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[Linda]

Hello everyone. I just wanted to introduce myself. My name is Linda and I just lost my sweet little mini-dachshund named "Baby" after 14yrs together. I've been so depressed for the last few days. My friends and even some family members make me feel as if I'm crazy for crying over my dog, so I just hold it in all day long until I go to bed at night and cry myself to sleep. I lost her less than one week now.
So, I'm really not crazy! There are other people out there like me who love their pets (babies) as much as I do.
You all have really brightened my day!! I'm so glad I stumbled across this site.

A very big thank you,

Linda

[CheriAnn]

Hello Linda, and welcome!

I am so sorry that you had the need to find this board, but so glad you did find us. I lost my precious Rachael 7 weeks ago, and I honestly don't think I would have coped as well without all the wonderful support and advice from these very warm caring people.

The picture of your sweet little Baby is just adorable.
Fourteen years together is a LONG time! Your friends and few family members should certainly understand. Unfortunately, there are still so many people that don't understand. Our furbabies gave us such loyal devotion and love that many times the bonds are even stronger than we establish in our "human" relationships. I can't tell you how many times I have read in here about the greiving being worse than when someone lost a "human". I know I have cried and grieved more over the loss of my Rachael than I have for any person. Gee, seeing that written out looks terrible, yet it is usually so true.

Please come visit here often and cry some healing tears and write out your feelings. We all understand! Most of us have become experts at typing through tears.

Cheri

[Pamela]

That is the truth Cheri, I am so glad I found this link, it has been a life line for me.... although there are some heart breaking stories here we all come together because we either have lost our furbabies or are in the process of saying goodbye. I lost my blk lab Moose of 9yrs on Oct. 15 it was a bad scene, he was hit by a car and it broke his back. That was 5wks and one day ago, I have cried everyday since, he was my closest friend, my child, my companion. I have been just trying to get used to him not being here which is the hardest thing for me to do. The first week I dont remeber much,,,I do remeber driving down the road and screaming from the inner depths of my soul "Please dear God, Not my Moose" my pain came out of me in a heart wrenching scream. I promise you there are some wonderful people out here that know your pain. We can only try and help each other through it, with heavey hearts we are here. Pamela

[Ann H]

Hi Linda,
I am so sorry for the loss of your Baby. I have some family that know how horrible the loss is and some that feel you should move on. You are not crazy by any means. I have been crying since Feb. when I was told my Snookie is going to die and to make it worse my grand child fur baby died just over a week ago. We all understand how you feel, keep coming and tell us more.
Ann

[Gort]

Hi Linda and welcome.

I'm so sorry about Baby. You're not alone in your suffering and you aren't crazy.

People can be insensitive and ignorant... I was one of those people once. A friend at work lost her long time dog and was terribly saddened by it. I didn't know what grief could be. At the time, my dog Ava was only about 10 and still healthy and fit. I remember thinking (never said out loud) at the time "it's only a dog, get over it". I had no concept of the pain and suffering we go through when our beloved animal companions go over the Rainbow Bridge. I had never said anything to my friend other than "I'm sorry about your dog, now can you find this file, it doesn't seem to be where it should be."

Ava left on her own time table and I didn't have to decide so I didn't have any guilt in that regard, but my thoughts of when my friend at work when she lost her dog came back to me in a big way... I had to phone her and apologize for even thinking what I had thought. We had a good conversation for about an hour, I felt so much better afterwards.

As far as the intenisty, my own life's experiences has been that I've lost both my parents, mom in '81 and my dad in '98. My brother was killed in a motorcycle accident in '84. If I combined the grief I can recall* for all of them, it doesn't even begin to compare. It's been 11 weeks and altho I don't cry every day anymore, I know I have shed more tears over my dog than the rest of my family.

*with the passage of time, we will not forget the pain, but it will be severly diminished. It's sort of like 'maternal amnesia' where birthing pains are forgotten. Imagine where the human race (or any other animal for that matter) would be if women remembered the excrutiating pain of child birth.

Seems to me, we cause pain to someone being brought into the world, we cause pain to other people when we leave. Our buddies only hurt us when they leave.

[Kristie]

Hi Linda,

I just wanted to say 'welcome' and I'm so very sorry for your loss. Baby's picture is beautiful....what a cutie! I lost my little one of 15 years not long ago. It was a long time we spent together, but not long enough in the end, I know.

Just to reiterate what others have said...you are not crazy and you are absolutely not alone. You have found a great place to come...everyone here knows how you feel and are a great support when you are feeling down. You are in great company here, come often.

Take care and hang in there,
Kristie

[J T]

Linda, so sorry to hear of your loss. A lot of people don't understand the attachments we have to our smallest family members. You're definitely not alone in the way you feel. I lost my Misty 25 days ago and still cry every day.

[jan]

Oh, Linda - I'm so sorry you lost Baby.

What a beautiful picture (your avatar). Lean on us - we've all been through this and we help each other in our grief.

I'm so sorry about Baby but I hope you do find some solace here.

Jan

[Linda]

What a wonderful welcome! Thank you, all of you, very much! I just HATE that I am HERE to begin with, but it seems that I have found a GREAT bunch of caring people. I want to say how sorry I am to everyone for their loss, and for their ill babies. It's taking me a little while to get up to date on the posts here. There are a bunch of them to read and half the time I start to cry after reading them. I've been a blubbering-mess this week. My husband and I work opposite shifts so I am alone most of the time. Baby was always here with me, now that she's gone I've been so lonely. I didn't realize how much I talked to her. Oh, I miss that little girl! Thanks again for the welcome!
Linda

[Muffins]

Hi Linda:

Welcome to Lightning-Strike...... I am terribly sorry over the loss of your precious lil' "Baby"..... Your sweet girl was
absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!!!

When new people come aboard here, I must say that "although I am very, very sad that you have found a need to find
a pet-grief site....................that, I am extremely happy that somehow you have found your way here, to LS.....

You are sooooooooooooo very, very early in the grieving stages, Linda........ Everything is so very RAW!!!! And, it
hurts more than hell, I remember that pain.......ONLY TOO WELL!!!!!!!

After losing our precious girl, Ernestine, in February, 2004..........I LOST MY WORLD!!!! Everything collapsed!! If it weren't for my husband, Ben..........and this amazing site, I'm not sure where I would be.....

Yes..........I was soo very grateful to have Ernie for 19 years and 10 months..... By anyone's standards, "THAT'S A LONG TIME, YOU SHOULD BE HAPPY"................
But, the relationship that Ernie and I shared........

I fell deeply in love with her the moment I set eyes on her, when she was just 6 weeks old......
A tortoiseshell calico, with big huge double paws....
Forty years isn't long enough..............

But, yet..............I am grateful, and I always will be............

You will never be alone, you have us....and, someone is always here................
Whether, right on site, or through a personal message or e-mail.....

Please.............read through all of our posts...........(as many as you can --- just to see how we all "get through" this
awful pain.......)
But, please don't feel like you have to read all of them at once.....
It's like an "overload of information".....

The amazing thing about this site is that............No matter "how much pain you are in"...........you will find yourself
helping others...........even in your own grief........
It is strange, but true.....

We all have learned how to type while crying our eyes out......(I thank my mom for "making me" take a typing course in
the 10th grade....) It surely has come in handy!!!!!!

Every single person here has been instrumental in my healing.......There is no question there.... I will always and
forever be grateful to everyone!!!!!!

But, please, share you story, your tears, and know that we will all be here to catch you when you feel like falling.....

God Bless you....

Love, Denise