A Poem For Megan; Goodbye To A Special Dog

What a heart

What a soul

Megan was as good as gold

See her run

Watch her swim

Megan moving like a dream

Brilliant luster

Big brown eyes

Megan’s light never dies

Run Megan run all day long

Run Megan run and sing your song

Run Megan run through fields and hills

Leaping Jumping

High through the wheat

Wild and free your ultimate treat

See her reaching up for the sky

Go Megan go, no sad goodbyes

Fly Megan Fly, such love never dies

In the wildflower meadows

Where the crystal stream flows

Heaven's the place all good dogs know

Megan was our little wire haired Jack Russell terrier; my husband and I found her at the animal rescue center in February 2004 on St Valentine’s Day.

The staff at the center named her Harp. We were warned, Harp loved a good adventure, and would jump the eight feet fence at the center to go walk about, well actually; knowing Megan, this was much more likely to be run around.

We renamed her Megan when we learned that she was found in Wales, hence the name Harp as in, Welsh Harp.

Megan was a girlie dog; she loved to be told that she was beautiful. I once bought my sister a sparkling Crystal bracelet for her birthday, the dog took it and refused to give it back, like a magpie she collected anything that shined and sparkled.

Megan was gentle and loving, more like a cuddling pussy cat than a dog, but only with family and friends, a girl must maintain her street cred after all. If you heard her and did not actually see her, you'd be forgiven for believing that the dog behind the door was a fearsome rottweiler. Most people laughed out loud when they saw what all the fuss was about, but never judge a book by its cover, or in this case, a dog by it's bark.

Our new postman decided to have a little fun with Megan, big mistake. I heard him talking to the dog through the front door. “So you want to bite me, you little shit, come on then, come on.” And he pushed the mail through the door attempting to hit the dog, she grabbed hold of his finger instead. The postman's angry shouts and the incessant banging on the door could be heard for miles around.

I opened the door and let the wounded man into the house, he was now bleeding all over my carpet, we went into the kitchen, and as I cleaned and dressed his wound, he pointedly informed me about the claims he would be making for damages.

However, since I did not hear from him again, I guess he must have taken some sound legal advice and realized that it was never a good idea to tease dogs. Least of all, a dog that was simply doing her job by protecting her home. What's more, there was a perfectly good post box at the front gate that the postie had pointedly ignored.

Megan was fiercely protective of us, small in size but a huge personality, she loved to run and swim, she often manages to find a way to get out, this dog was imaginative, she didn't miss a trick when it comes to breaking out.

This little dog has been known to escape by jumping from the first-floor bedroom window, landing on the clipped yew hedge. We could always tell where she'd dropped because there would be a distinct Megan shaped impression in the hedge. Having chased all around the neighborhood looking for her, Megan would return home exhausted. We would later learn that she had been running along with a cyclist or swimming in her favourite river, ford or pond in the neighbourhood.

We lived in a relatively remote area, so when Megan got out we were more concerned that she would chase the local farmer's sheep in the nearby field than the risk of her running into traffic; but having said that, one day she came home with a fishing hook attached to her neck.

Not long after this episode, she sneaked out while we were asleep, and returned with a hole in her chest, she was chasing rabbits and got impaled on a branch. On yet another occasion, she frightened us terribly when she sneaked out to visit the neighbour's horse the horse kicked her in the head.

As we rushed her to the vets, we thought, this time, she would lose the sight in one eye, but luckily she was fine, she became a bit of a celeb at the local veterinary clinic.

Megan had a few doggy friends, but she loved Casper the friendly Fox the best, named for the way he'd suddenly appear and disappear, rather like a ghost. Casper was a handsome fox who visited every night, regular as clockwork. Megan was always waiting at the window for him, promptly at 19.00 every night.

Four years ago we found a small growth on Megan's chest and had it removed. However, subsequently, more of her glands had become enlarged, after thorough examinations and several tests, she was diagnosed with Lymphoma.

Megan responded well to chemotherapy and typically, she bravely went into remission. Four years on, last Christmas, we realized that the cancer had returned.

We knew this could be the end because she was now getting on in years; we estimated she would have been over 80 in doggy years.

Still, we wanted to give Megan every chance, so when the vet suggested that we try chemotherapy again since she had responded so well in the past, we agreed to give it another try. Unfortunately, Megan became very ill from the chemo., and although it appeared that the cancer was receding, it had, in fact, returned, this time with a vengeance.

Sadly, my husband and I made the decision to put our little girl to sleep. It’s sad and the house is much too quiet without Megan, but she is no longer in pain and the time she spent with us will always be special. It’s incredible how something so small can have such an impact on our lives. So, we said our goodbyes and sent her on her way to the greatest adventure of all.

Thank you Boo boo it’s been a privilege.

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