The Loss of Pets

My brother is the latest person I know who has had to see their pet to the foot of the Rainbow Bridge. As wonderful as pets are, it is so difficult when their lives come to an end. My brother's dog, Charlie, was part of his life for 15 years. He was his trusted companion seeing him through life as a bachelor and through illnesses. My brother gave Charlie a good life in exchange for his companionship. It's what pet owners do! My cousin is grieving her sweet Pongo who passed almost a year ago. The list of people just goes on and on. Every time I read of someone losing their pet it seems to stir my own experience of losing 4 dogs myself. After the second one, Benji, I swore off pets because the loss was just too much to bear. After many years of being petless, my husband and I adopted a sweet Angel that stole my heart. She truly was our first baby. She was a scrappy terrier whose eyes bore into my soul when I saw her for the first time. I know it is weird to even say this, but I felt her eyes were my deceased grandfather's eyes looking at me through hers. Needless to say, she had to be mine. My husband likes to tell the story of how he knew I was getting whatever it was I was letting him know I wanted for Christmas. Despite super cold temperatures one December morning days after Christmas, we made our way to the parking lot of the animal shelter so we could be the first in line when they opened. I could not miss the opportunity to adopt her. Being the early birds paid off, and my Angel came home with us that day. I was thrilled and then the obsession of losing her started to set in. The pain I had experienced before with my two dogs, Muffin and Benji, resurfaced and with an enormous punch. I tried to keep things in check and just enjoy life with our little pet. Life definitely tumbled by, and we began our family of two-legged loves of our lives. When our youngest was about 3 months old, we had to make the difficult decision to see Angel to the foot of the bridge after nine years of being part of our lives. It was one of the worst days of my life. Listening to the kids say goodbye to her broke my heart. She came to lay at my feet when the process was started, and I cried and told her how much she was loved. For anyone who has had to go through this devastating experience, I feel for you. I truly know the pain involved.

A year passed after we lost Angel, and I felt the kids needed a dog even though I knew what the end result would be. We adopted Sandy, and she brought joy to our lives.We made a move to a new home and were caught a bit off guard as an older neighbor needed someone to take on her second dog, Eli. So, now we had two dogs. Life was great with both dogs. Eli was a handful for sure! Then years later when our middle child fell in love with a chocolate pup named Kodiak at an adoption site, we ended up with three dogs! You could say life was crazy! When our daughter moved into her own apartment in college, she wanted Eli to join her, but it did not work out. He was a barker! So, he had to go live with a family who could give him a whole lot of attention and plenty of space to run. Time went by and Sandy got up in age and began to have health problems. Again we had to make the decision to take that "walk". This time I had to do it by myself. As I talked to her and told her how much she was loved, I could see her "light" leave her. She was a good dog. I was heartbroken. So I told my family this was it! I couldn't do it again. Then... you guessed it, our youngest decided he needed his own dog, and he found Brisket! He was the cutest puppy and has brought so much joy to our boy. The other day I told our son he was not going to be living with us when it was time for his dog to cross the bridge because I wouldn't be able to bear the pain he would have to endure over that loss. Now the kids joke about our three grand dogs because our daughter and her boyfriend adopted their own dog, Chico. They are headed down the same path all pet owners go through: falling completely in love with their own four legged fur baby. I do think about the inevitable pain of losing any of the kids' pets. I wish none of them had to deal with this heartbreak. Quite frankly I wish no one had to endure the loss of a pet.

Sitting with my brother after he had walked his sweet Charlie to the foot of the bridge, I just felt that sadness bubble up in my heart and wished that I had the right words to say. I think the best thing to do is to remind the grieving pet owner that they gave their pet the best life they could and that their pets were grateful to have been part of their lives. As good a life as they deserve, they also deserve not to suffer as we, pet owners, try to extend their lives. I read a poem once written from the perspective of a dog and it essentially says: Thank you for taking care of me, but when it is my time, do not try to go to heroic efforts to save me. I have lived a good life.

Sending love and hugs to those who have lost their beloved pets. You did right by them to take care of them and to let them go when the time came.