Roja

I remember meeting Roja for the first tima as it was yesterday.
Sven came to pick us up from Eindhoven Airport, we had no transportation ourselves.
We put Vito in the car and on we went to Bemelen.
Steffie came out with Roja, let her of the leash and of they went!
They had so much fun together, Vito and Roja, running and playing, getting hugs, they were made for eachother!
It was difficult for Steffie to let Roja go, but luckily she was allowed to come with us.
Our eternal thanks for this by the way, because we didn’t want to miss this girl for the world!

How we enjoyed her! Brave girl, not afraid of anything and with a strong head. What she didn’t want was not going to happen. What she did want, that did happen. She would just block me until she would get her cookie, or her cheese, or … well something that was tasty.

Vito and Roja became big buddies, after some troubles in the beginning.
Once Roja had discovered the couch, she wouldn’t want to get away from it.
Preferably she also got her food there 😉
And snoring she could! Incredible, for hours, lying on her back, like cutting down a complete forest with a chainsaw 😀

She also had bad luck. She got a tumor in her flank.
An tensive period followed because a large piece, the size of a tennis ball, had to be removed from her body.
Fortunately it was a “simple” tumor, I forgot the name. The least malicious form anyway.
She recovered quickly, tough as she was and her banking life continued. Enjoying the sun in the summer, having a nice barbecue together.

She enjoyed her retirement with us, after she had been lovingly cared for by Steffie for 6 years.
Unfortunately it didn’t last that long. To be precise, 3 years, 8 months and 20 days. We had to let her go on the 21st day.
Roja had the most aggressive form of lymph node cancer. A form in which dogs generally have a maximum of 3 weeks from the moment of illness.
Roja wouldn’t be Roja if she doubled those 3 weeks to 6 weeks! Such a strong girl, she didn’t want to give up.
In addition, she also had some spots on her spleen that were also not favorable.

Because she did deteriorate quickly, we had determined the day for her to go to sleep. We had to let her go, no matter how difficult that was.
But Roja would not be Roja again if she did not manage her own life to the last.
Sunday evening, June 30, we saw that her belly was getting a little bigger. The left side was already bigger because of the spleen, now also the belly.
Monday morning she was restless, did not know how and where to lie down and was panting heavily.
It was her moment, she had decided.
Fortunately our vet could be with us within 2 hours and she went very calmly over the Rainbow Bridge.
One day before our schedule, as she wanted it, at her time.

She’s coming home tomorrow, forever. Hopefully she will be there on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge, running and playing with lots of new friends. 

Dear dear dearest Roja, thank you so much for everything you have given us.
Thank you for your unconditional love, for your thousands of kisses and hugs, for your beautiful character.
Steffie and Sven, thank you for this wonderful gift, thank you for your friendship and support.

Goodbye lovely sweet little girl, we will miss you so so much ♥