Jemma and Ursa

Hi,

Well, it almost Spring. Tulips are starting come up in the yard.

I wanted to talk about Jemma today. She is a very reserved little lady for a Pug. She does like to run around in open areas. We have been taking her to the U. of Idaho Wicks field in Moscow, ID for the past eight years. She likes it there because it is 14 acres of open field. But now the field is closed to us because people were not responsible for the behavior of their dogs. And I do not blame the school facilities department for the decision because it hard to play soccer and slide in poop. But there are several places to walk the three little girls on leash.

But about Jemma. When she first came to live with us in 2007, we had a Husky mix named Ursa. Ursa was rescued from people in Poulsbo, WA who never should have had a dog in the first place. Ursa was about a year old when we got her. She had been tied to a wood pile and had trouble getting water or food. That was in 2001. Ursa was a big, gentle, loveable girl. Anyway, Jemma was about nine month old when she came here and she took to Ursa right away. They were together all the time. Then, in 2009, Ursa got Lymphoma. She had every treatment and care that the Washington State School of Veterinary services could give her.  Our only stipulation was that we were told what was was working and what was not. I hated (still do) every minute of it. But on December 10, 2009, Ursa could no longer make it. We sent Jemma and Maddie (she came in 2009) to board while the vet came over to the house for Ursa. After everything, when Jemma came home, she started looking for Ursa. I wanted so much to tell her what happened and I did but I knew she couldn't really understand me. But it seems that Jemma was not quite the same after that. She is a cute, loving, girl. She loves her food. I think that Ursa taught her that when there is chaos, go for the food. Jemma still loves to go in the car. Now we go with Maddie and Lily, (more on them later) as well. But I cannot shake the feeling that Jemma still remembers Ursa at some level. We all do, with love.