Our family lost a small but significant piece to the puzzle that made our home. One minute she is playing and being her obsessive little self and the next she is lame. We are are grieving and miss our little girl immensely.

Mirra was the runt of a dachsund litter. Yet, when my wife saw her she says she immediately new that of all the puppies in the group, Mirra was the one she wanted. She was the "mini of minis". That's what everyone would say about our six pound mini duchs. She was full of spirit and carried the soul of giant. According to the AKC register she had every incorrect trait for a registered dog. But thats what we loved, because her imperfections where what made her so true.

I didn't want another dog but when I came home from a business trip and saw her in my wifes hand I immediately fell in love with this little power pup. She was so helpless and undernourished that I couldnt help myself in wanting to take care of her. My wife would laugh at the site of me, a six foot two inch man, walking around with this little dog. We also own a lab mix and my evening walks in the park were made up of trying to off leash train this little rascal as I had done with the lab. I tell my wife that I have been able to train every dog I have ever owned except Mirra. I think that she allowed me to put the leash on her so that she could control me. When she ran through the brush I was right behind her not even caring that my shoes or pants where getting dirty. I just loved to see her run and hop around in order to get a better view of where she was going.

We lost her today. It turns out that she carried the one worst trait common to the dachsund breed, verterbral degenerative disease. Although we new that it was something we would have to look out for we didn't think that it would happen at just over two years of age. One moment she was running and playing in our backyard and then hours later, while laying in our bed she was dragging her hind quarters. We take her to our local emergency vet center and by the next morning they say its so bad that the optional surgery would not be a guarantee. Not that surgeries are ever guaranteed but the risk of it not doing any good, plus the price, upwards of $3000, we had to make a choice for her suffering and our way of life.

She loved to camp with us, she loved to run and she loved to just be our sweet little girl. When I would come home from a business trip she would sit atop our couch and welcome me home. My wife says she would wait in the hallway or go to the couch the first couple of hours of each night I was gone.

Most of all I feel sad for my wife. This was her little girl. Her barking, somewhat anti social, obsessive compulsive ( she would spend hours chasing shadows of whatever cast itself on a wall in our backyard), but utterly loyal and loving little dog. We are expecting our first son and we often spoke of Mirra being his little dog. His first experience at having a pet.

What hurts me the most is that it happened so sudden and that she was still so young. Mentally she was so full of life.

We will miss our little girl Mirra.

I'm sorry about the loss of your pet. I lost my kitty all of a sudden, too. One minute he was a happy, playful kitten and all of a sudden he couldnt walk straight and couldn't jump anymore. I opted to do treatment on my cat since my husband and I don't have children and didn't have to worry about the costs (not to mention it was cheap because it was on a military base), but within the 4 weeks he was gone. It left me delusional because just a few weeks ago he was as healthy as can be. I feel for your wife, being pregnant is an emotional time to lose a beloved pet. I hope she is doing okay. Congratulations on your upcoming son, may he be born a healthy, beautiful boy. Again, my deepest sympathies to your family during the grieving of your loved puppy.

I am so sorry for the loss of your sweet little girl Mirra. We all have broken hearts and we here at LS know how sad and devastated it leaves you. Most of us feel like they were our children and it is just so hard to bear.

I hope that your wife will be able to deal with her sorrow without putting to much stress on the baby. It is a terrible thing to lose them at any age and when they are so young and so full of life it seems so sad. Mirra sure was loved and I am sure she knew it too. It sounds like she had a wonderful life I am just sorry it was so short. I know how much you must miss her. The terrible pain does lessen in time and we learn how to live without our babies but it is so hard. Come and talk often to us about your sweet Mirra.
Ann

Dear Crisonino Family,

Your sweet story broke my heart. What a blessing it is to hand pick the one you somehow just know is special, and care for it and love it so much, even if for only 2 years. I lost my Allie very suddenly three weeks ago and she was only 2 years old also. One minute she was playing, and the next she was laying in the corner. We took her to the emergency vet place, authorized surgery, but when the went in they found there was nothing they could do to save her intestines. They had suddenly malfunctioned due to a torsion -cause unknown. So we had a $2,000 bill and no Allie to show for it. You made the right decision to end Mirra's suffering.

Allie also loved to go camping with us and was so full of energy and so loving. Every night when we came home we would see her little fuzzy head pop up in the window, and then she'd run to the front door to greet us. Oh how we miss her.

Please do tell us everything there is to know about Mirra. She sounds like a very special little girl. As great as the pain is, I know her spirit will live in your hearts forever. Thinking of you during this most difficult time.

God bless,
Jenny

I find that writing my feeling is a big comfort for me so I will continue to do so.

I feel so so sad. Although I travel for my job I am also a home based employee. This allowed me the ability to on occasion sleep in from time to time. As my wife would leave for work Mirra would snuggle up to my side and stay in bed with me. I am home today and she is not here. My lab is acting kind of anxious. Although Mirra pestered her to death, Milla the lab seemed to enjoy it. Milla is not much of a barker and she let out a bark that sounded as she was calling for Mirra.

I have had to make this kind of decision before. But the other dogs were elderly and had lived what I believe to be great lives. This one is different. We feel so cheated. Not only for us but for Mirra.

We are running through the gammet of emotions and thoughts.

Sorrow, anxiety and worst of all second guessing. These are all natural passeges but they hurt and at times make me angry. I am usually so emotionally controlled but this is just killing me. If I feel this way then it must be a thousand times worse for Christina, my wife. Mirra was the first dog she ever selected for herself. She has never selected or raised her own dog. A dog she chose. A dog she named. A dog that was all her own.

I'm so sorry to hear about your little girl.
I echo what other have said...all of us here have broken hearts and we completely understand your grief. I lost my dog Jasmine 2 weeks ago today. She was 10 so she lived a pretty full life, but just like you, it was sudden. One minute she was fine, the next she was not and 45 min later, she was gone. I also have another dog and I've been trying to help him cope the best I can, while also dealing with my own grief.
And just like your wife, Jasmine was my dog...I'd like to say I picked her, but I know she picked me. She knew we were meant to be together.
What your feeling is normal and I can relate to all of it. Keep coming back here as it really does help.
Take care.
Audrey

I agree with the rest of the comments. It is so tough, particularly when they are so young and haven't had a chance for a full life. But you gave her a great life for the time that you had her. She knew she was loved, and you had her love. I am sorry it wasn't for a longer time.

dee dee

I want to thank all of you for your replies. It is very consoling to read that other people out there love thier pets as we did. Your messeges have given us some strength these last two days. It is still tough. I am home this entire week and the house seems empty. I am trying to remain cheerful around my lab so as not to add to her anxiety but she seems to be doing ok.

Again, thank you for your words of encouragement. As I read your passages I pass on to you the strength that you are sending to us.

God bless you and all the pets you've loved.

Cmc

I'm glad this site is helping you. And I love that pic of your baby....she is SO cute!!

I am SO sorry for your loss. Mirra was SO tiny!!! Such a cutie
Your story touches me so. Besides the intense pain you feel, the same that I felt when I lost my precious Rachael, but your story of Mirra being the runt.

After we lost Rachael, we got another pure bred black lab puppy. Poor little Brandy is the runt of the litter, and SO small for a lab! She was the only puppy left, and had been passed by from all the people purchasing puppies. We fell in love with her, though. She's 8 months old now, which is considered full grown, and she weighs only 39 lbs. The vet told us she may still fill out, but she won't grow any taller. She also has traits that make her undesirable for an AKC registered dog. For example, she has white spots on three of her four paws, besides being so small. But we love her just the same. She just broke a bone in her paw the other day, and now I wonder if she has weak bones too.

Please come here often and share your stories of Mirra with us. There's not much more I can add that everyone here hasn't already told you. We are ALL here for you and your family.

Hugs,
Cheri

We've been trying to keep busy but we can only do so much. Mirras presence in the house was much greater than her six pounds. She owned this house with her might mouse attitude and soul. Although my tears are not as numeroues as the first couple of days my wife still grieves for her "little girl". I know she misses her so much. All I can do is console her and hold her as she weeps. We've been looking at a few pictures we found in our "drawer of pictures" (we're not very good at putting photos into albums). She found a couple of gems and we can't help but laugh and cry at the same time.

I sometimes look at her pictures and get angry at her unfair sudden death. I guess I am the stage of anger. I can't help it. I don't act my anger out but I do same "damn it", a lot.

This will be the first weekend without her and I know it is going to be a little rough.

We miss you little girl.

Always

Mommy and Daddy

I love the pic...What's not to love.....I feel for your wife, it is her loving nature that picked the smallest most weakly of the litter. It is life changing when the leave us. My deepest sympathy to you and yours. Pamela