Our family and the GRRR family lost a dear Golden angel on March 8. Many of you have met Pooh at GRRR functions or through the website and newsletters. She was blind as a result of retinal atrophy and had been neglected, abandoned, and left to fend for herself until someone found her wandering and took her to a shelter which then contacted GRRR, and the rest is history. Pooh, (aka Me Too Pooh, Pooh Bear), charmed and melted the hearts of everyone she met at GRRR. In March of 2007, Mary asked us if we would be interested in fostering an older, more mature girl with some special needs, and we just couldn't say no after meeting her and seeing her loving golden smile and her determination to live life to the fullest.

 

She acclimated quickly to having three rather rambunctious siblings, and helped Mommy and Daddy keep them in line (although the temptation to jump into the fray was just too much for her on occasion). The looks on the faces of our other three “kids” when she decided to join one of their tag team wrestling matches the first time will be forever etched in our minds. Pooh was always willing to lend a paw and take on tasks around the house. She loved to walk Mommy to the mailbox to pick up boring envelopes and exciting boxes to play with. She was the head of Homeland Security and kept her humans and Golden siblings safe from any intruders, man or beast. She always alerted us when strangers came to the door, when our nephew arrived home, or when our neighbor Simba, the Great Dane, crossed the invisible plane above the fence to peer down into the yard. Pooh may not have been able to see her, but she knew she was there. She excelled as the chairman of the welcoming committee, and went out of her way (like all the way to the bedroom), to see to it that new fosters felt safe and loved by their canine companions. If they cried out from their crate when Mommy or Daddy had to shower or run to the store, we would come home to find her next to the crate comforting and keeping them company. She was easily “corrupted” by her new family and came running with joy when the Steelers scored a touchdown, as she had eagerly enrolled in the “treats for touchdowns” program at the Miller house. (She wasn't required to signal touchdown or give high fives like the others to get her treats, so she really liked football.)

 

Pooh taught us that you're never too old to play and have fun. One of her favorite games was “hide and seek”. She set the game rules; she always got to be the hider, and we always got to be the seekers. She was a seasoned professional at this game and always kept us on our toes. She found hiding places we would have never thought she could find or squeeze into or under. She would always have a grin from ear to ear when we found her, unless we took too long to find her and and nap time had come. It was an extremely high priority to her that she adhere to her beauty sleep regimen, and she did not particularly like it when someone interrupted it. When winter came, she delighted in making snow angels. And on more than one occasion, she tried to fool us into believing that she was quietly watching TV by sitting down right in front of it, as if mesmerized by the commercials.

 

Unfortunately, Pooh Bear's time with us was brief. Pooh began having strokes/seizures in her sleep last fall which resulted in the paralysis of her back end and legs. Being the determined trooper that she was, she would amaze us and be back up and walking around in a matter of hours or a couple of days. Each episode took a toll on her though. The first week in March she had an episode that she did not bounce back from. We held out hope for many days that we would wake up one morning to see her standing or doing her signature spin moves, but she could no longer stand or walk. Although Pooh was not able to see with her eyes, she was quite adept at expressing herself with her eyes. She let us know that it was her time to cross over the bridge and return to the 100 acre wood, where the House at Pooh Corner was waiting for her.

 

Thank you for letting us be a part of your journey Pooh Bear. We are comforted in knowing that you can now count all those bees in the hive, and on sunny days, we know it is you who has chased all of the clouds from the sky. We look back often with tears and smiles (and even laughter) of our time spent with you and the lessons and joy that you brought to our lives. Please remember to take a few days off every once in a while from chasing all the clouds away... because in every life a little rain must fall.

We love you Pooh Bear and miss you with all of our hearts.

 

The Miller Family - Puhlahmahlu, Steeler Bear, Ellie Mae, Robert, and Nancy