You gave me the greatest gift when you introduced me to Tasha (at the time known as Bobbie), believed to have been born between March and April 2010 so we later gave her the official Birth Date of April 16, 2010. I had just been approved to adopt one of the many dogs needing a furever home. Your team of volunteers had convinced me to foster Bobbie because at the time the one I was planning to adopt had gone to a family. I did not know what to expect when I welcomed Bobbie into my home. She was so young yet so scared of the world. But in the very first week she wormed her way into my heart. As she settled into my condo, her quirky personality had started to peak out. It did not take me long to realize that she was going to be staying from the first time she leapt up into a big chair in my living room and claimed it as her own. She did the same to my heart.
When I decided she was staying, my family and I came to realize that Bobbie was a name that did not suit her personality. So the quest to find her a name that suited her emerging personality. We tried a number of names, seeing if she would react to them and when Tasha was called out she trotted over to me for pets. And thus Bobbie became Tasha.
But like her name there was much this little girl did not know about being a dog. We joked at times she was more people or cat than she was dog. From lounging when she was little on the top of the sofa back despite her size. She also did not know how to vocalize. The first time we taught her, what we deemed family pack howl was such a precious moment. And she would only sing if everyone present was singing but who could resist that face when a pack howl was started it was impossible.
Tasha was quirky, a bit stubborn, sometimes a master escape artist when it came to crates but what she was most of all was my special little girl and traveling companion. Cause the words car ride would send her into a happy tizzy. She has traveled from Virginia up to Maryland most weekends from the day of her adoption to just a few short days before her passing. She has played on the Sandy Beaches of Florida and the Outer Banks. Camped in the mountains and a few national parks with friends and family. She has visited a fan convention and traveled back in time to walk the streets of Colonial Williamsburg. But no matter where we went if she could go she was ensconced in the backseat of a car joining in the travel.
She was a blessing when the Pandemic hit. She kept me active and distracted when we were not allowed to travel. She did not mind months of having me all to herself nestled in my condo. It meant to her, she got all the cuddles, treats, walks and pets without having to wait for the work day to be done and for me to come home from the office. But once life got to resume she loved going to the wineries and even a sunflower field as well as the PA Renaissance Festival where she always drew attention for her beautiful coat and happy demeanor.
Sadly later in life she was diagnosed with a liver tumor. It was devastating to learn and harder to make the decision on how to handle the situation since she was already 12 years of age. We decided to go with Home Palliative care. My family and I were determined to give her as many adventures and as much love as we could in her final months. Much to ours, and the vets' surprise, she decided she was going to stick around for another 1.5 years. Just under a month before her 14th Birthday the side effects and ailments of the tumor took its final toll on Tasha. Tasha breathed her last breath being held and loved by myself and my mom on March 13, 2024.