better than human pets...

Who else can you talk to and know they care? My deepest sympathy. You don't get 'over it". You get 'through it'. nb

Digger

Longer ago than I care to remember
I had a dog, his name was Digger.

He understood how to taste life
Better than any human I ever knew.

For Digger the world was a place of wonder
Smells, sounds, cool breezes, he savored them all.

He loved to explore, and
He would insist that I join him.

We lived at the edge of the woods
It was his favorite place

As we walked together
He showed me the wonder of
A bit of tree bark.
A wooly bug
A broken birds egg
And the sound of a gentle wind in the pines

And when we were done with our exploration
He would sleep and dream
And so would I

Digger has been gone for a long time
But I can still see him dream
And then so do I.

And sometimes I ask my long gone friend
Where would you like to go today?


Chuck Ivie

We've seen three standard poodles (Sally, Bob, and Maggie), a schapendoes (rare dutch sheepdog, Molly), and a wonderful one-eyed mini-poodle rescue (Windy) cross the "rainbow bridge" over the last 25 years. After Windy, I felt like avoiding more heartbreak, but my wife said I was too loving to deprive another dog a good life, so I "doubled down" and rescued a maltese (Bella) and a havanese (Rusty) that had lived together since puppyhood, and the house is full of joy and laughter again. Given we rescued these two at the age of three, I have a feeling these are our last dogs, since these little critters have at least another ten years left. Bella is the cuddler, and has claimed me as her human, and Rusty is a ten pound guard dog, and stays riveted to my wife's side all day.

I know how you feel, I lost Skippy, my little Yorkie a couple of years ago and I still miss him. They truly become part of of our life and family.

The affection shown by dogs and some cats (including mine) is a wonderful value for value exchange on their part.

I lost the most wonderful dog in the world 15 months ago and I miss him every day. He was the joy of my heart. You are lucky to have had such a fine dog for 11 years - and she was fortunate to have you.

Here is a poem I wrote about a friend's dog that died (it is shorter than the ones I wrote about Lucifer, so I will not unduly burden you with poetry).

That bright spark
Has fallen from the sky:
The universe has lost some of its glow.
And we who walk this world, we all know,
This damned, unplanned, good-bye
Leaves us dark.


Jan

Sorry to hear that...in your arms is the best way to go...there is no guilt either. The last four Maltese, 16-18 years old...died in my arms...they went peacefully and content.

Very sad for you. Molly was given a wonderful life.
My wife and I have grieved Kirby 13 yrs , Maxwell Smart 13yrs, Callaway 9 yrs, Mulligan 12yrs .
Never again , it is too hard to lose them certainly part of our family.

I have two rescue Pitt bulls. They are instant judges of character. I feel very safe around them, know they will protect me. They also know I will protect them

Maybe trump should get some dogs. They would be more loyal than his long time “friends”, and evil witch mueller can’t subpoenia them

He should let the dogs pass judgment and approval if all new hires and appointees. No dog approval= no job

My Corgi turns 10 next week, and in the past couple of months, is showing his age, dragging his back left leg until he gets to a full walk.

Been there many times, most recently our lab, Gator last Nov. It sucks every time. https://www.starznbarz.com/Pets/Pet-P...

Interesting that such a group that everyone knows is composed of cold-hearted objectivists can independently express their deepest feelings in public among a group of people we do not know.
Of course, we DO know one another at a very deep level, and this particular thread is evidence of who we really are and what we care about.
It is quite moving and refreshing to read these stories, all almost identical to my story, and my feelings.
Thank you.

Molly was adorable!

Yes. I lost my beloved Princess to lung cancer in 2009. Subsequently, I adopted two more (now three) adorable felines, one of whom died in 2014 of HCM/saddle thrombus. These losses were devastating. I still tear up when I think of them. My pet loss therapist was told me that the loss of a dear pet is so difficult because there's no ambivalence--which usually exists when we lose a human.

This is the sad part of having pets. They become an integral and very much loved member of our family but they are rather short lived. The number of pets I have buried is outnumbered by the numbers of tears we have shed with each and every one of them. My solace comes from the knowledge that every dog who came to live with us lived a wonderful life but they were all liberal democrats that never had to work for food, shelter or the best of health care.

I had two dogs and two cats late in life, in my sixties. Two have passed (first dog and first cat) in my arms. It was the same feeling as when my parents died 60 years ago. I cherish all the time I have with our current dog and cat. It is impossible to describe the bond with animals, for me at least.

Lost a Great Pyrenees, got hit by a car. Still can't talk about her without tearing up.

Mine was a golden/lab mix For 12 years we were known as the old man and his dog. Got him at 7 weeks old. His name was Jake. I had to have the vet come to my home for the procedure. I am an ornery blustery old cuss. It has been almost 6 years but even as I write this, eyes are wet.
I am 71 yrs old. Don't know who would outlast who if I got another.

I lost my cat in 2012, at her ripe age of 14 to kidney failure. She had been through a lot with me over the years. I had her since she was a kitten!! And she put up with me for that long. I like to think of her as my familiar and best cat! I cried when I lost her :( i felt guilty too... Iknew something was wrong, but could never put my finger on what... by the time I got her to the vet, it was too late! I'm told there wasn't really much they could have done, but didn't help with feeling the guilt of not doing something sooner. I lost my other cat to the same thing a couple years later. sad: I got them two years apart.. and they died two years apart. Both of them brought so much joy and love in my life. Baby used to wake me up during the tornado drills! hahaha. (I worked nights. so wasn't fun to be woken up by my cat when the alarms were going off!!) At least I knew, she loved me enough to wake me up in the case of an emergency :) I miss her fuzzy butt... I held the nights before she passed away. Actually put her down for the last day. I lost her around thanksgiving. I foolishly thought, let her hang on until then, and let her have her last taste of turkey.... She always got turkey for thanksgiving... I miss her :(

Selphie, my second one., she was the goofiest cat next to my current cat! I honestly think she thought she was a kitten until she was about 10 years old! haha.

my current cat is the love of my life... He's just as goofy as Selphie was. He's given me drama! He went missing for about two months when he was a kitten. I thought he might be dead... but one day got a call from a lady about mile and half down the road about a kitten. She said "I think i might have your cat". I raced home from work and stopped by! sure enough, it was him! :) he was so happy to see me! I am so overjoyed he wasn't killed. I'm not sure how many lives he has left, but I spoil him rotten because of it!!

Dogs are the bestest of best friends. I've always lamented their short lives. For me, I find it soothing to go right out and get another one to love after a loss. Our hearts are always big enough to increase in size for the next member of our family.

So sorry for your loss!

My current dog is a beagle. She just turned 11. Her face has turned white and she's now a Little Old Lady.Of all the dogs I've ever had, she is the best. They were all good, but Bella is amazing. Smart, easily trained but still, lots of personality.I could write a book about her. So, I think I can understand how you feel. 19 years? you're lucky to have had Molly that long. I've always said that if dogs aren't allowed in heaven, I'm going to hell. (Probably anyway).

Sad. Sorry for your loss. Seems like she had a nice a life and passing as a dog could hope for.

We keep labs, typically 2-3, 3 now. The first two we had passed away some time ago. My favorite, is 95 lbs, 100% muscle, and wants to do what you want him to do so bad, he will shake if he doesn't understand. He is 13, and can still catch a Frisbee, but will no doubt be moving on in the next year or so. Fact of life.

He is still a viable father, and I'd love to breed him. He has a pedigree as long as your arm, which I don't really care about, but that's the we he came.

I buried five Abyssinian cats. In fact they have been cremated and all I have left of them is the small cedar box containing their ashes.

I love Abyssinians and had them for companion for the past 30 years.

The first and oldest was Ammon, a Ruddy, died in my arms when he reached 14 years. He had cancer and I was hoping till the last moment that it'll will relapse and he'll live a few more years. The last three days will always haunt me as he was desperately fighting to live.

His brother Rameses, a Red, died the year after. Hermes, a Blue the following year.

Then we brought it two baby siblings, Zeus and Orpheus, gorgeous little Abys. Orpheus had a heart attack and I found him dead when I returned home one day. He was only 8 years of age. Zeus is still alive.

When Orpheus died I desperately tried to fill the void which may not be the best thing to do but I thought Zeus needed a brother, so I brought in a kitten from a cattery. He was 6 mo old and came down with IFP (Infectious Feline Peritonitis), an incurable viral disease that took him in a month.

I know what you are going through: I never recovered from the loss of either of them. They were each an integral part of the family and the pain of losing them never goes away.