My parents and I were blessed with two healthy, happy apricot Labradoodle puppies in the last year. Dixie and Liberty were full sisters, 7 months apart, and loved each other with a fervor that I haven’t seen in any of my other animals. The “sissies” went hiking, shopping at the local feed store, and to costume parties together. Despite very different personalities, they looked virtually identical and won over the hearts of strangers as they bounced along next to each other on their coupler lead. They loved to play, run, wrestle, chase the ball, and dig in buckets of water together. They were inseparable.
On a chilly night in November, the girls were having a regular play date in my fenced city yard. They were home alone and having the time of their lives. Dixie jumped toward her little 6-month old sister with an open mouth and the worst happened; her lower canine teeth hooked through Liberty’s nylon collar and the dogs were stuck. A heart-wrenching struggle ensued. I pulled into my driveway and rushed to help them. I was able to get them untwisted, but it was too late ...