Ferozeshah Jade Nicolle (Nikki)

Nikki was born in Wiltshire England. For a long time I had wanted a Bedlington terrier but it was difficult to find one. I was talking to a breeder one day and she gave me the name of a breeder over there and we hit it off right away. She said that she had a female and we talked for awhile and I said that I would love to have her if they would let me and they said that they would. What a blessing I thought. It ended up that my son and husband went together and bought her for me for my birthday and mother’s day present that year which were only a couple of days apart. The only bad thing was is that I had to wait until August to get her. Another breeder was coming to the states and she brought her over. We drove to Tennessee to pick her up – she was the most beautiful little girl I had ever seen. I can still remember that day and probably always will. Nikki was a beautiful pewter color; about 12 inches tall and probably weighed about 14 lbs. She was beautifully groomed and came right up to me when I called her name. Before we had received Nikki, we had gotten Chelsea for my mom, but Chelsea had the liver disease that a lot of the Bedlington’s get. Nikki and Chelsea just loved to play with each other and run around the yard together. Even though we lived 4 hours away we would take Nikki with us so that Chelsea had someone to play with and they had a ball playing, until Chelsea started getting sicker from the liver problems.

Back in October of 2000, Nikki had somehow gotten injured and became paralyzed. We had to crate the dogs and she was crated with one of her son’s whom she never had a problem with, but the vet said that maybe she twitched or something and he thought that something was wrong. Anyway she was paralyzed in the hindquarters. We read where putting them in a whirlpool tub would help so mom sent me her whirlpool thing that went on the tub and sometimes we took Nikki to the vets and she would actually stand up in the water. Between the baths and me doing physical therapy with her for 2 months she was able to get up and walk and even run a little bit. She didn’t run like before, but she did run. God Bless her, she really tried.

Nikki also gave us 3 litters of puppies, 4 of the pups we still have, and some wonderful friends from the sale of the pups. She also gave us many years of happiness, joy and unconditional love and attention. She use to love to go outside and stand and let the air blow her ears so that they stood straight out in the air, she loved to play ball outside. When we first got her we live by the park so we would take her for a walk. On the way home there were three small trees and each time she would get to the third tree and she would lie down. She would not get up. So we would have to pick her up and carry her home. I would carry her like a baby. It was if she was so tired she just couldn’t make it one more step. Thank God she didn’t weigh anymore than she did. But we could always tell when the tree stop was coming because the tongue would start to come out of the mouth farther and farther. I think that she liked it so much that it got to be a game she liked to play.

Nikki you will be missed not only by me, Dennis and Josh, but also by all of the other dogs and the people that have met you and have puppies from you. I know when you get to heaven that Grandma and Chelsea will be there waiting on you. That is one way that makes it easier for me to let you go. I miss you already and you are still here. I have always loved you Nicolle and I always will. We have had a lot of good years together but I just wish that we would have had more. Love and hugs forever my sweet Nikki. . . .Love mom, dad and Josh

“All I know from my own experience is that the more loss we feel the more grateful we should be for whatever it was we had to lose. It means we had something worth grieving for. The ones I’m sorry for are the ones that go through life not even knowing what grief is. --- Frank O’Connor”

Nancy Rodgers