It is with deep regret and a very sad heart that I announce that my brave "Thumbelina", whose real name was Princess Tiger Lily Ann recently had to be put down.  Her age and the results of an old injury left her badly crippled lately.  Her family made the very difficult, but correct decision to let her go.  Lily was Saga & Odin's Daughter from their second litter.  When Lily was born, she was extremely tiny, flat and only as big around as my thumb (Hence, her nickname Thumbelina).  At first I thought she was dead.  I cleared her airway and gave her mouth-to-mouth respiration until I saw signs of life.  I rubbed her down with a towel and tried to stimulate her into life.  It didn't look good, and I didn't expect her to survive.  Still, I didn't have the heart to give up on her.  I will never forget my shock that morning after she was born, when I found her still alive.  I had fought to keep her alive the night before, and when exhaustion finally forced me to go to bed, I knew that I had done all I could do for her, and the rest was in God's hands.  I fully expected to find her dead when I woke up.  She was just so small and fragile.  I'd never seen a pup that was so tiny and fragile survive before.  When I woke up, I rushed to the whelping pen and there she was, weak but alive.  I felt like I'd won the lottery.  Even Saga seemed to be smiling and proud.  I told Lily, "Okay kid!  You want to live, so lets get to work!"  I scooped her up and wrapped her in a towel, and began feeding her with an eyedropper.  I carried her around like that, feeding her constantly.  When I needed to sleep again, I made my family promise me to take over for me, and not to let her down until I woke up again.  Within a couple days or so, we finally got her to nurse from momma a little.  Day by day, she began to thrive, and I was just dumbfounded that we were beating all the odds.  Saga normally would get very upset if we took one of her pups away from her, but in Lily's case, she seemed to understand what we were doing, and why, and seemed grateful and relaxed, knowing that we were saving her girl.  As Lily progressed, she seemed to bond with us more than average, and was such an angel as we fussed with her.   We made sure she got time with momma too, so they bonded as well.  One might say that we had saved Lily, but in my opinion, it was she who saved herself.  Her spirit and fight for life was impressive, and endeared her to us all.  I can honestly say, that I have never been so proud of any pup I have ever had.  When she reached the point that I handed her over into her new family's care, I knew in my heart that she was in the right place.  And she was.  Lily's family loved her like every dog should be.  The photos above and on the previous pages will give you an idea of that.  It broke their heart, and mine that her time had come, but it's one of those facts of life that none of us get to escape.  Lily is with her momma and grandparents again, and I believe that somewhere up there, in that special place God keeps our pets for us, she's pain-free again, and happily waiting for the day she can be rejoined with her family.  In the meantime, her human Momma, Tiffiney has written her a beautiful poem that she's agreed to share with us:

Lily Ann, My Sweet

Goodbye my Sweet
the time has come
to set you free
where you can run

My heart is breaking
but this is best
I just need a moment
to catch my breath

It's ok I can deal
I'm sure in time
my heart will heal

And in the future
when I wish
for clumsy paws
and puppy breath

I hope you'll know
without a doubt
the one for me
and send him out

I love you most
I love you best
I'll be okay
now you can rest

Goodbye my Sweet

I'd like to join Lily's family in saying goodbye to this brave, sweet girl.  Our time together was all too short, but you gave me inspiration and warmed my heart with your abundance of love and spirit.  Goodbye my girl, we all loved you and always will.  I pray we get to meet again.  My prayers are with your family too.  Losing you will be hard to deal with.  Run free girl!