Today's post is in honor of my sweet, ornery, perfect pup Astrid. She gained her angel wings last Tuesday, September 9th. Again, thank you all for your kind words and condolences. I truly appreciate it. I miss my Astrid so much, but she will always be with me. I will love her and remember her forever.
Now, today I indeed want to honor my precious pup. She brought me so many wonderful, beautiful memories over the years, and today I'm sharing just a small sprinkling of those countless memories. This is going to be a long one.
Astrid came into my life as a roughly 5-month-old puppy.
One day, in July 2013, Astrid just showed up in my uncle's back yard. She quite literally jumped into his arms, and he had no idea where she came from. When no one stepped forward to claim her, and my uncle was unable to keep her himself, we took her in.
Astrid always had boundless energy. She was never all that graceful, I'll admit, but she was always a fun-loving goofball at heart. I love that so much about her. She may have been a big bundle of chaos, especially as a youngster, but I wouldn't have wanted Astrid to be anything but her silly self.
What's more, Astrid was a real trouper. She went through some difficult times in her 12 and a half years, and I'm so proud of her. In 2017, at only 4 years old, Astrid was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor on the outer right toe of her back right foot.
After two surgeries, the cancerous tumor and its margins were fully removed. Recovery was difficult, mostly because Astrid just wanted to go for her walks and run around, but she was supposed to take it easy due to the location of the sutures. But, she was cancer-free, and she was a warrior.
There was much pouting from the girl in recovery. But, things like cookies made it a bit easier for her.
Astrid's surgeries in 2017 were in October, so I got her lots of Halloween cookies from the pet store. My favorite was that there mummy one, since Astrid's foot was all bandaged up. Even better, I will always remember when Astrid chewed off the mummy's right leg, after her own right leg had been through the wringer.
From 2017 all the way through this year, Astrid did just fine having only three toes on her back right foot. She went on many adventures with just those three toes, even as an old gal.
That back right leg wasn't done giving Astrid trouble, though. In late September 2022, the poor girl tore her CCL (equivalent to a human's ACL) in that leg. I was walking her at the time it happened. On that walk, Astrid simply got startled by a man coming out of his house. She took a couple of scared steps backwards, and that's all it took. She didn't even cry, the tough girl. She just simply started refusing to put pressure on that leg, using only her other three legs to walk.
In that photo above, both of Astrid's back legs are off the ground. She was hopping off of her left foot while refusing to use her right one. So that she wouldn't wear her or her left leg out by hopping, Astrid spent a lot of time in the back yard. Actually, she spent a lot of time in my parents' back yard. My back yard is fully fenced in, but part of the fence is just chain link. And where it's just chain link, we have a reactive neighbor dog that Astrid was always more than happy to troll. So, to her Gammy and Pawpaw's back yard she went for some outdoor time while we awaited her surgery to repair her torn CCL.
Her tail is mostly blocking it, but she does indeed have her back right leg suspended in the air in that photo above.
Again, Astrid was such a trouper. A lot was put on her plate in her far too short life, but she handled it like the tough girl she was.
I was so glad when she finally got her surgery to repair her torn CCL. But, though she was 9 years old when she tore her CCL, she was still incredibly active back then and so wanted the walks she wasn't yet supposed to have. We also still couldn't allow her to charge or troll the neighbor dog at the fence in the back yard. So, she often spent time on the patio in a cage to keep her and her leg safe and sound. She was such a smart and good girl, and so she very quickly learned that spending time in her patio cage meant she got to enjoy the beautiful October weather. She'd readily go right into the cage and spend hours out there if we let her.
Finally, Astrid was allowed full walks again, and the tough cookie's leg was back to working great.
Before, during, and after the times of Astrid's injuries and surgeries, she always loved her walks and outdoor time. I enjoyed so very many walks with Astrid over the years, and I'm so very grateful for every single one of those adventures I was blessed enough to take with her. Astrid had favorite areas and paths of our neighborhood, and I very often let her pick where we went on walks. I loved those walks with her so, so much.
Though she'd still go on walks during the warm months, Astrid very much so preferred the cool weather of autumn and winter. Just like this human mom of hers.
Astrid absolutely loved snow. It was one of her absolutely favorite things. And one of my favorite things about snow is how it gave me such adorable views of Astrid's paw prints.
Do you see that three-toed paw print there? I love it so much.
Speaking of snow, how about some photos of Astrid having a blast in the back yard after a snowstorm in February 2022?
Moving away from winter, though, not only did Astrid enjoy walks in our neighborhood, but she also enjoyed some summertime adventures with us away from home. Just one example was when, two years in a row, we met some family a couple hours away for a scenic picnic. We took Astrid with us, and I'm so glad I have these fun, sweet memories with my pup.
Astrid did indeed slow down as she aged, though she didn't really noticeably do so until roughly the last year or year and a half. Even so, when I let her choose where we went on beautiful walks together, she still took me on some lovely ones, even during our last spring and summer together. I will always be so very grateful for that.
When walks weren't as easy for Astrid, due to arthritis as well as balance issues, we spent lots of time in the back yard together. And she often did indeed still notice when that sassy neighbor dog was outside, like she did in these photos below.
Other times, especially in her last few weeks, Astrid took lots of naps in her beloved back yard. I was so thankful that on her last few days, she got to enjoy unseasonably cool, autumnal weather. Both she and I loved that for her so much.
Over the years, when Astrid wasn't enjoying a walk or time in her back yard, she loved to watch out the window. I have more photos of her in her favorite window than I can even count, so how about I toss just a sprinkling of them here for us all to see her sweet face.
And do you know what else Astrid loved so, so much? Ice cream. One of her most favorite things ever in this whole world was indeed ice cream. We'd always take her for ice cream after her vet appointments, like we did here in these sweet memories here.
The past couple of years, Astrid also got an ice cream cone on the first day of spring. Dairy Queen offers free ice cream cones on that day in March, and I'm lactose intolerant and so don't eat ice cream, but I did always go get one for Astrid.
Those photos above were from last year, 2024, and the ice cream shots below were from this March, 2025.
In addition to ice cream, Astrid loved cookies. One of our local pet stores sells dog cookie, and Astrid really enjoyed them. Certain times of the year, I'd really stock up.
Those were last year's Halloween cookies. They didn't have a mummy cookie last year, but in years they did, I always grabbed one. After all, as I mentioned above, Astrid's multiple leg surgeries always happened in October, and so a mummy always seemed fitting.
Of course, Astrid didn't just enjoy cookies for Halloween. Cookies were obtained from the pet store all throughout the year, which of course also means Christmas.
There's also an online store called
YumYum4DOGS, and Astrid loved their cookies as well. Over the past few years, I always got Astrid a cookie Advent calendar from there.
She'd also of course get cookies for the big festive day itself.
And cookies for her birthday.
And even cookies for her gotcha day.
Those were from Astrid's most recent gotcha day, from just this July. I'm so glad I got her those. Not even a week later, she started having increased vestibular issues. Her neurological symptoms waxed and wanted a bit thereafter, but overall, that was the beginning of her decline. Again, I'm so glad I got her these cookies for her gotcha day this summer. This was also the first time ever that she just started helping herself to the cookies rather than waiting to be given one. I'm even more glad that I just let her, and she helped herself to probably half a dozen cookies in that moment.
Since I showed you some of Astrid's beloved holiday cookies above, how about some other festive memories with my girl? Halloween was, of course, always a fun one with my pup.
For a few years, Astrid indeed wore a dinosaur costume every Halloween. She never liked wearing the head of the dragon, so I didn't make her. That said, Astrid got a little chunky in her older years and so outgrew her dino costume. So, we moved on to a festive sweater.
Though I never made her stay in it for long, I did have another costume that I put Astrid in at least once every Halloween season. She was such a good girl, so tolerant of my festive antics, which allowed me to get photos like the one below.
Of course, Christmas was also always a magical time with my precious girl.
Astrid got those festive toys there for Christmas a few years ago. I bought them online and didn't know until they arrived that they are very soft and pliant squeaky toys. Turns out, Astrid loved that and they became her favorite toys. They are one of many things I'll be cherishing in Astrid's keepsake box. The elf one even went on a walk with us once.
There were only a couple of rare times that Astrid chose to take a toy with us on a walk. Each time she did it, though, she'd carry the toy for no more than a block, and then I'd carry it the rest of the way, with her regularly checking to make sure I still had it.
That Christmas ribbon is far from the only decorative piece we put on Astrid's collar over the years. Her collar ribbons started out more or less as a joke, actually. Strangers and new acquaintances often referred to Astrid as a boy. She just always looked a bit more standardly, well, boyish. To try and combat that, but also sort of as a joke, my mom made a ribbon for Astrid's collar. The reality is that it didn't help. Astrid was still referred to as a boy more often than not. Even so, how about some of her collar ribbons from over the years? One of her first ones ever was a Halloween ribbon.
There were many more over the years, though. Below is just a sampling of Astrid's ribbons, all made by my mom, that being Astrid's beloved Gammy.
Astrid wore that there Harry Potter ribbon on one of her last walks, and I got a picture of it, which is below. The above and below photos were taken a few years apart.
Since we've spent a good part of this memorial post sharing some of Astrid's favorite things, I'd be remiss to exclude kitties. After all, while she was never a big fan of other dogs, Astrid absolutely loved cats. At this moment, I cannot find any photos of Astrid with angel Rosie. But, she did indeed meet angel Rosie and lived with her for nearly a year. And there were lots of other kitties Astrid spent her life with.
Evan and Astrid grew up together. They were born only 2 or so months apart, and they came into my life around the same time.
I know that photo is blurrier than blurry can be, but I just love it so much. It's kitten Evan reaching into puppy Astrid's cage and touching her head. Though we had to often remind puppy Astrid to stay calm, in no small part because she was so much bigger than the kitties and so could unintentionally hurt them, overall Astrid was amazing with cats from the start. She and Evan had an especially special relationship over the years, since they did indeed grow up together.
These next two photos were taken after Astrid started to decline late this summer. I'm sure Evan could tell, probably even before I could. He started spending a lot of time with her.
Evan isn't the only kitty Astrid has happily shared her life with, though. When Astrid was almost a year old, a special litter of four kitties came into our lives.
Those kitties grew up to be my Thimble, my sister's Toby, and my parents' Trapper and Talon. All of them have always loved Astrid so much.
Talon, that there handsome tuxie, sadly gained his angel wings just this April. When Astrid passed, I told her to go find Talon, as well as Rosie. I can imagine them all enjoying lots of time together in their perfect and healthy state now.
Despite her being very skittish, I was even able to find a photo or two of Eddy spending time with Astrid. Astrid was such a perfect, patient pup with kitties, and even scaredy cat Eddy realized that.
Calico Tonks was always somewhat fond of Astrid, and she could often be found napping near the pup.
Winky wasn't always the biggest fan of Astrid, but I did find at least one blurry photo of Astrid trying so hard to befriend her. This pup truly wanted every kitty to be her friend.
I also found the below photo, with Astrid and four of her kitties.
Astrid also got along with all twelve of my parents' kitties. You saw Astrid with Trapper and Talon above, and I'm still working on finding photos of Astrid with all of the rest of my parents' kitties, but I do have a few to share for now. First up is Kipper. When my parents went on vacation for a week a few years ago and I took care of their kitties, Kipper latched onto Astrid and spent most of the week by her side.
Kipper's sister Iris was also always okay with sharing space with sweet Astrid. Iris can be a bit standoffish, so her sitting with Astrid is a testament to the kind of pup she was.
Below is probably another photo of Trapper with Astrid, though there's a small chance it's Flitwick. Either way, when Astrid was younger she would often crawl onto the back of my parents' couch and watch out their front window. Kitties were often very curious and joined her.
Even the neighbor kitty loved Astrid, because he also knew how amazing she was and always will be.
Astrid, you are and always will be my perfect pup. I miss you so much, but I will never forget you. Not ever. I love you, always and forever.
Until we meet again, my sweet girl. I love you.
***
I originally wanted to share a new memorial drawing for Astrid today. I have not yet been able to bring myself to draw that, though, so I instead decided to share a couple of my favorite past drawings of Astrid as part of this post. To begin, here are a couple of doodles that are seasonally out of place, but they include some of Astrid's favorite things, so they're perfect for today.
After Astrid's surgery to repair her torn CCL, a surgery that meant her back right knee had a big piece of metal in it, I occasionally drew Astrid with a metal leg like that. It's not accurate, obviously, but my family and I always joked that after everything it went through, that leg was bionic.
Now, below is a doodle I scribbled up as fan art for a new favorite book series. It was quite fitting for my Astrid, and I'll explain why below.
In that doodle, I drew Astrid as a two-headed dog that was in one of the books in that series. I immediately knew I wanted to draw Astrid as the two-headed dog because, especially when Astrid was young and still quite the wild child, my family and I always joked that there were actually two Astrids inside of one body. We always called them Astrid and Other Astrid. When Other Astrid came out, things got crazy and true chaos often ensued. I will always love both Astrid and Other Astrid.
Lastly is the final drawing I drew of Astrid while she was still with me here on earth. It was for a series of spooky summertime doodles I scribbled up this summer. I shared this drawing on our blog recently, but I'm sharing it again here for my sweet girl.
Thank you all again for your comments and condolences after the loss of my Astrid. Thank you all for loving her.
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