never be another puppy like Cubby.
          On my last visit to the vet less than one week ago, she caused quite a stir again.  People wanting to know what type of dog it was and the thing I never got tired of hearing "How old is your puppy?"
          The puppy is now in a better place and I'm glad she does not know the pain I am in.  I would not want her to know that.  The last thing I told her is that she's the best puppy in the world and how much I love her.   –Lisa Gelb