永别了，小花。

This is it.

小花 will be taken to the animal hospital tonight,
accompanied by her beloved mistress
and all those who have helped to look after her everyday needs.
As much as it devastates her so,
Sophia has decided to end her suffering, once and for all.
Tomorrow, 小花 will be officially put to sleep in the morning,
and then cremated in the afternoon.

With each update Sophia gave me today about 小花, I shed several tears.
I could imagine the dog's pain and fear at not being able to close her eyes the entire night,
or move because her body muscles were so stiff.
I could imagine the dog just lying there so still, unblinking,
throughout the hours
as her human caretakers stayed by her, feeling so helpless.
I could imagine how she must have looked
when Sophia told me that besides the fact that her little old heart was still pumping,
the rest of her was gone.
I could imagine her in her better days
when some of us offered to visit Sophia
but the latter preferred us not to,
so that 小花 could be remembered fondly as how she was,
all cute and fluffy,
the little diva she was,
before old age struck and rendered her totally weak and immobile.

Yes, I think I should heed what Sophia says,
and just think of the dog as she used to be in her heyday
because she deserves it so.

永别了，小花。
但愿你在狗狗天堂里
能再次当回你活泼可爱型的小公主。