Losing a pet is like losing a part of yourself; they’re a part of your family, your daily routine, and more. That is exactly what happened to Junior Cambrie Smith just a few months ago.
Cambrie’s dog of nine years, Lola, passed away recently due to health issues. Although her family has another dog, Macy, this was a big change for Cambrie and her family. Their time together was cut much too short on many levels, but it is an irreplaceable part of her life.
Even from their first moments together, Lola and Cambrie’s relationship was close. When getting her, they had to drive about an hour to pick Lola up, and on the way back, Lola surprised them with a sick surprise.
“We didn’t know how carsick or if the dog would get sick,” Cambrie said. “We didn’t think about it at all. We were talking about her name, and what we should name her, and I fell asleep 15 minutes after deciding her name. She was on me, and she threw up all down my side, down the seat, and it was just sitting there until I woke up.”
Since then, Cambrie and Lola have been best friends. Cambrie and her two sisters would take turns taking Lola for the night to sleep with them. It gave each girl time with the special dog. Then, it got to a point where one of her sisters didn’t want Lola to sleep with her, so Cambrie got her for four nights in a row. Along with night duties, each girl took turns feeding Lola, refilling her water, taking her outside, and performing other basic pet care responsibilities.
There was more to Lola than a chore for Cambrie as well. There were little things about Lola, throughout her life and towards the end, that hold everlasting memories. For one thing, Lola loved hunting little creatures. In the Smiths’ backyard, she could be found chasing squirrels and moles, attempting to get her ultimate revenge. There were other things about Lola, too, that molded memories for Cambrie.
“When she got sick, she wore diapers and she hated them,” Cambrie said. “So it made her feel better when we slapped her butt. She would dance, like stepping back and forth. It was the cutest thing ever.”
Lola was also known for licking people, especially people she had just met. They are lifelong memories of Lola.
Cambrie and her family had gotten a small heads-up on Lola’s untimely fate, but it was still much faster than any of them expected. About a month before her passing, the vet noticed a urinary infection in Lola, undoubtedly cutting their time short, but still giving them a few months of time. As Cambrie and her family processed the news, they took their time wisely, spending time with her and even setting up family photos to make sure that Lola was still included.
Then, after a fight with their other dog, Macy, it was deemed time for Lola. Along with other injuries, Lola had a hole in the roof of her mouth connecting to her sinuses, putting her in immense pain. They agreed the best option was to put her down.
Cambrie had suspicions even before Lola’s infection was discovered that something was wrong. Still, a month’s time was a much shorter period for her and her dog.
“It was a lot harder [putting her down so soon] because we thought we had over a year left with her,” Cambrie said. “It kind of just happened like that. It was really fast.”
In their last few days, Lola’s condition was rough, causing her pain and making her barely able to move. They obviously tried to make the best of it, making as many lifelong memories as they could capture in their last time together.
They made sure to spoil her, giving her some of her favorite foods and spending as many moments with her as they could manage. The day before, they even got kits to imprint her paw print and capture her essence in a keepsake. It was a sweet memory that didn’t drain or cause pain to Lola.
“The day before, so on Sunday, we bought these little paw print things with clay, and we [molded] her paw print,” Cambrie said. “We made two ornaments and something that’s going to go up in our house. Then we kind of just spoiled her the last few days, so she had a lot of human food. We made her a weird rice, egg, and meat thing that she loved. She loved cottage cheese, and we found that out.
Just kind of spoiling her.”
When the time came to put Lola down, it wasn’t easy, even though there was time to prepare. The morning consisted of Cambrie staying home from school and cuddling with her, soaking up every moment she could with her beloved pet. Then, when it was time, they brought her to the vet for their last hour with Lola under anesthesia. After she was gone, Cambrie and her dad saw her for the last few moments before she left to go home. Then, they did return home, but with only one dog instead of two.
Losing Lola wasn’t just losing a pet; Cambrie lost a friend in the process. In some instances, a dog or pet is simply a creature living in parallel with a person’s life. For Cambrie, she was like a friend who could listen and comfort her. In bad times, or when Cambrie felt emotional or alone, Lola’s presence could be counted on.
“She was kind of like a therapy dog, too,” Cambrie said. “I feel like because she can’t directly say something back to me, she could just listen. Whenever I was having problems with people or certain things and I couldn’t talk to my parents, I would be with her, and when I’m sad, I would just snuggle with her.”
Cambrie’s family has adjusted, but that doesn’t mean Lola isn’t missed. It is easier at times to have only one dog, but ultimately, there is still a gap and a dramatic change in their home.
Their time definitely ended too soon, but Cambrie has grown and learned from her experience. She understands the deeper gravity of the situation and has realized how little time we have with pets, and even family and friends.
“If you get news about a family member or anything like that, don’t take it un-seriously, thinking that you have more time, because eventually you won’t have that much time left, and it comes fast,” Cambrie said.
