Bailey Lu Lu Christiansen

My family got Bailey 14 years ago when I was only 9 years old when we first moved out to Arkansas. Over the past 14 years this dog became more to my family than just a pet dog, she became a member of our family. My family has all known for the few years that this day was going to come sooner or later. For the past 5 years we thought that one would be her last, and honestly, she probably could have lived another year or two. But who wants to see their family member suffer? I certainly do not. Bailey was blind, deaf, and weak. She couldn't keep any food down probably due to an illness inside her. She stopped walking up stairs years ago due to weak hips and joints but has lately been walking up my family's stairs because she was so hot downstairs and just wanted to escape to our parents bathroom floor which was cooler. This being my family's first full summer in the hot California, we didn't want Bailey to have to go through the miserably hot summer and decided that it was time for her to go. Baily Lu Lu Christiansen was put to sleep on Saturday, June 20th, 2011.

Bailey was a 14 year old golden retriever who, at least 4 years ago, weighed in at around 130ish pounds. She was a beast. It was because of her gargantuan size and social personality that all those who met her, remembered her. She was always the center of laughs and we all refered to her as a sheep, cow, moose, dog and buffalo. She was literally always in the middle of everything and her favorite spot was right in the middle of the kitchen, next to our couch or the highest trafficked area. She just loved to be around people. Movie time was no exception, except this time she would lay right next to the couch snoring so loudly and making occasional smells that no one could enjoy the movies. That was probably one of her most annoying attributes, but I think it's the one of the ones I'm going to miss the most.

Four years ago, for my freshman English class, we had to write a portfolio of papers. I, of course, had to write about my beloved puppy. Check it.

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Bailey Lu Lu Christiansen

People refer to my dog as many things. They look at her and ask, “Is it a sheep, a cow, a moose, a dog, or a buffalo?” After much analytical studies and pondering at this massive beast hiding underneath our table, they realize that it is, indeed, just an extremely overweight 10 year old golden retriever.
As a puppy, Bailey was the most adorable thing in the world. She was more related to a big fluffy ball of fuzzy yarn if anything.  She was extremely active and loved to run and be playful, until it happened, people food.
We were pretty good at first just feeding her the food that was required for an active puppy. I guess the older she grew up, however, the more aware her sense of smell became and the more she enjoyed the more luscious smells of people food.
Nobody could deny her.  Her puppy eyes made your whole body warm enough that your plate would just melt in your hands, resulting in all the food magically appearing on the floor right in front of her.
This, overtime, became the destiny of what she is today: a sheep, cow, moose, dog, and buffalo.  Over the years those same puppy eyes started up at you every time you took a step into the kitchen. It has even gotten to the point where she knows someone is cooking just by the sound of someone taking a pan out of the drawer.  We had to. We had no choice. Those eyes made us do it, and it didn’t seem to bother her, until it happened again, laziness.
She was no longer a puppy anymore. At this point she was as large as a miniature pony, with her belly down to her ankles.  She was no longer active, and she no longer loved to run and play.  The only thing she would run and play for now was if we threw food she had to go and get.  She stopped playing so much and started sleeping more; she stopped running more and started living in the kitchen more.
We have had her on a diet now for the past 7 years, and her weight still seems to go up for unknown reasons.  She weighed more than me 3 years ago, and I’m a pretty well balanced girl. Bailey loves food. Besides, who would go back to nasty diet dog food when you can magically make much better human food appear on the floor?
 She has touched many people’s lives during her lifetime and I wouldn’t ever give anything for the memories with her. Two things are for sure, if you don’t want to have people confused your dog with other animals of large size, don’t let those puppy eyes melt your plates.

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Bailey, I miss you already. I get sad at the thought of you not being there when I go home. You were a member of our family and loved by all. I know you're up in doggy heaven right now eating away. Love you pups.
 

 

 

 

These were the last video's and pictures I got the day before she was put to sleep.