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Sweet Lucky Puppy

This past week has been a long one.
We had to say goodbye to the sweetest, friendliest, most perfect friend we could have ever asked for. 

Lucky came into our lives 6 1/2 years ago when we took him home as a puppy. He was a little bundle of joy from the very beginning and was immediately part of the family.
13 months ago we came home one day and Lucky was limping. We had no clue why (snake bite? stepped on a rock?), and soon he was back to normal. Then he started waking up in the middle of the night whining, with his right leg in pain. It would eventually go away and he would go back to sleep. Episodes like this continued over the next month, with the limping becoming more and more frequent. Many doctors’ visits later, we discovered he had osteosarcoma (bone cancer). 
The only thing we could do to get rid of it was get his leg amputated. We read amazing stories about other “tripawds” who are able to do so much on three good legs, and were very encouraged.
His amputation went well, however recovery was rough for all of us. It was so hard to see our sweet, happy puppy in pain while he was healing! After many ups and downs, we finally began to see our Lucky puppy happy again.
Lucky started taking chemotherapy to slow down mets that were found in his lungs. A couple months later when he got an x-ray we found that they were totally gone! Apparently the chemo usually just slows down the growth and doesn’t make them completely disappear, so we were beyond happy!
Several months later we discovered a lump on his back. It was soft tissue sarcoma. He had to go into another surgery to get the lump removed, but this was not near as bad as the amputation!
Lucky was x-rayed again on my birthday (December 16th) and we saw that his lungs were still completely clear! We were ecstatic!
Then the bad news came… Towards the end of February, Lucky started having gagging coughs. Once again, we had many doctor visits before we finally had his chest x-rayed again. We were shocked when we saw his x-rays. There was a huge tumor the size of his heart in his lungs. We were told he would probably only have about a month left to live, and so after many tears, we made the best of it… trips to the beach, picnics, walks, playing with toys, and lots of snuggling. 
And then Friday night we had to say goodbye. 
This post is a tribute to our sweet Lucky puppy. We love him so much and will forever hold our memories of him close to our hearts. We are so lucky to have had him as a part of our family.
So without further adieu.. Here are some pictures of the happy life of our sweet puppy!

One of my favorite pics…. Lucky was sniffing in my trash can when I walked in the room and then he tried to act all innocent even though the lid got caught on his neck! Seconds after I took this picture he couldn’t resist any longer and was trying desperately to get it off! ha!
His favorite blanket… 
aka his favorite tug-of-war toy.
It had obviously seen better days 🙂
Loved to snuggle!

 Resting after his second major surgery to remove the soft tissue sarcoma
Lucky on a visit to our classroom! My kiddos loved reading to him! 
(He was a very good, very happy listener!)
He was a HUGE lover of walks…
Picnic day at the park
…and the park
…and car rides 
…and frosty paws
Dog beach!
My brother’s favorite picture…. We were having so much fun hugging Luckster, but he apparently was over it! Look at those eyes! haha
Our sweet puppy <3

  1. I'm so, so sorry 🙁 He's so lucky to have had so much love. I hope memories of the good times help your hearts heal.

  2. Courtney says:

    Molly,

    This post brings tears to my eyes. What a wonderful tribute to Lucky. He was so lucky to have had you and your family to love and care for him. I'm very sorry. Keep your head up high and just know that he is no longer suffering and is in puppy heaven!! 🙂 I went through almost the same thing with my pup I had since I was in the fourth grade. She passed away a few years ago….

    Courtney
    Teaching in Paradise

  3. Stacey says:

    Oh Molly, I am so sorry to hear that!! Totally in tears over here! What a sweet pup! Seems like he was pretty lucky to have you too! Precious pictures! Thanks for sharing them with us.

    3rdgradetimesinct.blogspot.com

  4. Judy says:

    Molly,
    I'm in tears right now. I'm really sorry to here about your pup. I know it's hard to lose a pet! I had to put my cat of 13 years down a few weeks ago and it was the hardest choice I had to make. But he was sick and I didn't want to see him suffer any more. I hope you're okay and things will get easier with time.

    Judy

  5. Molly- What a sweet tribute to your dog and I am so sorry for your loss. Our family's golden retriever died of cancer, so I know what a hard and heartbreaking road that can be at times. I am thinking of you and your family, and each day will get easier!

    -Krista
    The Second Grade Superkids

  6. Molly, I have tears streaming down my face for you and sweet Lucky. It's hard enough to lose a pet when they've lived a long, full life. To see your charmer go so early breaks my heart. I'm so glad you were able to make his last days so happy with his favorite adventures. I just know he's running around somewhere happily waiting for you. Hugs!

    Christi ツ
    Ms. Fultz’s Corner

  7. Jessica says:

    I am so sorry to hear about Lucky! It is so hard to lose your dog because they are members of your family. Looks like he had a great life with you. Your pictures are awesome! He was an adorable dog!! hugs to you!
    Jessica

    Apples and Papers

  8. luckeyfrog says:

    The dog my family had for 18 years while I was growing up was named Luckey. It is amazing what a huge part pets become in your life, and it is so hard to lose them. I'm thinking of you and sending all my love to your family. I'm so glad he had such a wonderful, joyful life with you (despite only having 3 legs!). He had terrific owners that clearly did the best they could for him. I'm sure he is missing you as much as you are missing him!

    Jenny
    Luckeyfrog's Lilypad

  9. KRISTA says:

    I'm so sorry Molly. Your post brought tears to my eyes. Thinking of you…

    Krista
    stellar-students

  10. Monica says:

    So, so sorry for your loss. Molly.:( Our Tucker will be 6 this Sunday and I cannot imagine having to say goodbye to him. Thinking of you…

  11. Laura Castro says:

    I'm so sorry! I know losing a pet can be so hard! I will be thinking of you!
    Laura
    Mrs. Castro's Class 2nd Grade…Spanglish Style

  12. Tara says:

    Oh Molly,
    I am so sorry. I had no idea….I have missed alot of reading blogs…I'll be praying for you and your fam as you get through this tough time. Hugs!

    4th Grade Frolics

  13. Jill says:

    Your post was so sad!! I guess all you can do is be thankful for all the happiness you shared with your pupster. My dog is only 2 but already I love him so much that I can't even imagine him not being around. 🙁

    The picture of you and your sister with him was awesome though. 🙂 Huge to you!!

    Marvelous Multiagers!

  14. Jill says:

    Um…. hugs. Not huge…..!! Haha!

  15. Elizabeth says:

    Molly,
    I'm so sorry to read this news. I read it the other day and am just having a chance to comment. I've been thinking about you though.
    Elizabeth

    Fun in Room 4B

  16. Michelle says:

    Oh Molly, I am so sorry for your loss. What a BEAUTIFUL, SWEET, SWEET dog you had. The pictures were a beautiful tribute! I thought they said so much about you and your love for your dog.
    I just stopped by to say hello and THANK YOU for stopping by my blog and introducing yourself! I'm so glad you did. I will now be following you and keeping up with Lessons With Laughter! Take care! Michelle nomonkeybusinessmichelle.blogspot.com

  17. Ashleigh says:

    Oh, I am so sorry. She was a beautiful dog and obviously greatly loved.

    Ashleigh's Education Journey

  18. That just brought tears to my eyes. I can't imagine. My puppy just turned 4 and I can't imagine a day without him. I am so sorry for your loss. He absolutely was Lucky to have so much love.

    Laura
    Kinder Kraziness

  19. meghan says:

    Brought me to tears. Losing a pet is so hard. Lucky was definitely lucky to have a such a sweet & caring family!

    Meg
    Third Grade in the First State

  20. jshmag says:

    Hi Molly, My name is Joanie, a third grade teacher in San Diego. I found your site through Pinterest and began reading. I am so sorry to hear about your loss of Lucky, what a sweet boy.He did everything you could for him and you could see he loved you and was very happy.I'm so glad you had him for the time you did.

    He sounds a lot like my sweet Woody who I had to say goodbye to on Friday as well. He was a rescued Westie, only had him about 5 years so he was about 13 years old, but the love of my life. He was also our class mascot. He had many health issues, surgeries, and close calls certainly living up to his full name Woody the Braveheart. I received a rainbow on my carpet the morning of and the next morning which I am taking as a sign that he crossed the rainbow bridge successfully and is now playing with all his friends, including Lucky! Although I feel empty without him, I am happy for him and know he is in a better place. I will be thinking of you in this difficult time. Take care of yourself. Joanie

  21. Candice says:

    Oh Molly – This breaks my heart! I am so over the moon in love with my one year old dog – I absolutely DREAD the thought of ever having to put her down (but realistically I know this will one day have to happen). I'm so sorry to read this and I'm sure your precious dog is in a much better place where he runs & plays happily & healthy! 🙂

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I support teachers with implementing classroom organization systems and building a positive classroom community + environment that exude joy! 

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