The story of Sanna

I was born on the 14^th of December 1986 at a kennel called Vidblicken (or Anniehill), between Landskrona and Helsingborg in Scania, Sweden. My mistress Ewa adopted me in February 1987, and I moved to Helsingborg. In 1989 I was supposed to have puppies, but I had a miscarriage and all of them died. The year after I had another try, and this time I had six beautiful little puppies. After some months they were all adopted to new homes, and I know they were taken well care of.

In 1990 Ewa adopted another female cocker spaniel called Lina, and to start with we got on very well together. But when Lina was grown up we could not really stand each other, so we were fighting now and then. It got worse and in May 1992 it was impossible for us to be together, so Ewa left me with my new master during the summer. But as soon as Lina and I met again we started fighting… Ewa decided that I could stay with my new master for good, and that was fine with me.

My master lives in a yellow house in the country, with a big garden and a huge forest around the corner. Oh boy, what a feeling to run free in the woods every day. I remember the first day I was there, how I jumped over a stone wall and escaped out in the forest and almost got lost. My master ran after me, and when he found me again I think both of us were very happy. I also remember the first night in his house, and how I jumped up in his bed at four o'clock because I was lonely. He thought I needed to have a leak, so he took me outside. But I just looked at him as if he was stupid, and we went back in again. An hour later I was in his bed again, so we had another walk around the house with the same result. The next night I think he knew that I just jumped up in his bed because I was feeling lonely... When he is at work, I either spend the days with his mother or with his neighbours. It feels fine to never have to be alone, and to have two second homes.

One of the best things with my master is that he has a car, and I just love sitting in the back watching the traffic. When he overtakes another car, I follow it with my eyes and proudly look into it as we are passing. And when we meet a big truck, I try to focus on it in exactly the moment we pass each other. I have my own safety belt, and I know how to take it on.

I also like chasing rabbits, but somehow they always cheat me. Once I followed a rabbit far away, forgetting where I was. But luckily my "spare" master went after me, otherwise I would have got lost. Cats I don't trust, since I once was smacked by one over the nose as I was tasting his food... (I think his name was Musse, and he was 17 years old and lived in Linderöd)

In 1996 I had an operation in my udder, because there was a big node. But it came back several times, and in March 1999 my entire right udder was removed. At that time I had to stay for nine days at the animal hospital in Helsingborg, and when my master came to fetch me I barked of happiness in the car all the way home. (130 km…)

The years have past and I have met Ewa many times since I moved. Sometimes I have stayed with her for a couple of days in Helsingborg, but I have to admit that I like living in the country better than being in a city. Ewa has also come to visit me in the country now and then.

In the beginning of 2000 I was ill, and we had to go to the vet. I had an inflamed uterus, so I got penicillin for some weeks and got well again. But just some weeks later I was ill again late in the evening, so we had to go to the animal hospital. They took an X-ray and found out that I had a tumour in my belly, which was impossible to cure or remove. My master and me were both very sad, because we knew that our time together would be very limited. Despite the cancer I felt fine, and I started getting tablets to prevent the tumour from growing. From that day, every new day I get is a bonus. I am still feeling OK, and I am sure my master will finish this story the day I have to go to the happy hunting grounds. But we both hope that we still will have many happy days together… (First uploaded 2000-02-20)

March 22: I was sick in the evening, and got cramp in my belly. We thought the reason was that the tumour had been growing, and was now too big. My master and me feared that the end was close, so he was very worried and looked after me carefully. He made special food for me, and the next day I was OK again. Maybe I only had a gastric flu...

March 31: Today we went to see the vet, and she took a new X-ray. Unfortunately my tumour has grown, but I still don't show any pain. Nobody knows for how long I can live with this, and I will certainly take every new day I get as a special bonus. My master was very sad to know that the situation is worse, but we both know that there is nothing to do. He has promised me that he will help me if I start showing pain and that I one day will get a last resting-place somewhere in his garden, which is my territory.

April 24: After a short walk in the morning, I could see that Sanna wasn't feeling well. I thought it might be the same as on March 22, but as it didn't get any better after a couple of hours I was ready to take her to the vet. She went to lie down on one of her favourite places inside, and as I was sitting by her side holding her head in my hands I noticed how her breathing became slower and slower. Suddenly I realized that she was fading away. Her little heart could not take it any more, and she died peacefully at home at 12.45 pm. I think Sanna understood that I was going to take her to the vet, so she decided that she wanted to die at home. She had 65 bonus days since the day we got to know that she had cancer. As I promised her we have now buried her in a white coffin in my garden, which was Sanna's territory. Sanna was a very special dog, and in two weeks time it would have been eight years since she first came to my home. We were many people who had the privilege of knowing Sanna. We all miss her very much, and we will always remember her. On this homepage I will preserve the memory of Sanna.

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