You’re having a fun time with your dog one instant, you turn around, and suddenly he appears unwell. It all occurs in an instant. You can transition from feeling utterly joyful to deeply anxious in just a blink.
Such was the experience of Susan and Gene Jaworowski when their canine companion, Bessie Smith, abruptly began behaving listlessly.
The pair speculated that they may have overexerted her or perhaps she had a delicate heart.
Yet, no one considered what was truly transpiring with Bessie.
Bessie Smith, The Great Canine Star
It was a beautiful day by the lake close to their home in Fort Collins, Colorado. Gene and Susan decided to enjoy a pleasant outing with Bessie Smith.
No, not the Bessie Smith, the renowned jazz artist.
Their Bessie is a Border Collie mix, born to a purebred Border Collie mother and an unknown father. She and her littermates were all named after iconic jazz musicians and adopted from Bounce Animal Rescue Fort Collins several years prior.
When Gene and Susan welcomed Bessie into their lives, she was merely six weeks old, just a tiny puppy. They nurtured her and did their utmost, and Bessie blossomed into an extraordinary example of her breed.
With such a vibrant heritage (as we all recognize how lively Border Collies are), Bessie showcased her energetic nature and her love for being outdoors. The Jaworowski couple cherished Bessie’s vivacity and enthusiasm.
Residing near a picturesque lake—a perfect locale for walks and exercising their dog—daily excursions became routine. Bessie thrived during these trips. If she could articulate, she would express that she could never depart from the lake.
Before long, that nearly became a reality. Gene and Susan observed that Bessie hardly lifted her paws when it was time to leave. She became so fatigued that her humans began to suspect something was amiss.
“During her second year with us, she was pulling herself up the hill to the car after an hour of fetching sticks from the water, and after several days of observing this, we thought perhaps we were overexerting her and she might have a health issue,” Jaworowski stated for Newsweek.
It’s no surprise Gene and Susan felt distressed. Cardiac issues in dogs across all breeds are fairly common, and they can develop at any point in a dog’s life.
Naturally, they hurried Bessie to the veterinarian, where a variety of tests were conducted on their beloved girl. Everyone feared the worst, praying for her well-being. Could this signal the end of their cherished time with Bessie?
When the results were unveiled, Gene and Susan experienced a mixture of embarrassment and astonishment, quickly shifting to relief.
Bessie was perfectly fine.
According to the veterinarian’s evaluations, Bessie was in excellent health.
So, what was the matter with her? Why did she frequently seem to lack energy when it was time to leave the lake?
The answer lies embedded within the question itself: Bessie simply did not want to return home and preferred to linger at the lake!
All that dragging of her paws and apparent fatigue were merely indicators of her discontent.
Oh, Bessie, all you needed to do to extend your time at the lake was speak.
Now, who’s going to reimburse Gene and Susan $150 in veterinary fees for a false alarm, huh?