After 14 adventurous years, thousands of kisses, millions of cookies, and dozens of chicken nuggets that we announce the passing of our Orphan Annie Dow-Whitman on Friday November 4th 2022.

Born on January 7th 2019 Annie entered the world with what I imagine the largest elephant ears of all her siblings. From a young age she was the happiest girl you would ever meet.

Annie was adopted at a puppy age by a family in Northern Vermont giving her the first name Karmen. After two years with this family she found herself in an rescue to be adopted as her family lived at a truck stop and wanted her to have a happy, fun and more relaxing life. Annie stayed at the rescue for a minimal amount of time until someone told their friends Ken and Ginny Dow about Annie. Ken had recently lost his best friend Jake and was in need of another companion. When Ken and Ginny heard of this dog, they took a trip to Lunenburg to meet a sweet, gentle, happy, and loving Annie.

Annie was adopted by Ken and Ginny Dow in 2010, the day they met her.

Once home in Hartland, Ken and Ginny decided the name karmen just didn't fit this girl. Within a few days being home Ginny explained "Her name is Orphan Annie, my little orphaned Annie".

Annie was a loyal companion and was Ken's "person" his death in 2012.

After the death of Ken, Annie fell into a depression. After a few weeks Annie and I became everyday buddies. Annie and I enjoyed years of long walks in the company gravel pit, truck rides, playing in the snow chasing her ball, and swimming/ belly flopping into ponds.

In the later years of Annie's life, she dedicated herself to Ginny and the two house cats Boots and Mittens. Annie made sure to bark at anyone on the doorstep until her ears could no longer hear and after that she would just waltz out and greet you gently until she recognized who you were.

During the last few years Annie had many ailments including losing one of her eyes, though this made for a massive change in her life, she embraced it with dignity and grace eventually forgetting she even ever had two eyes.

In the early months of 2022 Ginny unexpectedly passed away. In the earlier years of Annie's life with Ginny, I promised Ginny that if anything were to ever happen, I would take care of Annie and fight to give her the best life I could.

Annie struggled with the loss of Ginny and began to decline which drove Dean and I to fight to give her the assistance she needed and within weeks she began her final adventure moving to Thetford inheriting many new siblings. A boy she deeply loved named Leon, a protective momma figure that sat above Annie monitoring her named Anna, and a brother that she taught to be gentle with her, Charlie.

When Annie first came to her home in Thetford, Annie was not expected to last very long, but like Ginny, Annie was a tough cookie that powered through and became her happy go lucky self again. Annie was able to begin eating normally again, she was given medications to help get her back to feeling well and began to run like a spring chicken, though she did feel it after having 14 year old hips. Annie always had a young vibrate spirit and her body was the vessel that became unfixable.

In these past few months Annie had a scare with her one good eye but after medications and eye drops, she once again beat the odds and got better. After this spout she was never quite the same though. She was happy, but after the ending of the pain medication for her eye, she quickly declined becoming completely reliant on Dean and I for getting up, staying standing, cleaning her accidents and monitoring her wondering.

After long hard talks it was decided that Ken and Ginny were ready for Annie to come home to them. On November 4th in the late hours of the afternoon, Annie gracefully walked to a small knoll where she laid comfortably receiving immense amounts of love. Annie was able to have time to hear us tell her how loved she is and how honored we have been to have her, she responded by looking deeply into our eyes and kissing our faces almost thanking us and making us feel like she was telling us she was ready.

Annie is and always will be one of the best little ladies we will have ever had the honor in having and caring for.

We apologize to all the people who love Annie, that you were not given the opportunity to say your final goodbyes. Please know that Annie went from looking into my eyes to opening her eyes yo find herself in a large green meadow with blue skies. As she walks she feels no pain and can run comfortably, as she runs she realizes that Ken and Ginny are standing just off in the distance and she picks up her pace now running faster than she has ever run before until she finally reaches them giving all her love and kisses finally feeling complete again.

We want to thank Lyme Veterinary Hospital for their assistance through the end of Annie's time here. Without the care and patients of each staff member, Annie never would have had such an amazing final hurrah.

We love you Annie and we can't wait to see you again 

Send to someone

Share this obituary with others

https://everloved.com/life-of/annie-dow-whitman/obituary/

Copy