OT: Losing a pet

[mars]

I don't know you on here, but as a pet guardian...... I am so sorry for your loss. I have three dogs, varying ages. I know when each passes it will be hard. But I also know that I will honor their life by bringing another pup soul into my home.

Good luck and hugs!

.
and that is what good people do. They do not allow the pain of losing a loved pet to prevent them from giving another beautiful animal a home.

My cats Snowy, Smokey and Misty, are all in different places, but they are all together in my heart, together with Dusty and Bonnie.

Jeanette, I feel for you in your loss .

and I think it is also true what BleepingBeauty said

We never have enough time with them, but they sure do enrich our lives. But whatever amount of time we do have, with all the love and laughter they bring us, the pain of their loss (and there's plenty of it) is worthwhile, in time.

and what Captain_Midnight said

Each dog I've lost is a loss of a family member, and yes, time has always eventually helped turn sadness into happy memories.

To give a pet a loving home is to make the world a better place, and gives the world better people .

Mars

[Hawthorne]

I am so sorry Jeanette! I know how you feel only too well. The orange fellow in my avatar, our beloved Pumpkin, died a little over a year ago. We still have Pepper, the little dark girl in the avatar but we will miss Pumpkin forever. I still see him in all his favourite places and talk to him as I always did. He was 12 years old. I have left this avatar in his memory. I also have a lovely picture of him on my computer desktop. I say "good morning" to Pumpkin every day when I turn on my computer.

We have a small urn with his ashes in it, in a cabinet. There is also another urn beside it for Humphrey, our orange tiger striped cat that died 14 years ago.

It is losing a family member and is so hard! I'm thinking of you and your girl! I know you will miss her forever, as we do our pets with whom we were priveleged to share our life.

[AndyCelt]

Very sorry for your loss. As so many have said, pets are family.

[carbonman]

To know the love of an animal is a gift. Jeanette

J, we have shed many a tear for our beloved pets.
2wks ago we lost Tiger. He was a trouble maker and made us laugh.
I was owned by this cat.....never had that happen before.

Although gone, they all live on in our hearts.
This sad, painful time will pass.
You will remember how special she was and
all the good times.

We only have them for a few years,
you made the most of them.

[nanwilson]

We have lost Nicki at 16 a springer spaniel, Max at 9 a dobi, Duchess at 17 a dobi,& Carey at 14 a cairn terrier.
My heart goes out to you we have been where you are today.

[newhosehead]

I am overwhelmed by the number of replies to this post. It just shows me how much animals mean to so many of us. Thank you one and all for your posts, your kindess and for understanding.
Someone asked what her name was. This was my Kellie.

Jeanette

[Madalot]

Oh Jeanette,

I am so sorry for your loss. I know you will miss her terribly.

[Lori Dawn]

The Rainbow Bridge
inspired by a Norse legend

By the edge of a woods, at the foot of a hill,
Is a lush, green meadow where time stands still.
Where the friends of man and woman do run,
When their time on earth is over and done.

For here, between this world and the next,
Is a place where each beloved creature finds rest.
On this golden land, they wait and they play,
Till the Rainbow Bridge they cross over one day.

No more do they suffer, in pain or in sadness,
For here they are whole, their lives filled with gladness.
Their limbs are restored, their health renewed,
Their bodies have healed, with strength imbued.

They romp through the grass, without even a care,
Until one day they start, and sniff at the air.
All ears prick forward, eyes dart front and back,
Then all of a sudden, one breaks from the pack.

For just at that instant, their eyes have met;
Together again, both person and pet.
So they run to each other, these friends from long past,
The time of their parting is over at last.

The sadness they felt while they were apart,
Has turned into joy once more in each heart.
They embrace with a love that will last forever,
And then, side-by-side, they cross over… together.

[tschultz]

I was going to provide a link to the Rainbow Bridge but someone else beat me to it. It is one of those poems that can help in times such as this.

I am so sorry to hear about your loss.

I was first domesticated by cats at a very early age, probably around the age of 5 or so. It seems that a common thread throughout my life has been a love for animals, and I am especially fond of cats. My wife and I share the same degree of love for our "fur children" and although we have also lost a few of them over the years due to illness neither of us can imagine our lives without having shared it with each and every one of them.

The bond an animal can bring to anyone's life is something that people without animals often don't understand. However for those of us that have opened our hearts and lives to these animals, we know the unconditional love that animals show to their human companions. The loss of any member of the family, regardless of species, is a hard and unfortunate thing to have to cope with but there is nothing stopping anyone from grieving and then remembering them in their own ways. Grief has no rules, and differs for everyone and every time ... it is a process that needs to run its course and one in which no one should be expected to be rushed.

Perhaps you may want to light a candle in memory at; http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/enter.cfm?l=eng

[chunkyfrog]

So sorry about your beautiful friend.
We have a spot in our yard where catnip abounds, planted over the bones of kitties that have brought us joy.

[quietmorning]

Ah, I'm so sorry for your loss. Our best friends are so hard to lose - I so wish they lived longer.

May your girl have fun chasing balls up past the rainbow bridge with all the children that have gone before her.

And may you mourn well and heal solidly.

[nobody]

I lost a dear friend today. The beautiful Golden Retriever that is in my avatar pic died at 14 + years of age. Those of you who have been through it know how I feel this night and how I will feel for some time to come.
This is a tribute to my dear girl, who loved unconditionally and was always there for me. To know the love of an animal is a gift. I will not forget you, sweet girl, and you were a gift in my life.

Jeanette

I'm so sorry Jeanette. I lost one of my pets at the end of last year and I still feel like there's a hole in my heart, I miss him so much.

[JohnBFisher]

I lost a dear friend today. ...

Jeanette, you have my sincerest and warmest empathy. A couple months back, I lost my dog. I still find myself crying at the thought of his passing. May you find peace, knowing your friend is in a better place, waiting. I also offer the following poem by John Galsworthy:

Memories

Not the least hard thing to bear when
they go from us, these quiet friends,
is that they carry away with them so
many years of our lives. Yet, if they
find warmth therein, who would
begrudge them those years that they
have so guarded?
And whatever they take,
be sure they have deserved.

[beckah]

My heart breaks for you and I'm crying right along with you. I love my four dogs and they bring so much joy and companionship into my life. I hope time heals the pain and the wonderful memories that are left bring you joy.

[tbone421998]

So sorry to hear about your loss. I always think about this poem with the loss of a loved pet. http://rainbowsbridge.com/poem.htm My wife and I have four doxies that we rescued. My daughter-in-law just had to put her 15 year old doxie down Saturday. She had Gretchen since she was 10.