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Dixie Lucille Paschal
February 10, 1990 - October 27, 1997

Dixie Dixie was my pride & joy. I know of people who were less attached to their own children than I was to Dixie. My wife & I were married in 1989 and we have been trying to have children ever since, but to no avail. We got Dixie 5 weeks after she was born, so to us, she was our child. She was very intelligent & had an unending love. She knew dozens of tricks, she knew most of her toys by name, she was very well-mannered, & did what she was told (unlike alot of children today). She had a very unique personality. When she was mad at you, she would pout. When we would scold her & send her to her bed, she would sneak back downstairs & lay there un-noticed (just to be close to us) until we said ok. You couldn't ask for a more loyal companion.

She died on a Monday evening while I was out of town on business. My wife had let her out in our fenced-in back yard. She was acting just as happy as she always was. A few minutes later, my wife had called for her to come in, but she didn't come. When my wife went out to ensure the gates were shut, she found Dixie. It looked as if she just laid down & died. She brought Dixie inside & immediatly called me. When I got home, I checked Dixie over, but I didn't find any clues to her death. She was not foaming or bleeding from her mouth & there were no bite marks or puncture marks anywhere. The only thing I can think of that might of happened is either she had a heart attack or a stroke. Although our vet had said that she was aging fast, she was only about 7 1/2 years old (to young to die).

She will be missed more than words could ever say. She was always by the bedroom door when I got up & she met me at the door when I came home from work. Plus the endless hours of love she gave anytime you were around her. I know she is looking over us right now & her spirit is all around us, but it still makes it hard not being able to hold her in my arms. The memories of her will be with me forever and I will cherish them with all my heart.

Dixie's Dad

Photos of Dixie -
They will not go quietly, the pets who've shared our lives.
In subtle ways they let us know their spirit still survives.
Old habits still can make us think we hear them at the door,
Or step back when we drop a tasty morsel on the floor.

Our feet still go around the place the food dish used to be,
And sometimes, coming home at night, we miss them terribly.
And although time may bring new friends and a new food dish to fill,
That one place in our hearts belongs to them... and it always will.