Requiem For Dog Abigail Poem by Nancy Chambers

We found you in a dog shelter pen
All alone without a friend
The other dogs were loud and wild
You just sat like a frightened child
We brought you home with a wagging bushy tail
Decided your name would be Abigail
They said your breed was Briard
And training you would be a little hard
Though you were not always quick to obey
We still loved you anyway.
On the stairs you loved to lay
With Bart and Herky you’d run and play
Bred with an instinct to herd
Pushing dogs, cat and us occurred
We never saw you snarl or growl
You thought everyone was your pal
Your lips smiled with an upward curl
Especially when you chased a squirrel
It wasn’t your nature to be mean
You were the sweetest dog we’d ever seen
Wanting to be close, you were always under our feet
You only moved when it was time to eat
After seventeen years you began to fail
Your body became weak and frail
An hour at the vet we did spend
Always thought you’d come home again
But sadly this was the end
Good-bye, our beloved friend