S/V Jubilee : Pixie Died Last Night

On National Dog Day, August 26, Pixie passed away with both Sue and I at her side at the Red Lion Veterinary Hospital. Just 15 years ago, Puppy Pixie at 6 weeks old was examined by Dr. Wm. Southard Jones the founder of RLV. Now both he and Pixie have been laid to rest. Pix is perhaps the smartest dog I've ever known; we will miss her happy eyes and joyful expressions! Pixie mannerisms ran abundantly here in her home. We loved caring for her and will miss those times when she needed to be carried upstairs (she never liked the wood steps) or at the 10 PM hour when she wanted treats before bedtime. Oh yes bedtime...we both placed our hands on her and when on the boat we snuggled constantly.
Early in her life she was bitten by a territorial black lab; she barely lived through this with a total of 17 stitches inside and 17 outside to close the wound.
Healthy most of her life until melanoma was discovered on August 15, 2014. The many visits with oncologist Dr. Ann Jeglum in West Chester, Dr. William Riddle's hyperbaric oxygen chamber visits with his wife LuAnne in Port Deposit, MD, and close care of surgeon Dr. Dina Schofield of Stoneback Veterinary Associates in Oxford, PA were the professional folks who cared for her.

She was so loved and of course she went along with everything because WE were with her. It was a horrible 6 months since March, 2015 when her weakened radiated skin on her right cheek broke and exposed her jawbone and more. Since her skin was not healthy, it could not cover her face. We did realize a whole year more with her after the cancer was detected, but she wasn't herself during this past year and her quality of life suffered terribly. We owed Pixie this deadly needle to stop her suffering, but it is a far better way to go than to continue to see her hurting. Pixie adored us as much as we placed her in the center of our lives! I know the crying will stop sometime, but we'll never forget her and the good times we had before cancer came into her body. Pixie's loving attitude was focused on both of us all of the time.

She is in GOD's hands and we have been praying that we'll see her again!
Bless you Pixie Girl, we love you so!