Chloe said goodbye

A tripawd front leg with a rainbow refraction next to it

Chloe left us on March 18, 2023. She was 13 years old.

She was born on February 15, 2010. Chloe, Chloe-Bear, Momma-Bear, Bear, Donkey, Ding-Dong. She physically left us on March 18, 2023, joining Jenson at the rainbow bridge. She will always be in our hearts.

She joined our family as a puppy. Her energy was unstoppable, and everyone who met her fell in love. She welcomed Jenson into our pack, and after he left, she welcomed Blue two months ago.

The original block captain, she was the first to let us know if the yard was invaded by bunnies or if we had a guest.

She always found a ray of sun to sleep in. She was equally fond of resting in the path of the lawn mower requiring significant human effort to get her to move. Always wanting to be included in the conversation, she often yelled at us when we were on work calls.

The kiddos called her Momma Bear. She loved Jack, Ava, and William. She loved to snuggle with them and mother them. She always kept tabs on her kiddos. She really loved to lay in the middle of whatever mess they were making.

She became a tripawd on her 6th birthday. She lived 7+ years of her life on 3 legs, beating the odds and defying expectations. We made accommodations, adding rugs and non-slip tape, lifting her into cars and onto beds. Less walks, more rest, and a 25% discount on her nail trims. Prior to her amputation surgery, we were worried about her quality of life after surgery. With 7+ years of experience on three legs, we can say that she did incredible. We certainly had challenging times watching the strength of her front ankle and shoulder, especially at the end. Mobility challenges at the end aside, no regrets about the amputation. She was somewhat famous at the vet for being a tri for so long.

For the last year we’ve watched her slow down. A trip upstairs to the bedrooms became rare. Most of her days were spent napping, and her accidents became frequent. Life is complicated with an old dog, and we had many quiet conversations about when it was time. Getting too weak to fully stand, even refusing the stinkiest of dog treats, cheese, and lunch meat, (for many reasons) we knew it was time. She rested her strong front paw in our hands at the end, and died knowing how deeply she was loved.

We miss you already, Bear.

Thank you to the Tripawds community for all of the info and support you provided. Chloe lived a long, wonderful life and the decision to have her surgery was much easier with all the help you provided.

Chloe in the last few weeks
Chloe and her new brother Blue, comforting her in her final hours.

One thought on “Chloe said goodbye”

  1. Ohhhhh you guys. I’m so sorry for your loss to you, your family, to this world. See, Chloe is and always will be a legend around here too. Seven years on three is incredible, and shows how much you did to help her be as happy and healthy on three.

    What a life your beautiful warrior Mama Bear had with you. It is our honor to be part of her Tripawd life in some small way, and now we all feel the loss of such an incredible dog. Yet we continue to look at her as inspiration, knowing what is possible once that bad news is dropped on a pet parent.

    Thank you for writing through your grief to let us know. We hope your family can take comfort in all the good times, in the life and legacy that Chloe has left with all of us. She will never be forgotten.

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