Hello, I just joined the forum, I had to put my beautiful chocolate lab down on Monday. I just have started feeling a little better, but I have my moments. The last 5 days have been really tougher than even human relatives dying. I finally left my house (after staying at my moms on monday night) and am going to pick my girlfiend up from the airport. I will probably not be on here too much this weekend, but wanted to say "Hi" and hope I can talk with some nice people when Im not having such a great moment. He was truely a gift from God, and the house is very quiet. : (.

Hi, Cappy, please permit me to offer you my sincerest sympathies in the physical loss of your beloved Captain. Losing a beloved companion is never easy regardless of the circumstances or how long we are blessed with the privilege of their company.

"The last 5 days have been really tougher than even human relatives dying."

Clinical professionals now recognize that the physical loss of a beloved companion is as devastating, if not more so, as the physical loss of a human family member or friend. Our precious companions give to us their unconditional love and undivided attention, and in turn, we surrender ourselves to them without reservation. This is one of the many reasons why it is so very painful - - both emotionally and physically - - when they precede us to the angels.

This grief journey is one of adjustment to the physical absence of our beloved companions. There is no way we can ever "move on" or "get over" them - - or even find "closure." These terms were developed in the very early beginnings of hospice in this country, and in my opinion, are very inaccurate. The love bond we share with our beloved companions is eternal - - it is not restricted to the physical laws of time and space. While our earthly journey continues, our beloved companions also continue to share our journey just as they always have and always will - - for they are always a part of us - - they are always a heartbeat close to us.

Cappy, this grief adjustment journey has many emotions of ups and downs, twists and turns, and turnarounds. It is frequently referred to as a "horror roller coaster ride." Please know you are among friends here who truly do understand what you are going through, and we are here for you for as long and as often as you need us.

Thank you so much for sharing your beloved Captain with us. Perhaps sometime you will feel up to posting picture(s) of him - - but only if / when you are ready. Please know you are in my thoughts and prayers, Cappy, and look forward to knowing how you're doing whenever possible.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

thank you so much for your kind words. The mornings are very hard because, he always woke me up at 7 to eat (unless he was under the covers due to it being cold). I still wake up at that time and realize he is gone. I will try and upload a pic.

Dear Cappy, I am so sorry for your loss - I too had to make the hardest decision for my girl cat Mischief, it was definitely harder than any human i have lost (even my grandfather who i loved dearly), we have such defined and clear love with our furry souls, much easier than messy human minds - unconditional and uncomplicated. I had a real routine with Mischief, it's so hard adjusting your life around their absence...my heart goes out to you...hope you find a moment of peace today, leejaye

Dear Cappy

My heart goes out to you on the passing of your beautiful chocolate lab. It touches me deeply since I had to say good bye to my Gretta, the kindest choloclate lab who ever lived. Chocolates have special souls. Even their names are delicious. Don't even try to process anything for at least a couple of weeks. This is the shot-in-the-heart period - you've been shot in the heart with a high powered rifle and you're bleeding all over the place. It seems like you can't do anything but sit and take it. I'll tell my Gretta to hustle over to you choco and make special friends with him in the Perfect World. Like is an empty place, a hollow place without our big babies to wake us up, walk with us, sleep in the carpet always near us. We have so much love to give and now there is no place to give it. Out arms and hearts are empty. Don't be surprised if you next move on to the "robot walk" period. Walking through the "must do's" of like like a zombie. Your heart is telling you not to even try to "deal with it", to preserve appearances as much as you can in order to keep the physical parts of your life going. After a while - maybe a long while - you settle in for what I'm beginning to think is a lifetime experience of carrying a concrete block on your heart. I'm truly sorry for the suffering and grief you're going through, my friend. The only consoluations are that, from you writing, I can tell you were the BEST pet parent there ever was and that you daddy's love created a coconn of safety, stress-free, safe place for your choco, so even though he may have had bad and sick times, the love of a dad made his heart calm and he know he would be loved until the last day of time. My wownderful vet told me after Gretta passed that, "She's in a safe plac enow." and those words have stuck with me - even though they make be cry every time to think of them.

You've come to the right place, Cappy. We're a family of loving (and sane) people who have had the blessing of an extraordinary love with a special soul-mate animal and are now separated from them temporarily = and feeling the horrible pain of that. Please write often to let us know how your grief journey is going (or not) - every one of us will understand. Alone, we're just strraws in the wind, easlity blown about and broken, but together, as we hold each other up in time of despair, we are strong.

My condoleneces, my friend, for the passing (disappearnace, actually) of your darling chocolate and for the roller coaster of horror that you've had to get on. Remember, you've got a LOT of company of friends who care for and about you.

Gretta's mom

Hi, Cappy, thank you so very much for sharing with us how you're doing, and for sharing your wonderful Captain with us. He is a handsome fellow.

Right now you are in an adjustment journey of "firsts" - - the first moment, the first hour, the first day, the first week, the first month, the first holiday, the first anniversary - - and on and on and on -- where your beloved Captain will be sharing your routines and accomplishments and disappointments and special events with his sweet Living Spirit close to you. And this is a very difficult adjustment - - both physically and emotionally. We live in a physically oriented world - -sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell. We become so emotionally - - and physically - - accustomed to the physical closeness of our companions during their earthly journey that we simply cannot imagine our lives without with them. And then -- we are faced with the "reality" of the deepest grief we will know on this side of eternity.

The good news is that the love bond we share with our companions during their earthly journey with us is eternal. We are forever blessed with the presence of their sweet Living Spirit continuing to share our earthly journey just as they always have and always will. For us, though, this is a very difficult transition to make but as always - - our beloved companions are forever patient and continue to encourage us as we travel our adjustment journey.

And each of us are here with you to help you through the difficult times, to share with you the not so bad times, and to embrace you with our collective and individual comfort and strength when you are feeling the deepest depths of grief that we never knew was possible.

Cappy, thank you so very much for sharing your beloved Captain with us. I hope today is treating you kindly. Please know you are in my thoughts and prayers, and look forward to knowing how you're doing and to sharing your treasured memories of your beloved Captain.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Thank You so much.

Dear Cappy

Just wanted to stop by and see how your heart is doing today. Two things for sure:
Love is forever - in both directions. Sometimes an animal, no matter how living, is a spcial friend forever. But sometimes, and I can tell you're one of us, there is an animal who is really us - we're made of the same "stuff". And that spirit-animal has sought through the entire universe to find his or her "other half." Imagine that - all those billions of people! When s/he finds us, s/he puts himself in our path so we will see him (or her, of course). In the most unexpected of times and places, we meet - and the sudden rush of love tells both of us that we have found the being who is carrying a part of our soul. The pieeces lock inot place and we have a miracle life.

Whoever created the universe saw fit to make animal lives shorter than human lives, and so this miracle comes to and end - we think! But It's NOT SO! Our soul-mate has simply disappeared from view, from our sensory world, and gone back to where they came from - the Perfect World. In the words of my vet, the kindest and most caring AND most scientific person alive, "She's in a safe place now." They can see us, hear us, walk with us ... everything they did while we were together on earth. We just can't - and so we declare what we can't sense, not true. NOT TRUE!! Our spirit animals are just a breath away. One author said, "his head is in your hand, just like always." They can heear our words, see our tears - and - as always, they speak "Universal" so they CAN understand us. Best of all, they love and are loved by us - EXACTLY as always.

In these days of searing sorrow, the Captain is there beside you, guiding your steps just as he always did - from the beginning of time. He is wrapped in that most protective cocoon of all - a mother's love - just as always. When you need him call his name. It's like a beautiful song in his heavenly ears. And, Cappy, everyone's grief journey is unique. No one's is exactly the same as anyone else's. We are here for you no matter what - day and night (and sometimes nights are the hardest). Rest completely assured, though, that you and your Captain WILL be reunited in the perfect World.

Have the best day possible,

Gretta's mom

Dear GM,

Thank you for your nice words, I had a pretty good afternoon yesterday after a tough morning. My girlfriend is here (she's here half the month) this weekend. She loved Cappy too and she has been really supportive. Everything was good until the light went out, and I just hoped he was somewhere and happy, and that we would see each other again. I keep telling myself he's in a good place but it is hard. I grew up in the Catholic church and of course they say that animals have no soul and they just dissappear at death. I refuse to believe that because Ive looked into his eyes many times and knows he has the most kindest, gentle soul ever. The morning around 7 is horrible as usual when I wake up to realize he is not here or where I know he is. I hope the day goes better, I just miss him so much, here is a photo of a strong healthy dog just a few months before the tumors started in his nose. Here he is doing his most favorite thing boating and going crazy playing on The Sandbar.

Dear Cappy.....I am so sorry for your loss of Cappy. He is such a beautiful dog. Looks like he was having fun in that picture......I don't know when a person starts to feel better. I have my good days and bad days. It has been 7 months since we lost Mickey and I still get tears every day. I still haven't put all his things away.....I hope you start having more good days than bad.......You are in my thoughts and prayers.....God Bless..

LoveMyMickey

Thanks Mikey,

It is strange Saturday afternoon I was ok, and then all day Sunday I was miserable. This morning Im ok. My girlfriend leaves for work today untill Friday so I hope things stay positive. Thanks for writing, I will be on the site I think a lot this week.
Cappy

Mickey is a cute little thing, I hope you have good days too and remeber the joy he brought you. I hope this get easier.

Dear Cappy

Thank you for the wonderful pictures of your beautiful chocolate Captain. Like you, I grew up in the VERY Catholic church - with their views that animals don't ahve souls, they don't go to heaven, etc. etc. If , you go back, I think most of that stuff was thought up by MAN, smart theologians like Thomas Aquinas and his Uncaused Causer, etc. I'm even more of a believer in God - and I believe that God does love animals, they DO have souls, and we WILL be reunited with them in the Perfect World. My vet is not God, certainly, but he IS one of the most caring - and scientific - people on earth and his words - after giving me some big, big hugs, were. "She's in a safe place now." That's my story an I'm sticking with it!!

Gretta's got a new friend now who looks just like her - what a pair!

Cappy - you've got a long road ahead of you. When you've shared a love with a spirit-animal like Cappy, his going back to where he came from means you can't see or hear or touch him - for a while. And that HURTS!!!!!!!!! Whatever you have to do - do it! Everyone's grieving is different, yet somehow it's all the same. It's being shot in the heart and bleeding all over. Then it's the "zombie-walk" where we robot our way through the external of life even though we're truly not present. In a way, that's good, because it keeps us doing SOMETHING besides curling up in a ball and weeping 24 hours a day - which would be our first choice!

Gretta is the first dog I had as an adult. I gazed into her beautiful soulful eyes SO many times. I love her with everything I have - and more. And she loves me even MORE than that. It's been 5 months since she went home - and this gried journey has been MUCH worse than I ever thought it would be. Moon Beam on this site calls it the roller coaster of horrors. (I have an even more unkind name for it.) Let's join hands and make a Chocolate Lab admiration team!

Please tell me more about Mr Captain. When did she come to you? How old was she when she went home? What were his favorite things to do? Was he - like Gretta - a food vacuum - or more like a food radar? What were his favorite toys? Did he know how to play?

I'll tell you some things about Gretta, too. (But this Robot has to get going to work right now.)

Cappy, I think you were sent by an angel. Another Chocolate parent! Thank you more than I can say. (And don't let a 14th century (?) guy in a tunic and leggings get in the way of your heart. The heart knows. And .... one things we DO know Tom A definitely did NOT have a chocolate lab - 'cuz they don't bite when people say goofy things!)

God bless you and Mr captain.

Gretta's mom

Hi Gretta's Mom,

The Captain came into my life in 2002, I was going through some relationship problems and my mom suggest I get a dog.

She then found one in the paper for me to go look at. I drove about a half hour south and met with a family of a mom, dad, 2 kids and 3 dogs one of them being Cappy. I looked at him, played with him a bit, and saw how he played with the other dogs and kids. He was the first dog I looked at! They had bought him from a breeder and realised they a bit off more than they could chew. So, I went to the bank and took him home!

We went to my friends to show him and stayed for a few hours while his wife's Rotti chased him all over, but The Captain was smart and to avoid him being the water dog he is jumped in the decrotive pond and swam around happily where big dummy couldnt get him.

I then took him home, washed him off, dryed him and got into bed. He immediately put his 2 front paws up on the bed (he did that at the end too, because he was too weak to jump up anymore: ( ) and I pulled him up and he layed right next to me and we went to sleep.

I have to get to work too, but thanks for writing. Boating and fishing were his favorite things here's another picture. Ill tell you more later. : )

Cappy

So sorry for your loss. Looks like he really enjoyed boating! What a sweetie he was.

Thank you Cappy! I like the boat picture. "The Captain" is truly the captain there. That brought a smile when I read where Cappy got in the water to get away from the Rotti. Looks like you and Cappy were friends right away with him wanting to get on the bed with you.......That's the way Mickey was, he jumped in a chair right away and then jumped on the bed to be with us. We got him from an older couple when he was almost 5 yrs. old.

Cappy, I hope your week stays positive and remember the fun times you had with your soulmate. Yes, I believe they are our soulmates and they are in Heaven's Beautiful Garden (as moon_beam would say), or the Rainbow Bridge, or The Perfect World ( as Gretta's Mom would say)....God Bless..

LoveMyMickey

Oh my, your Cappy is sooooo handsome. I just want to reach out and pet him Also, you can just tell what a wonderful, happy, life you gave him -- you can see the happiness and the love radiating from his eyes and smile. And looking at those eyes makes me believe with 100% certainty that he does have a soul -- a beautiful loving soul, a part of which remains with you, always. I truly believe we will be reunited with them again one day.

I'm so sorry that he had to physically leave this world. Please, just take things one day at a time. We're here to listen, always.

Cheryl x

Hi, Cappy, thank you so much for sharing with us how you're doing and for these wonderful pictures of your beloved Captain. I'm smiling about his first adoptive family who felt they had "bit off more than they could chew." Youngsters are a handful for sure, and Chocolates have a tendency to be even more hyper than the Black and Yellow / Blonde Labs.

Your beloved Captain exudes the eternal love you shared with him during his earthly journey, and continue to share with him, Cappy. Love is eternal, - - it is not limited to the physical laws of time and space. Your beloved Captain's sweet Living Spirit continues to share your earthly journey just as he always has and always will - - for he is forever in your heart and your memories, - - he is always a heartbeat close to you.

I hope today is treating you kindly, Cappy. Thank you again so much for sharing your beloved Captain with us, and your special cherished memories. Please know you are in my thoughts and prayers, Cappy, and look forward to knowing how you're doing.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Thank You all on this site, you are all so kind and compasionate. I'm having a fairly good day today hope you are all having great ones. Thanks again for the wonderful words of encouragement and hope. I'm glad I joined.

Here is a funny picture that I hope will brighten your days. The Captain liked to wear clothes, he didnt try and take them off or complain when I was putting them on. I think he thought he was important (He was!) when he wore them. Here he is smiling away, I miss him so much.