Obituaries

I first saw Priscilla’s picture in March of 2008 on the Homeless Pets Foundation website. It was love at first sight. We weren’t planning to adopt a dog, but I went back to her picture every day for two weeks to see whether she had found her forever home. I finally made a call to learn more about her and found that she was approximately 2-years old and being fostered by a family who had 3 other dogs. I contacted Priscilla’s foster Mom, Ingrid, and was invited to come over to meet her. Ingrid and I sat on the porch and watched Priscilla and her dogs run and play throughout her fenced-in yard. Ingrid eventually put her dogs in the house so I could have some one-on-one time with Priscilla. She was friendly, but obviously wanted to get back to romping with her friends. Still, she let me pet her and was very sweet.

It didn’t take too much to convince my husband, David, to agree to adding Priscilla to our little family. We soon discovered that “Prissy” would not be one her nicknames! Priscilla, or Cil for short, was as rough and tumble as they come. Full of personality, you always knew where you stood with her. She could drown you in kisses if she loved you or give you holy heck if she didn’t!

Cil was stubborn and pretty set in her ways when she came to us, but with time, attention, and the help of 2 different trainers, she learned to have very good manners. In fact, our little show off would run through all her commands back-to-back without waiting for us to give them!

There is no way to accurately describe how Cil would talk to us when she was excited or approved of what was going on around her. She would curl up her lips and give a “woo-woo-woo,” almost rolling her R’s deep in her throat. We were never able to get her to do this on command---and it would always be a delight when it happened. Cil was: • Stoic – nothing slowed her down including a torn ACL (her back left leg was held together with pins and screws), osteoarthritis, and finally, bladder cancer • Funny – she loved to make us laugh---always clowning around with a big smile on her face • The Pack Leader – her friends hung back and waited for their marching orders when out patrolling the neighborhood • Fierce – she was quite vocal in letting you know if she didn’t like you • Loving – she wasn’t a cuddler for the most part, but she showed her affection through her joy of being present with us • Dedicated – we were her people, and she was devoted to us (as we were her) Cil’s favorite things included: • Her best friend, Maggie (and God Mom, Cindie), and a myriad of other wonderful friends including Kaley • Long walks in the neighborhood • Belly rubs while on her back • Car rides with her head hanging out the window • Soft toys that she could annihilate • Burrowing in piles of leaves

Cil was also known as: • Cil Cil • Cily Girl • Baby Girl • Tank • Mighty Dog • Slobber Girl • Spike

Our immeasurable gratitude goes out to Dr. Michael Good (posthumously), his Homeless Pets Foundation, and the many volunteers who took care of “Homeless Pets Priscilla” until we were able to adopt her. Thank you also Dr. Michael Good, Dr. Phil Good, and the staff of Town & Country Vet for your exemplary veterinary care over the 13 years and 8 months Cil was with us.

We would also like to thank Dr. Jo Millard of Lap of Love as well as paws, whiskers & wags for their kindness during a very difficult time. Our hearts are heavy, but we will be forever grateful that Cily Girl was a part of our lives.