MANGRUM, Bonnie — (~February 2000 - 21 June 2017) Bonnie Mangrum (nee “Ginger #2) passed away surrounded by family on Wednesday, June 21, 2017. She is survived by humans, Thom Eagan and Jason, Valerie and Calleigh Mangrum, fellow canines, Joey Eagan and Bailey Mangrum, felines Figaro and Bobby Mangrum, and Pickles the Hedgehog.
We don’t know when Bonnie was born or exactly how old she is. A rescue pup, she found us at an adoption outfit out of PetSmart called “Abandoned Angels” in September 2000. After waiting for our chocolate lab, Brinkley, to outgrow his puppy stage and after countless chewed pillows, comforters, door frames, baseboards and half of one unlucky couch, our vet suggested two options: a lifetime of anxiety medication or a friend. We chose the latter. Living in a small starter home, we knew our second fur child should be smaller in stature and we set off that day to bring home a beagle.
Brinkley was in tow and each prospective candidate we introduced him to went a little more badly than the previous. As we were leaving, the woman running the adoption clinic told us to stop back by the next time they were going to be there as they would have new animals from which to choose. As we spoke, I looked behind her and there were a handful of dogs in crates, locked up and not being paraded around like the others. When I inquired who they were and if they were already adopted, she laughed a dismissive laugh, waved her hand and said, “oh, those? They’re not the most adoptable. They have issues of one kind or another.” That’s the first time I saw Bonnie, who was labeled “Ginger #2” as there was already a Ginger who was sporting a bandana and being walked out front on the sidewalk.
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| Bonnie's adoption picture, 2000 |
I asked if we could see Ginger #2 and the woman shrugged and reluctantly opened her door and pulled her out. The deal was done. My heart melted immediately, Brinkley didn’t try to eat her, and they were getting ready to pack up for the day. We were told that Bonnie had been brought to the shelter under some unknown or better-not-discussed circumstances and that she had likely been the victim of some abuse in her early days. We lied on the adoption paperwork and said we had a fenced in yard. I whispered to her on the ride home that she was safe, she would be loved, no one would ever hurt her again, and that she would not suffer one more day.
I held her on a towel on my lap as we drove home.
In the days and weeks that followed, we found that, rather than preventing Brinkley from making messes and being destructive, Ginger #2, renamed Bonnie, was just making her own set of messes. One night after coming home from work to find yet another pillow victim and a puddle in the floor, I called the adoption agency and said I just didn’t think this was going to work. The woman explained a schedule conflict and said she was out of town and could I give it another week until I returned her. In that week, Bonnie completed the task of completely and irrevocably stealing my heart and I felt ashamed for years to come for considering returning her. God works in mysterious ways indeed.
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| Christmas Card photo 2000. |
Bonnie and Brinkley soon became the best of friends, vying for the same couch cushion, jockeying over positions in the bed, playing tug of war together with a rope bone, and snuggling rear to rear while napping.
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| We had this huge, couch-shaped dog bed in our living room and they occasionally let humans use it. |
Bonnie’s loves in life included treats, being held, kisses, eating chicken, and going for rides in the car.
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| Christmas Card photo 2001 |
Bonnie was a friend to all, accepting a new baby, the cats as they entered our lives, and even a hedgehog.
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| Christmas Card photo 2002 |
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| Christmas Card photo 2003 |
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| Things are about to change July 2004 |
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| Someone new. September 2004 |
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| After neutralizing the threat, Bonnie found this new addition would be a good friend. |
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| Making room for one more |
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| Celebrating another year, 2008 |
After losing Brinkley in 2011 at the age of 15, Bonnie enjoyed being an only dog until rescue Bailey came into our hearts and home. Bringing a new family member home, especially one with an abusive past and trust issues, is always a tightrope walk. We learned the hard way that a slow introduction cannot be underscored enough and Bonnie wound up on the receiving end of a warning blow from Bailey over territory. The girls eventually worked through their issues, order was restored, and they became buddies.
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| December 2013 I think this is going to work. |
No one believed how old Bonnie was, beginning around the age of 12 or 13. In disbelief, we would be asked, “are you sure she’s that old?” My answer never changed: “no, we don’t know exactly how old she is. All I know is how long we’ve had her.”
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| July 2012 |
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| Bonnie loved me immensely. She loved chicken more. |
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| January 2015 |
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| No shame here |
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| December 2015 Joey joins our family. |
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| Christmas morning, 2015 |
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| Sleeping bottom to bottom |
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| Bath time |
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| Time to go Bonnie was always up for a ride |
Around age 15, her joints, hearing and sight all began to fail her at the same time. She was mobile up until a couple of days ago. Her sight gradually slipped away. She didn’t hear me whisper “I love you” daily for a few years.
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| Camping, May 2016 |
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| Saying goodbye June 21, 2017 |
On Monday night, she took a turn and I watched Tuesday as her light slipped away. Wednesday, I held her on a towel on my lap as we drove to our precious vet, Dr. Lauren Wall at Hillsboro Animal Hospital. Dr. Wall helped us say a final farewell to this amazing dog. As she departed, I whispered in her ear that she was safe, she was loved, no one would ever hurt her again, and that she would not suffer one more day.
Thank you, Bonn, for 17 wonderful years of puppy love.
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| "In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety." -Psalm 4:8 |
Special Thanks
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