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For the Love of Hanna
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November 1, 2008-Happy Birthday Squirt-you are so missed !Hanna's site has inspired a work-in-progress title. Wish me luck when the time for submitting to publishers arrives!
November 2009-ANNOUNCEMENT
Hanna & the Claus ( A story about a Christmas experience with Hanna)appeared in
the "Passages" section of the December January issue, 2009, of Animal Wellness Magazine. We are honored to be
published in this publication!
Nov 1, 2010 Thank you to everyone who has visited this site and especially
those who have written me about your visit and/or your own personal stories. My intention in creating this site was to offer
others an opportunity to reflect on their own precious ones who have passed and hopefully spark a good memory, and of course
to recognize the grief we all share. Many of you have honored us by doing just that during your visits here-THANK
YOU! Hanna's book is in the editing process and hopefully soon will be seeking a publisher. Another story/memory below,
in celebration of her birthday, Nov 1.
Read about Hanna, Trevar, Kearsey, & Darby in my latest children's book, The Smith
Family's New Puppy-Helping Children Cope w/ a New Family Member. (scroll down)
Nov 1, 2011 What Money Can't Buy (below)...pet food crisis 2007, pets dying, a class action settlement,
doesn't make it all any easier
New Stories: Suddenly
Sick added 7/20/07, Pg. 4; The Overwhelming Silence of Dinner, added 8/2/07, Pg. 5; The Missing Piece,
added 8/9/07, Pg. 3; Reflections of Happy Birthdays, added Nov. 1, 2007, Pg2.; Happy Birthday Jesus-You
Took My Dog, added 12/21/07, Pg.5; Hard to Say, added 5/9/08, Pg.5,
May 9, 2009 Two years ago today, our sweet Hanna
departed this life. It Never Goes Away, added 5/9/09,
scroll down, Nov 1, 2010, A Smile...and a Twinge, added below
On August 20, 2007, our beloved cat Kearsey joined Hanna. We lost her due to toxic pet food. Her story Pg,
5-Did I Poison My Cat?
A memorial tribute to a very special friend
11/1/94 - 5/9/07
| Hanna, our precious friend |

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| She would brighten any moment |
As you can see,
on the upper right corner, Hanna was a tiny little pup. Although small in size,
her personality was huge. From the first day I met her, at the kennel where she
was born, she always to seemed to ask, “Hey what about me?” This
little white fur ball looked up at me from her pen and eloquently but demonstratively insisted I notice her. Well…I
did. Thank you Hanna, for making me see you, and for enriching my life with your
presence!
Yes she was a tiny
little girl, but she had a natural born drive and curiosity that surpassed her small stature.
Curious, intelligent, quick to learn, a strong desire to learn and interact, and always bright, alert, and outwardly
affectionate-she was a bright spot in any day!
| One of the many expressions |

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| of Hanna (she loved the camera) |
For
My Owner
Walk
with me through the green grass,
Feel
the dew moisten our feet,
Climb
with me over the hills and rocks,
Making
our lives complete.
Run
with me through the trees and leaves,
Watch
as I playfully dodge and dart,
Warmly
call me back again,
See
me run into your arms and heart.
Sit
with me scratch my neck,
Feel
the warmth of my soul,
Hold
me snuggly beneath your arms,
Tend
to me as I grow old.
Sing
with me songs of life,
For
it is living I enjoyed the most,
Watch
me gallop with tail held high,
See
me smiling as I prance and you boast.
Lay
with me by your side,
Hold
me till I feel no pain,
Remember
the spark and twinkle of my eyes,
How
I taught you that life was a game.
See
my head turn as you speak,
With
wonder and curiosity,
Remember
how I looked at you,
And
how you smiled each time you saw me.
Keep
those memories in your heart,
Picture
them in your mind,
Whenever
you’re sad maybe missing me,
Remember
memories of a special kind.
Try
not to grieve too much for me,
I’ll
wait at a very special place,
You’ll
know when you have arrived there,
you’ll
see the spark of my little white face.
I’ll
be the one sitting in front,
Wagging
my tail to and fro’,
I’ll
be waiting with all the others,
To
share joy in knowing, we’re all home.
copyright D. Smith-Mansell
2006 (written for Hanna)
| Expressive Hanna (left) |

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| With camera shy Darby |
| This pup is way too cool! |

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I hope you will spend some time visiting and learning about our very
special friend. You will see in her photos and learn through her stories, all about her delightful outlook on life.
She rarely was down, and was always ready for a new adventure. Hanna was a loving companion and friend, and all who knew her,
saw her zest for living. Her passing has left a huge gap in our hearts and lives-we miss her every day and in every
way. She was and IS a blessing to our hearts. Hanna will always remain a part of all of us. With tears our
sweet friend...until we meet again.
| Little Hanna |

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| on the bottle |
It Never Goes Away
Today May
9, two years ago, we lost our precious Hanna. She fought the valiant fight against
poisons and kidney disease. Her vivacious spirit lives on in our hearts. We can watch her movies and catch the spark of her eyes in photos, but we can’t
hold her or play with her.
Even though two
years have passed there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think of her, mostly with smiles, at her antics,
her spunk, and her outward affection. But I still shed a tear and my heart becomes
heavy at times-she was such a great friend and it is hard not to have her here. When
I visit her site or read her stories my heart is filled with her spirit but is also empty from her loss. Death is a part of life, but when one’s life seems to be lost unjustly; it makes the grief more intense,
and perhaps making it linger a bit longer. I'm often filled with “what
ifs” yet knowing, that won’t help or bring her back. It is the nature
of love that makes us question, want, need, and hope. If we didn’t care,
nothing would matter and the world would be a cold place.
I am lucky…I
can feel the love of a dear friend and mourn the loss of that love and companionship. I can fill my heart (and her book) with
her stories, memories, and pictures. I’ll always have that, and her. No one can ever take away my Hanna from my heart.
Until we meet again…my little squirt!
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| Puppy Hanna |

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| ready to play |
My Blessings, My Dogs
Brown eyes sparkle with playful hearts,
Compact bodies so strong and smart.
Inquisitive always, curious at will,
Ready to play, or just be still.
Reaching my hand, I always find,
Nothing that compares, to humankind.
Faithful and loving, devoted friends,
Ready to play, eager to defend.
My dogs are with me no matter where,
In times of fun, or loss or despair.
A treasured gift from God above,
To show us all the meaning of love.
© D. Smith-Mansell 2005
| One of the Many Adorable Expressions of |

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| Hanna Banana |
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| Hanna |

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| Maddie |
Another
Birthday, Nov 2009
Another
year gone by and a reminder is here once again…November 1st, a very special “Hanna day.” Today would have been her 15th birthday.
Secretly I always thought she’d make it this far, but whether at the hand of an uncaring pet food company or
through nature itself, she isn’t. It is a day filled with tears and smiles
as Hanna always loved her birthdays. She knew it was her day and she took ever
opportunity to let me know she was ready for the cake and presents at any time. She’d
follow me around (more than usual), and make attempts to gain my eye contact. If
I reminded her of the special day, she’d often spin into a 360 degree turn, and trot around me. She could barely wait for the presents.
Hanna was
so in tune with the world and celebrations, nothing passed her by! She truly
enjoyed every moment and demonstrated great anticipation at “things to come.”
It became
a bittersweet day for us in 2008 as this day, Hanna’s birthday, was the day we picked up Lil’ Maddie to join our
family. Not surprising, she seems to have a lot of Hanna’s traits. Some times I have to look twice, and many times, I have called Maddie, Hanna. But there are many differences, just as there are differences in humans, siblings,
and other pets. However, I do reserve the right to think and see my precious
Hanna in Maddie. I’d like to think that a piece of Hanna returned in Maddie,
just as a part of Fallon seemed to have returned in Rori. The circle of life
continues.
Whether
these feelings and thoughts are truths or concepts I want to believe, is of no great consequence, for I hold tight to the
knowledge that one day, we ALL will be together, forever. And we will see the
pureness of God in our all our relationships.
| Hanna camera ready as always |

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| This was her last Christmas |
What Money Can’t Buy
Hanna’s birthday, always brings bittersweet emotions. I still long to see her prance about my feet as her “birthday” was announced,
but my heart breaks when I remember the way she died. While reality tells me
it would be unlikely that she would still be here today (she’d be 17), I still believe her life was cut shorter due
to toxic pet food. How many other innocents died because of this?
The Pet Food Class Action law suit was finally settled,
and we received minuscule amounts in comparison to how these poor animals suffered, all because they ate! The ironic part
here is that while the pet food company readily admitted the cat food my Kearsey ingested had problems, they NEVER admitted
to Hanna’s special food having issues. Time after time I called the company
with my concerns as to certain ingredients and each time I was met with a scripted response and denial of any issues with
the products. My thoughts always being, if a pet who already had compromised
kidneys ingested even a small amount of any toxin, it would be fatal, and it was in Hanna’s case.
While the company denied any problems with the special
food Hanna was eating due to her kidney issues, I received a settlement for her. What
does that say? Fortunately, I had kept exemplary medical records and documentation,
and when it came time to file for the class action, I included Hanna’s information as well as Kearsey’s. I filed a claim for her even though I was told it would probably not receive any attention. Well, the notice of settlement came out earlier this summer and I received two, one
for poor Kearsey, and one for Hanna. My heart broke all over again at the recognition
of these two precious pets dying at the hands of someone else, it all became a reality once again.
When the settlement checks arrived a few months later,
I cried. My precious friends were taken and suffered and I held two checks in
my hand meant to compensate for their suffering and their lives. It didn’t
even cover the cost of those emotions, let alone the suffering they endured. Shame
on those pet food companies who weren’t more vigilant in protecting their consumers!
We donated their “blood money” to a local shelter,
along with a plaque in their honor
that reads: Given in Loving memory of two cherished friends
taken by the pet food crisis of 2007. May the price they paid help others. Hearts broken, lives lost, sadly missed…
It didn’t need to be!
So I say…
Happy Birthday my sweet Hanna-know that you live on in
our hearts. We love you!
Sending our hugs and love to those who are with you; Darby,
Fallon, Kearsey, Brin, Shanna, Jad, Jace, Pete, Shane, Mandy, Skampy, Skippy, Pepper, Brandy-we miss you all!
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AWARDED TO: Websites with quality information on small dogs.
| All of us in our MUCH younger days! |

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| Darby, me, and Little Hanna |
A Smile…and a Twinge (Nov 2010)
Today, Nov 1, 2010 would have been Hanna’s 15th birthday.
I know it’s a stretch but she might have made it this far if it hadn’t been for other issues, like kidney disease
and toxic pet food. I try very hard not to focus on those things but admittedly,
it can be difficult some times. Most times however, I can now (FINALLY) remember
the wonderful days with this precious little pup. Oh how she filled my life and
heart with her spirit, her spunk, and her drive to enjoy! I can still see her
quickly glance in my direction with a spark in her eye, just waiting for the next adventure.
She was so in to life-it takes my breath away when I visualize her.
This year has been a difficult once again, as in April
we lost our precious Darby, Hanna’s “mother.” Now Darby wasn’t
really Hanna’s mother, but they did come from the same breeder and Darby was a mother hen to little Hanna. Darby was almost two when she was brought home while Hanna was just a pup.
So needless to say they were pretty inseparable-very different personalities, but very similar too.
Darby was very quiet, and viewed the world with wide eyes
and caution at times. She loved everyone and everything but she was very much
reserved, unless there was a squirrel in the yard. Hanna on the other hand, was
“let me see,” “I have to look,” and “Hey what about
me?” No matter their differences, they loved and respected each other. One always looked for the other, and as Darby began to slow on our walks, Hanna would
always turn around and some times go back to her, just to make sure she was okay and still coming. They slept together, and played and ate together. I know Darby
felt lost when Hanna passed, she’d just look and look for her, and if one happened to mention her name, her ears always
perked.
Darby was a very gentle soul, whose greatest joys were
lying in the sun on the cool green grass, harvesting and snacking on pears from the tree, getting a belly rub, and eating. She liked all the other things most dogs do too but, the above were her favorites.
Even though she was 17, it was still hard when she passed,
because it was not expected. Not to say that we thought she’d live forever,
we knew her time was growing precious, but it all happened too suddenly….and then she was gone. And now Hanna and Darby are together again.
I was looking in the mirror the other day and I glanced
behind me, and there sat Hanna. Actually…it was Maddie. For a split second I had an instant rush of good and bad emotions flood my being, sending a twinge of pain/hurt
to my stomach. Once recovered, in a matter of seconds…I smiled. I thought of Hanna and how she would often sit behind me almost making sure I could see her in the mirror.
She always seemed to search my face for eye contact. Hanna always wanted to “see” what I was thinking.
I miss her stretching across the floor in happiness and
I miss her stretching up her front paws to be picked up. But most of all I miss
holding her and just having her here, and Darby too.
So from her web page hopefully to her heart-Happy Birthday
Squirt! And Darby…we miss you!
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