I have something to say.........

[Papa Bear]

We had two dogs, Wicca a 5 year old girl and Spike a seven year old boy. Last fall Wicca got sick on a Wed. and died the following Mon. from liver disease. It broke our hearts.

Last night I came home from spending the day with my brother and my wife met me at the door. She never meets me at the door unless she's very mad or very sad. She said she had something to tell me but she didn't want to. My daughter had found Spike lying on the kitchen floor earlier in the day and called her from work but it was too late. He was already dead, we don't know why.

Right now I'm waiting for the weather to clear up enough to take him and bury him by his sister.

So yes I understand how you feel and I very sorry for your loss!

[K9]

I thought I would try and do something this Sunday Morning so I came by here to see what was going on. To Papa Bear I am so sorry for your loss. I know there are no words to make the hurt stop, I have found this out and am still suffering as much as last Thursday. Please be with your family at home now for comfort. I know the shock of this must be terrible. I had months to get my mind used to what I new, but I only focused on attempting to make my girl get stronger in hope for some kind of miracle I suppose. Boy how stupid was that? Hang in there Papa bare, be with your family. I'm just here with my memories for now. I want to thank those that have taken time to say something to me, it means a lot. I try to understand but it's hard. I learned something though, it's about something they do not tell you when you adopt a pet. It goes along with all the responcibility they tell you about that it takes to take good care of your pet. It's called " Final Responcibility". They do not tell you that along with the gift of a best friend and companionship and unconditional love your pet give you, comes the final responcibility that you may have to make a decision to do what I had to do Thursday. It's something that would be unusual to be told when adopting a pet, it would not be normal. It's unfortunate but unless you have friends that tell you of these things because they have gone through it them selfs or were told by there friends, you yourself do not learn about final responcibility untill after it happens to you. I have now learned about this, the hard way, it has changed me forever. Papa Bear, be strong. I hope you know how to, I do not... But I am trying

[Papa Bear]

K9 everyone deals differently with your grief. Find a friend or relative that can spend a little time with you and let you do the talking. Healing will start with getting everything off your chest. Don't expect it to happen all at once. Friendship is a tough thing to lose.

Whatever you do, don't let yourself dwell on it. (I know it's hard not to) As soon as possible get out and start doing things that will keep you occupied and your mind busy.

Most of all just remember that it does get easier, you will never forget, but it does get easier. Trust me on this one. I'm old enough now that I've lost my parents, one brother and several very close Friends along with my pets.

But you know what, I wouldn't trade all the memories for anything in the world.

Papa Bear.

[NorthernPete]

Sorry seems like such a small word, inadaquit, but its what we all say in these cases. I hope you can remember the good times you had with your friend, and know that she wouldnt want you to be sad, knowing she is not suffering any more.

[sv-wolf]

K9

I'm really sorry to hear about your dog. I've always had dogs and know what it like to lose them, particularly when you have to put them down yourself. I've got a whole roll call: Paddy, Rex, Sal, Mally, Tanny, Teal, Fribs, and most recently, Loki (Loki, fortunately, is still alive, we just had to find a new home for him because of my wife's illness - but it was still heartbreaking to lose him.)

A dog can be a bloody good friend and companion and share your life with you and be completely loyal in every way, if you treat it right. Every dog I have ever owned has had a personality that is completely different from every other, and all of them have had personalities as complex and surprising as a person's. No doubt about that. When you lose a dog you love it's like losing a member of your close family.

It sounds like you have had a particularly close relationship with your dog and shared a lot of your life with her. The only advice I would give you is to find another dog quickly. I know this may sound to you like an impossible suggestion at this moment. Nothing is going to replace a dog you love - but that's not the point. Another dog, especially a pup, will have a new and quite different personality. It won't replace your old companion but it will be a new life willing to share itself with you, and it may fill up part of the hole that the death of a loved animal can leave inside you.

Look after yourself over the next few months. And most important - keep talking.

Best wishes.

[Bubba]

The loss of a dog is the loss of a friend. But like any other loss, it's not the end of the world. I lost my wife, to a car accident. Sure you greave and have many bad days, but you go on. Death is just part of life which we will all face sometime in our lives.
My condolences to you but hang in there. Enjoy life. It's much too short.

[K9]

Hi All. Thanks to everyone for understanding. A lot has gone on, I want to tell what else has happened. You know about Zac, then a few weeks later and a few help meetings later I adopted a 5 month old female golden lab in Zac's honor. I named her Samantha. The shelter had no idea there was a medical problem due to procedures botched up by it's medical staff during my puppies spay. I had her 7 days and she got sick, my vet did what he could but by day 21 we could not save her Little life. The bacterial infection did to much damage. I had to put her down, it killed me. I stayed with her to the end just as I did with Zac. I told her to go find Zac, that she will be looking for her and that they should both wait for me because we will all be together one day soon. The pain of everything was unbearable, I still feel the shock. I took on a quest to right the wrong done to my puppy at that shelter. I became very involved in the goings on there and made my name known to the board of directors over seeing the shelter and its operation. I learned much of the details as to what occurred there and found that 4 other dogs that were spayed the same week as my puppie became sick and went to our big animal hospital in the area. All 4 of the other dogs could not be saved. They to got so sick that there was nohing that could be done to save them. I told the governing body for the shelter of the changes I demand and that I be made aware of other changes on a weekly basis or I was going to slaughter the whole operation, that I would go to the press and TV and tell everything. I told them I am not going away, that I want changes made and I still am not going to go away. For my own safety I let it be known that others are aware of all of this and some of those are friends on the police force in town. This is a very political operation at the shelter and we all know that sometimes politics can be corrupt. (dah!!) (I'm not saying any body is corrupt in this instance) So changes were and are being made and things are looking up for the rest of the animals at the shelter. There are new rules in place for surgery, there is a new doctor, there are new procedures for keeping things sanitized. The person running the shelter is a wonderful and caring woman. We became friends and she lets me know all the time how things are better now. So now because of Samantha's death there are many other animals that will be cared for much better. It was terrible what happened, I began to love her very much and a second loss in less than a month was just to much. So I decided not to give up. I wanted to honnor Zac and give a home to another and now I wanted to honnor Zac and Samantha so I adopted again. I learned so much about the health dangers of adopting it is not funny. It is strange but the place that had so many problems became the safest place to adopt from again. Please undersand that. So now I have a 4 month old female lab mix I named Becky. She is adorable and a handful. A little at a time I'm giving her some of Zac's toys. We are doing Ok though I miss my girls very much. You can't believe how difficult this all was to re hash. I was trying to remember how to be like I was before Zac got sick, it's not easy and I realize now I will never be the same. The only thing one can do is to just carry on. I have learned much through all of this. I hope I can deal with things better in the future now. I had to put off buying my new motorcycle for a wile and get caught up on finances. I still want my 636 but it will be a bit down the road now and that is OK. Buying a toy has lost its thrill for now, other things ar more important right now.

[cb360]

Hang in there dude. If I lost my golden I'd have to take a week off work. Dogs can be every much a friend as a human - sometimes more - and their loss can be every bit as tough as losing a family member in my opinion. Try to stay busy and doing positive things and you'll get through it.

[yoda731]

Hey, K9. Thanks for sharing all of this. I am sitting hear tear-faced as I read it. Your love for those dogs and your courage to admit to us the great emptiness and anguish you have felt have done another good thing in reminding me about what's important. I have been in a rut on and off for a while, not loving my job and other things but wanting to stick it out for a while longer for different reasons, but being grumpy and miserable the whole time...

But, when I am allowed to take in an experience such as yours, that cuts to the quick of what it actually means to be a human and to be alive, I am helped to again remember to step back and think about the things that matter.

Thank you. And my dogs thank you, as our 12 year old cocker is cuddling against me, and our 4 year old runt of the litter beagle sits across from me. They (like all dogs) are grateful for anything which makes their owners better people.

And for the cookies I'm about to give them each...

JC

PS, as the saying goes-- Always strive to be the person your dog thinks you are...

[Jthmeffy]

Hey, K9.

I remember reading this thread awhile back and i'm so sorry for you loss, while i have just gotten my own.

On Monday, my twelve year and 11 month old Rottweiler, Cheyan, had broken her leg. We did what we could to comfort her until the Vet could come in on Emergency Call. Once he got there and we took her to the clinic, she looked her over and affirmed that she had indeed broken her leg. At her age as a Rottweiler, regrowing the bone would take a good amount of time, and having not been used to injury, i don't think she would have been able to cope very well seeing it was her front left leg. The vet looked her over and she had been beginning to get some tumor-like growths so that made him believe even more that she had a bone cancer in which Rottweilers are predisposed to getting. At 9:05, July 3rd, we had to put down the only stable thing in my life since i was five. When i come home from work and my father is gone, the house seems so empty. I miss her dearly. If you need someone to talk to, you can always PM me. I know where your heart and mind are at.