It is with great sadness that we say goodbye today to Apple, a very special canine "cousin" to our goats. I have previously mentioned "Aunt Karen's Animal Rescue" (aka my sister's house) as the inspiration for our own family becoming goat owners. Some people have a heart for lost animals, and my sister is one of these - be it a blind horse, two homeless Hurricane Katrina dogs, three newborn kittens abandoned in a wishing well, a baby bird fallen from its nest, or even a pair of abused goats - none were turned away. It was when our cousins last year adopted Jedi and Yoda (two adult Nigerian Dwarf goats who had been mistreated by their previous owners) that we were first nibbled by the "goat bug" - of course little Leia and Obi this spring sealed the deal. Apple was their friend, and they often followed her around, unaware that they were not also dogs with all the indoor privileges that status entailed.
A Jack Russel - Chihuahua mix, Apple entered my sister's family (and captured her heart) some nine years ago after being rescued from a shelter where she was scheduled for euthanasia. A jaw malformation (we used to joke about orthodontists for dogs) initially gave her the appearance of a perpetual snarl, until you came to know her loving disposition and desperation for human affection. She quickly attached herself to her new mother and rarely left my sister's side (although she would snuggle with anyone if her first-choice human was unavailable!) I can now admit that Apple surreptitiously came along with us on several family vacations to places where dogs were not allowed, it being so traumatic for her to be separated from Karen. Whenever my sister was out of Apple's direct sight, Apple became frantic to find her, and sadly it was this "wanderlust" that led her out onto the road and into the path of a passing car. Her end was quick, and at an estimated age of at least twelve with complete deafness and a newly-diagnosed heart condition, perhaps spared her future sufferings, but today there is an "Apple-Snapple" sized hole in all our hearts. So loved, so loving, so missed. Rest well, sweet Apple.
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