She had stopped eating Wednesday night but was still getting around, going outside and still drinking water until Friday night when she refused both food and water, but still walking around. I could tell her time with me was growing short but as long as she was eating, drinking water and didn't show any sign of being in pain, I just couldn't have her put to sleep. Even though she was blind and deft she could still find me wherever I was and stayed close to me all day Friday.
It would have been the hardest thing I would ever in my life to have done but I had decided Friday night that if she didn't start eating or drinking water, I was going to take her first thing Saturday morning to have her put to sleep because I had told her that would be the sign to me that she was ready cross over, but she died about 5:00 Saturday morning. I woke her up at 4:30 to try her with some water but she still refused and went back to sleep, never to wake up again.
After having her with me for eighteen years and now she isn't here really is unthinkable. I think she would have gone sooner but she knew how I felt about her and she stayed as long as she possibly could.

I know I have Gabbie and Charlie and I now need to focus on them, but there isn't that special bond like it always was with Ugly. From the first time she saw me she stuck like glue. I didn't want any more dogs, especially a puppy as ugly as this one was, only a mother could have loved her...lol...but it didn't take her long as she took every step I took and after a while I was hers.
Of course "GO" was one of the first words she learned. It's funny, to have been such an ugly puppy, she turned into a very beautiful dog, or is love really blind...lol

The first day after moving in here with Mrs. D, she left the gate open and Ugly got out just after I had gone to work. She had been gone over seven hours when Mrs. D finally called to tell me.
I was just leaving work to go look for her when Lorrie called and ask if there was a reason why Ugly was there by herself. She had walked the three miles to Lorries house. The temperature was in the 100s, she was one very hot puppy and so was I. I couldn't believe Mrs. D hadn't called me sooner. When Ugly couldn't find me, she went to Lorries.
Lorrie said when she drove up Ugly was sitting in the shade on the hill surveying the back pasture. That was her favorite spot to wait for me when I was feeding the horses if she wasn't by my side and that's where we buried her.
Lorrie owned Ugly, but Ugly owned me.

The Ugly, Edel, Gretchen and Maggie

Here's what her "other mother" e-mailed me;
Sandra, I am very glad that Ugly had you in her life. It is a very special bond when an animal chooses their human to be with and you were it. She had a very long and adventursome life. Thank you for sharing her with me again. Lorrie, Edel, Gretchen and Lars

This is what I e-mailed her back;
Thanks for being there when we both needed you. You were her other mother and she loved and missed you. She knew where to go when she couldn't find me. There will never be another Ugly in my life and I'm so fortunate to have had her for a friend as long as I did. She chose me only because she knew I needed her the most. I just feel so lost without her.