Preparing For The 1 Yr Anniversary

Hi All,
I haven't visited lately however the year annversary is looming for me, Christmas morning actually...a tough day since its also Christmas, I recently found some old photos of my boy, and my Mom's lab, Shadow, was PTS on Monday, age 14 with cancer, so it just reawakened my pain....I just wondered if anyone had any good ideas for preserving the anniversary day...without spoiling the holiday, something maybe that I can do every year to keep his memory alive, I am feeling like its like a dream, feels so long ago now...and I am still fighting the fact that he is not here right now...craziness I am sure...any thoughts I would appreciate them...

You are all my saviors and I am grateful for LS to be able to come back when I need you, BIG HUGE HUG TO ALL>>>>
Lots of Love, Tory, Hrudey and Fuzzies Momma, and now new Auggie boy, 8 mos old... Happy Holidays to you as well

Our New Beginning

Hi Everyone,

I wanted to share a new photo of our new family member, Auggie, he is 9 wks old, full of puppy wonder and excitement and sweetness galore. We are so happy to have him in our lives, its been 15 yrs since we have taken care of a baby dog again, so we are adjusting to the activity level, napping, crate training, and crying at night, actually very little of that now. He is a wonderful guy. Our heart is still full with the memories and love of our first boy Hrudey, but we move ahead in his memory. We feel him with us all the time.

Tory, Hrudey and Frank, and now baby Auggie's Momma

Vaccinations For Dogs

Hi to Anyone......We are now considering adopting a new dog for the family...I have been reading several forums on problems with vaccinating cats which is very frightening, what is the scoop on dog vaccinations and which ones are absolutely needed? I know my pal, Hrudey boy did contract Parvo, at about 5 months of age, even with a vaccination and luckily survived, the first of many close calls...but we lived in a big city, with many dogs that were unvaccinated and I was told we shouldn't let our new puppy out of the yard, even with a vaccine. One doesn't want to be irresponsible either. Any thoughts or new information out there that I should be aware of?
Thanks for any input

Tory, Hrudey and Frank's Momma

Heart Still Hurting

Hi to my old friends, I haven't checked in lately but I feel I must talk about these feelings, we lost my beloved boy on Christmas morning, and lately have been talking about getting another buddy and happen to live in Boulder Co just moved, which happens to be the dog capital of the world, more dogs than people because most people have two, I am so happy about this but I have seen a few old buddies limping along on walks and my heart just breaks, wondering how can you go down that road again with another one, their lives are so short, plus I am kissing and hugging all the doggies that people walk to my daughters school, whether I respond to their owner or not, I am the crazy dog lady now...I can almost not write this message right now, my heart hurts so much...plus everyone has a golden retriever here...so wonderful but so painful...when will the pain go away, maybe never really....I miss my guy so much. We just moved here and with all the stress I keep looking at photos of my old friend Hrudey saying, if only you were here I could handle all this, how can I handle life without him...obviously I am going on but not in a good way, not like the old days...anyway just throwing this out there for ideas, support or just someone to listen...thanks as always, Much Love, Hrudey's Momma

Another Christmas Angel

I lost my boy Hrudey, a red golden retriever, (pronounced Rudy) on Christmas morning as well... he was 14 1/2 years old, a blessing to have him for so long, he had cancer (hemangiosarcoma) when he was 9, and thru surgery recovered and obviously lived much longer than expected..yeah for that I am so grateful, he was my baby, our first child, completely spoiled, and sweet as the days are long, very dependent, my absolute shadow. He would come and give you a kiss after eating his dinner, a thank you!! We didn't know the cancer came back, probably didn't see the signs but really he was his usual self up the the weekend before Christmas, slowed by arthritis and being a senior but no other obvious signs, we went to our weekend home in the mountains, his favorite place, to swim and walk, and have freedom not allowed in the city, his health started to fail, poor appet*ite, weakness, but Sunday night he stopped drinking and was breathing very hard, we took him to an emergency vet the next morning, Thank goodness they were available, on Christmas morning and got the news we knew already, soo hard, I stayed with him, my husband could not, and held him, he went very peacefully. Watching the suffering the night before was so much harder than the final act, I was never so grateful to see the doctor that morning, they were very nice to us. Leaving him was the hardest thing I've done, as he usually comes home with me, over the years. I am so thankful to have found a place on this website to share my pain, my boy, my pal, my buddy...seems so strange, I am looking for him everywhere, I light a candle for him everynight and I tell him that we will be together again.....It's like a chapter in my life is over, and I don't want it to end...Thanks for listening out there!! You are all such special people, you understand. Much Love to you all, Tory