We Lost Our Puppy Today Options

[mindy]

It's 4:30 a.m. and I can't sleep. I'm not sure what will help but maybe writing about the day will offer some comfort. My 15 yr old daughter decided to get a puppy instead of a newer car (she is about to get her license). We agreed and found the most beautiful and precious peke-pom mix puppy and took her home on July 1st. She named her Duchess and took care of her like a little mama. She loved that puppy!! This morning she was so proud of Duchess because she didn't whine last night in her crate at all. She was sleeping in my daughter's room. I was so happy for her and the whole family, including a 3 yr old mix dog we have named Trixie, loved little Duchess. Today was my 7 yr old daughter's b-day. She had the puppy outside and in a freak accident, tripped over the leash while Duchess was running and the puppy's neck snapped. I saw it happen and really came unglued. It was horrible. My 15 yr old ran upstairs and held Duchess while we tried to get to the emergency hospital but Duchess died in her arms on the way there. There was nothing we could do. Everyone is devastated. My 15 yr old can't stop crying and I am so worried for her because she has had some problems with depression in the past. And my 7 yr old! She is feeling so guilty and we are reassuring her but she is little and doesn't understand how accidents happen and it was her birthday!! This is all so awful I can't think about anything else. We do have a counselor we see for my daughter and we will see her on Tues. We only had Duchess for a week and a half, but she fit into our family like she was always there and we miss her so much. I feel so bad for my daughters. Please pray for us. This is so incredibly hard. I have never seen anything pass away right before me. It's just heart wrenching. In my head I know we will recover but my heart is broken and I can barely keep myself together for my kids. Thanks for listening.

[mindy]

Well it's 4:00 a.m. again and sleep is not coming easy. Today was a little better, gave me some hope that we will get beyond this. My 15 yr old, however, is really suffering. We see the counselor in the morning and I'm sure she will help. The other thing is that we couldn't decide what to do with Duchess. We dug a hole in the backyard but found out it isn't legal to bury her in city limits. But besides that, if we move she would still be here. So we investigated cremation and talked to my daughter about what she wanted. She had trouble deciding and so did I but she finally said she wants to cremate her so she can stay with her. So we will go to the funeral home tomorrow. I think we will have a ceremony before we go (I'm not sure my daughter wants to actually go to the home) and I told my kids they could write something or draw a picture and put it in the box with Duchess. I am praying that this will give some needed closure. My 7 yr old seems to be doing pretty well. She's had some helpful distraction with friends and activities. My 10 yr old daughter is handling it fairly well and my 18 yr old son grieved for a bit and now seems to be over it. My husband is also not as affected. He loved the little puppy but did not develop the same bond and also has his work responsibilities to consider and has moved on. I think he is having some trouble understanding our continued grief but he is trying. I can't tell you all how much your responses have helped me. I have been astounded at my own intense grief and difficulty with this. I did not function very well today. But, I did feel somewhat better and I am hoping each day brings a little more relief. I know I will never forget little Duchess and her loss is a permanent part of our family history now. But I know we will survive and be stronger for it. We have talked about getting another puppy. I know there are different schools of thought on this. I would be interested to know what some of you think. I want my 15 yr old to be able to know that she can love again and not be scared. She is so upset. I am just trying to comfort her and allow her to grieve in her own way. She has attached herself to our other dog, Trixie, who has been a source of comfort for her. Thank you again for your kind words and advice. It has really been a comfort to me. God bless all of you.