Too Young To Leave Her Sweet Life, when a young beloved pet dies Options

[joyo]

Many years ago, when our sons were still at home, I saw a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. I had never seen such a beautiful face and tghe owner told me about the sweet dispositions and charms that come with the breed. I knew we would have one someday.

That day was less than 4 years ago, when Anna literally flew into our hearts, arriving by airplane. She was so excited to see us and get out of the crate she flew on. We were overjoyed to welcome her. Arriving from So. Dakota in the winter, she had never experienced the grass we had in PA. It was funny watching her jump in the air over the strange sensation on her little paws.

Anna came into the lives of my husband and myself when both sons had graduated from college and left home. She even attended our younger son's graduation. Because of "empty-nest" syndrome and her sweet, gentle personality (with a few crazy quirks) she quickly became our baby, even more than some previous well loved dogs.

We took her everywhere and found hotels that accept pets when we traveled. She loved the car and would grab a toy to carry in her mouth and bring with her on car rides.

She loved to eat and barked and twirled on the kitchen floor when we said, "do you want to eat?"

She was a great registered therapy dog on an adolescent behavioral unit and we could see kids calm down just petting her and she sat in their laps and "kissed" them.

But 3 weeks ago, at age 4, she vomited, stopped eating and became too quiet. We took her to our local vet who told us she had fluid around her lungs and in her abdominal cavity. We then took her the U of PA vet Hospital. There she was first diagnosed with Inflammatory Bowel Disease and put on steroids and hypo-allergenic diet. At first she did well and was almost her old self, except for not really being excited about the flavorless food. But a few days ago she started the original symptoms all over again and this time, after multitudes of tests, she was diagnosed with untreatable bowel cancer.

We were and still are devastated. The staff were wonderful and we held Anna on our laps and she licked our faces one more time before her peaceful end of life drugs were given.

We're experiencing waves of grief that wash over us painfully. I can;t believe she is no longer part of our lives. Her tracks in the snow in our back yard are still there. the last toy she brought to my car is still there. Towels i used to dry her after her bath are still by the tub, along with her shampoo.

But there's no wag of a gorgeous plume of a tail in the glass door when we drive up the driveway. there's no click clack of nails on the wood floor. Her beautiful beautiful face resides only in our hearts and memories and pictures. There's no Anna to take on trips and visit our sons. There's no Anna to walk in the park and greet other dogs and owners.

Our hearts are truly broken and will take long to heal.

She was much too young and our time with her was way too short. I know she knew we loved her and she sure loved us. I just want her back.

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[Gretta's Mom]

Good Morning Yoyo's mom

Thank you so much for the honor of adding me as your friend. I hope something in my message comforted you in some tiny way. The homegoing of a soulmate is one of the saddest experiences this side of heaven and it takes a LONG time to become functional again. Some people say that eventually the grief is replaced by fond and happy memories of times you shared together. I think that's true for some people but maybe not for others. After three years, I'm still in grief about Gretta and after coming up on a year I'm in some pretty deep sadness about Rufus, too.

But like the experiences we have with the people we love in life, in the end we will be separated for a while. I have found that if I keep my mind and heart fixed on the fact that my fur-babies ARE alive and that they are well and perfectly contented and that they can see and hear me even though I can't see and hear them, and that one day we will all be reunited in the Perfect World and led by the Good Shepherd in that world, I am sustained somewhat.

This month I am retiring and moving to the East Coast to live with my sister who is so sick. When I was packing up my "stuff" I came to Gretta and Rufus's stand where they ate and drank - and I just couldn't let it go. After a good cry, I decided, "Well, it's MY stuff and MY heart and I'm paying for stuff to be moved, so I'M GOING TO TAKE IT WITH ME as a link to their lives".

What a BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL dog Yoyo is! I'm glad you figured out how to post pictures. King Charles's are special - they have EXACTLY the face the says LOVE on it. And whenever you see something swishing in the breeze, be it a giant feather, seaweed in the ocean or the tail of a dog or cat, you will know that Yoyo is sending you as sign that she loves you.

LIke you, I gave my left-over meds to the U of M hospital and my left-over dog food to the rescue organization from which I had adopted Gretta and Rufus. When I decided to move, I gave the world's biggest dog crate (which Gretta had used once and had almost had a heart attack from fright) to another organization that rescues big dogs. I'm taking their big orthopedic bed with me and if I have to, I'll sleep on it myself - like I did for more than a week after Gretta passed.

One of these days, when I think your heart will be able to stand it, I'll share wiith you a poem that one of my friends here on LS, Love My Mickey, wrote to console me after Rufus's homegoing - which he had to do all alone and for which I'll feel sad until I can see him again.

One hour at a time, my friend, and many of those hours will be with a lump in your throat and tears in your eyes. But do you know something I discovered during that time? That every dog lover, every ANIMAL lover, everyone who shard a soul with an animal, knew what I was going through and conforted me. Those who really love you will stand by you and comfort you even if they don't understand what you're going through. Those are your true friends. Cherish them. They will never leave you - and neither will the Unbelievable YOYO!

I'll catch up with you later this evening or tomorrow.

Rufus and Gretta send their love and want to ask you if they can be YOYO's adopted cousins even though they're so much bigger than she is.

Until then .....

Gretta and Rufus's mom

[joyo]

Good Morning Yoyo's mom

Thank you so much for the honor of adding me as your friend. I hope something in my message comforted you in some tiny way. The homegoing of a soulmate is one of the saddest experiences this side of heaven and it takes a LONG time to become functional again. Some people say that eventually the grief is replaced by fond and happy memories of times you shared together. I think that's true for some people but maybe not for others. After three years, I'm still in grief about Gretta and after coming up on a year I'm in some pretty deep sadness about Rufus, too.

But like the experiences we have with the people we love in life, in the end we will be separated for a while. I have found that if I keep my mind and heart fixed on the fact that my fur-babies ARE alive and that they are well and perfectly contented and that they can see and hear me even though I can't see and hear them, and that one day we will all be reunited in the Perfect World and led by the Good Shepherd in that world, I am sustained somewhat.

This month I am retiring and moving to the East Coast to live with my sister who is so sick. When I was packing up my "stuff" I came to Gretta and Rufus's stand where they ate and drank - and I just couldn't let it go. After a good cry, I decided, "Well, it's MY stuff and MY heart and I'm paying for stuff to be moved, so I'M GOING TO TAKE IT WITH ME as a link to their lives".

What a BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL dog Yoyo is! I'm glad you figured out how to post pictures. King Charles's are special - they have EXACTLY the face the says LOVE on it. And whenever you see something swishing in the breeze, be it a giant feather, seaweed in the ocean or the tail of a dog or cat, you will know that Yoyo is sending you as sign that she loves you.







LIke you, I gave my left-over meds to the U of M hospital and my left-over dog food to the rescue organization from which I had adopted Gretta and Rufus. When I decided to move, I gave the world's biggest dog crate (which Gretta had used once and had almost had a heart attack from fright) to another organization that rescues big dogs. I'm taking their big orthopedic bed with me and if I have to, I'll sleep on it myself - like I did for more than a week after Gretta passed.

One of these days, when I think your heart will be able to stand it, I'll share wiith you a poem that one of my friends here on LS, Love My Mickey, wrote to console me after Rufus's homegoing - which he had to do all alone and for which I'll feel sad until I can see him again.

One hour at a time, my friend, and many of those hours will be with a lump in your throat and tears in your eyes. But do you know something I discovered during that time? That every dog lover, every ANIMAL lover, everyone who shard a soul with an animal, knew what I was going through and conforted me. Those who really love you will stand by you and comfort you even if they don't understand what you're going through. Those are your true friends. Cherish them. They will never leave you - and neither will the Unbelievable YOYO!

I'll catch up with you later this evening or tomorrow.

Rufus and Gretta send their love and want to ask you if they can be YOYO's adopted cousins even though they're so much bigger than she is.

Until then .....

Gretta and Rufus's mom

Dear Gretta and Rufus's mom. I have returned from lunch and wanted to say more for you are so very kind and thoughtful and understanding. I'm glad you are taking the bowls with you. Yes, they are important to you and help keep memories of Gretta and Rufus tangible. What you say and what you do is very comforting to me. Anna is such a part of my husband's and my fabric and I know you understand that. I was telling moon beam that Anna helped me when i was wondering aimlessly through a Marshall's store after lunch. Something about me made strangers reach out and talk with me in friendly ways. then I spied journal books in the checkout line and Anna helped me pick one out so I could write to her about what I am feeling and my memories of her. thank you again so very much. I wish you well in your move and you are so very kind to move to help your sister. your are an extraordinary person. We are blessed to have you in our lives.