Nymph

"Just close your eyes, the sun is going down,
You'll be alright, no one can hurt you now
Come morning light, you and I'll be safe and sound."

In the early morning hours of November 12, 2019, a beautiful Poodle went into labor. I was tasked with watching her for the days leading up to this very moment, and finally the girl's water broke just after midnight. The room was suddenly full of emotions as I was both excited and anxious, prepped in case we needed to make a dash for the vet.

Nymph was the third and final puppy to be born. It was 6:40 in the morning, and I'd been awake for over 30 hours at that point. She weighed just 311g, putting her at the smallest of the three. Her assigned litter color was lavender, and her birth name was "Nymph," to follow a mythical creatures theme.

Their mother passed away, and I raised them. In order to properly care for them, they slept in my room. I lost many hours of sleep, although in hindsight, I could never ask for better memories. While the puppies slept, I watched the Underworld movies on repeat. I snacked on random packaged foods when I had a moment to think of my own needs. I listened to their breaths and their cries. I held them often, petting their little toes, and telling them that they were going to be so big one day. Just they wait.

Although feisty, Nim was wicked smart. She was gentle, sweet, and held an absolute love for everyone she met. She never cried or hesitated, no matter what new things each day brought. She handled her early neurological stimulation like a professional. She learned her basic obedience commands practically as fast as I could introduce them. Though I'm not one for cuddling, I took every opportunity to hold her close. There were many, many nights where she slept in my arms and I would just watch her dream, hoping they were grand.

Nim loved her siblings, Griffin and Chimera. Griffin was the whiny, clingy boy that liked to make a show of everything. Chimera was the rambunctious, in-your-face independent diva. Chimera and Griffin would gang up to topple Nim over to the ground to play with her ears or tail, very much to Nim's displeasure.

Neighbors, kids, and deliverymen would stop by to say hello when they saw them playing in the pens. They brightened everyone's day as they all clamored to be pet. To the puppies, they were the center of the world, and they loved every minute of it.

Nim's first snowfall was picture perfect. They all loved the powder falling from the sky, and the crunchy ice that littered the grass. They quickly learned that despite snow being fun, it was cold.

Nim was the ideal puppy for any home. She stood still for grooming -- an absolute requirement for any Poodle. She didn't even bat an eye for the nail dremeling. She was raised with adult dogs and cats, and exposed to other small prey-like creatures. She was playful and energetic, but was such a cuddle hog and all too willing to just be loved on. She was solid in temperament, and confident in herself. She could've been anything.

Nim went off to live with an older couple that were thoroughly vetted and entrusted to take care of her. Tragically on July 24, 2020, those individuals brutally and maliciously killed Nim for unknown reasons. She was barely 8 months old.

I will forever mourn the loss of little Nim. She deserved to have a wonderful life.

November 12, 2019 - July 24, 2020