Our Sweet Maddie Anderson
October 21, 1995 – July 12, 2006
We will never forget you!

Maddie Anderson was a sweet and loving member of our family. My husband and I adopted Maddie from a Lab rescue organization when she was just 4 years old. She had been a neglected dog and we knew we could give her the love and affection she so well deserved. Maddie was our first baby, a very important part of our family. She survived the birth of 2 of our children and the adoption of her cousin, Coolidge, a 15 year old Lab. Our family grew but she still received lots of love and attention aside from the crying babies.

6 ½ years later, out of nowhere, Maddie got sick. She stopped eating and her glands were enlarged. We immediately took her to the vet. The Vet said it was Lymphoma and was attacking her liver. This horrible news broke my heart. There was no question that she would receive the best care and treatment. We wanted to fight this cancer. The following day, she began Chemotherapy. The first 24 hours are the most critical so I wanted to spend the night with her at the hospital but that was not an option. However, I did come back about 11:00 p.m. that night to visit her and encourage her to fight and be sure she knew we didn’t leave her. The Vet said her blood tests were not very good and thought she may be dying from Tumor Lices Syndrome but that I could come back and sit with her.

When Maddie saw me and her Aunt Patti she got one wag out of her tail but was too weak for anymore. I know she was happy to see us. I rubbed her soft, fluffy ears and talked to her about coming home soon. Maddie was obviously uncomfortable and her breathing was very weak so we called the doctor in to help. The doctor then said she was in respiratory failure. Maddie looked at me and put her head down and stopped breathing. Obviously hysterical, I told the doctors to resuscitate her twice. I couldn’t let my sweet Maddie die. Unfortunately, Maddie passed away. All of this happened within 2 days. Not only was it shocking for us, but Maddie hid her illness very well. I could not believe all of this had just happened. Her battle with cancer was short but a very tough fight.

Maddie was a wonderful, wonderful dog and I will never forget my sweet girl. She touched many lives. The heartache of losing her will never go away. We will never forget our Sweet Maddie.

The unconditional love of a dog is irreplaceable. Anyone who reads this, please don’t take any day with your pet for granted. Love them back unconditionally. They deserve it.