It was bound to happen sooner or later…

In the words of my beloved veterinarian, “Do something long enough, you’re bound to run into problems someday.”

Today was that day.

On schedule, Dally started going into labor last night.

I was excited.

I was ready.

Or so I thought.

I really don’t want to rehash it all step by step, my eyes are puffy enough and my head is starting to hurt.

But poor little Dally… she tried so hard.  And she did as good as she could, but along the way we lost three little pups.

Three.

My head knows all the right things to say… “You did all you could.”  “To have 47 pups in all these years of breeding English Shepherds and to only lose 3 of them, is still a pretty good record.”  “You have 5 healthy pups, be happy.”

Ya-da.

Ya-da.

For some reason, she had a hard and long labor, and the placentas came detached early… they were still born… and nothing anyone could have done would have made a difference.

But still.

Still.

These three tiny heartbreaks will get tucked away into that corner of my heart with the baby calves that didn’t make it, with Willow who was my Dream Horse, with all the dogs that came before.

We shall arise at dawn and revel in the joy of the five pups that have joined our world…

But tonight.

A tear.

Or two.

For those three tiny heartbreaks.

****
June 1, 2011   Wordless Wednesday – “Dog Tired”
June 1, 2010   Tiring Days
June 1, 2009   Please Stand By…
June 1, 2008   Reality