A bit Off Topic but heavy on my mind.

[irisheileen]

When we went to Alaska for two weeks this August, I worried that our 13.5 year old Black Lab might pass away while we were gone, as she had been showing her age. She was fine when we returned. We're cruising to the Carribean this December and I'd already thought ahead of her care.

 

I'm sad because we had to put Jasmine to sleep today. We won't have to worry about her while away, but we won't HAVE her to worry about.

 

I guess we all post to each other about our mutual vacation itineraries but we never know what goes on behind the scenes in our homes. I guess that's good because we get to daydream together about the good things in life.

 

Jasmine followed me around the house every minute, and was ALWAYS curled up by my desk chair as I've posted on this board. I miss her tonight.

 

Just felt like sharing.

Eileen

[irisheileen]

What does everybody do with their pets while on vacation? I know that Jasmine missed us whenever we went away. She hated Kennels but sometimes family wasn't available.

Eileen

[Toyz711]

for the 1st time in my life i have been pet-less for a year now. while i miss them with all my heart..and my heart goes out to you. it's nice to know i don't have to worry about them any more (2 cats - one 16 years with kidney failure and the last one 21 years old) i had slept with a fuzzy body next to me for over 25 years. (between the DH and me)

grab a stuffed animal, hug it tight, say your prayers and have a good cry. then remember you did everything you could.

[celle]

Oh Eileen,

 

My deepest sympathy goes to you.

 

I know how we worried about our old golden retriever, Jess, and how we grieved for her when it was finally time to let her go.

 

Three years on, we still have sad moments, for she was part of our life, but we mostly remember how wonderful she was, and what a great member of our family.

 

I do hope that your sadness now can move on to memories of the happier times.

 

Hugs,

 

Celle

[caribbean dreams]

I feel your pain, I had to just put my husky to sleep, she was the best big dog i have ever had, my DH works the grave yard shift so she would portect me all night long. when we would leave on vacartion we would make sure that if a family member could not come and keep her company each day, we would have neighbors do it. She would always be so excited when we arrived home.

I would really love to get another large dog but i know there will never be another dog as good as Maddie.

[doglover44]

From a lab lover and also one who has lost a very special lab just this year (raised for guide dogs for the blind), my heart hurts for you. I am lucky enough to still have my other wonderful 12yr old yellow lab and everyday I'm grateful she is still with us. My husband, children and I will be very crushed when she goes. We try and bring her with us as much as we can (we have a cabin at Lake Coeur D'Alene that she loves!), although I'm wondering too what I'm going to do when we cruise the caribbean in December. I usually have someone I know come to the house - I feel better and she's a lot happier than being in a kennel that way.

 

My thoughts are with you right now - I know how much it hurts.

 

lisa

[CassCruise]

Oh Eileen I am SO sorry - we had a similar worry when we went to Alaska in September - except we were gone for close on to 5 weeks - my old girl who is a young thing at 12 even had to have surgery the Monday before we left and I too worried about her constantly - as she is almost blind I am her seeing eye "person" and she spends her life devoted to me and following me to ensure my feet are always warm!!! Thankfully when we got home she was as bright as a button - she's too old to go to the kennels these days so we have a great young girl come and dogsit! But already I am worrying about her next year when we again will be away for 5 weeks - I didn't think I would think this way but reading your post I certainly hope I DO have that worry again next year - again all I can say from one dog mum to another is I can understand and feel for you!

 

Jane

[irisheileen]

All I can say is Thanks.

Eileen

[luvavacation]

I am so sorry. Saying goodbye to our companions that love us so unconditionally is one of the hardest things to do. Each time it happens, I think my heart is too broken to have another, but then a couple of days later I look around and miss my pet's presence so much, and the void is so great that I go and find another furbaby to give love to. I know it doesn't work for most, and we certainly don't view it as replacing the other (dog or cat), more like we have so much love and a good home to give, and we don't want another animal to sit in a cage any longer than it has to. Eh, it works for us!

 

That, and we take the ashes of our cremated pet and plant a tree with the ashes in the root. We have a huge Birch that is forever known as "Max's tree". It really helped us to have this tangible piece of our baby, especially gave my girls a place to sit and "talk" to their dog. We have done this with our cats, too. Crazy, I know, but again, it works for us.

 

I have always had dogs and cats, and always worry about them when we leave. Ever since our present German Shepherd came back from the kennel limping 5 years ago, we have had a live-in housesitter when we vacation. It does make leaving them slightly easier, but we still have tears in our eyes as we leave the driveway!

 

Hugs to you.

[irisheileen]

I am so sorry. Saying goodbye to our companions that love us so unconditionally is one of the hardest things to do.

 

That, and we take the ashes of our cremated pet and plant a tree with the ashes in the root. We have a huge Birch that is forever known as "Max's tree". It really helped us to have this tangible piece of our baby, especially gave my girls a place to sit and "talk" to their dog. We have done this with our cats, too. Crazy, I know, but again, it works for us.

 

 

Hugs to you.

Yes, saying Goodbye and leaving her was the hardest. Missing her unconditional love and her trust of me is what tears me apart today.

 

We did decide to do a "private" cremation and get her ashes to bury the container in the garden, but I like your idea to put the loose ashes and plant a bush or tree instead of a marker with flfowers.

[gail811]

Eileen,

So sorry for your loss! I can relate to your pain. In our 32 years together we have had only four dogs, and now we have a cat as well. Each time we have had to make the decision to have one put to sleep, I struggle with whether or not to give my heart to a new pet. It takes a few weeks at best before I am ready for that bundle of unconditional love to move in with us! As for vacations; in all those years we have only had to kennel once. We have been fortunate enough to have wonderful neighbors come over and take great care of our dogs while we are away. I already have arrangements for next year, as well as a back up plan.

I hope each day your pain eases some and you are able to utter her name and smile at the same time!

Hugs!

[irisheileen]

Eileen,

 

I hope each day your pain eases some and you are able to utter her name and smile at the same time!

Hugs!

 

Yeah, our way is to laugh together and remember the funny things. She couldn't have any table scraps, for example, and she could be a crazy live vacuum cleaner whenever food fell on the floor, so we're imagining her going wild scrambling for the scraps my Mom & Dad(in heaven) are throwing for her!!!

 

I always complained about the shedding, but now I don't want to vacuum up her hair next to my bed! ( I will by the end of the day!)

[cwestbrook]

Just before our Alaska cruise this past summer, our vet advised us it was close to time to put our Brittany Spaniel to sleep. On one hand it would have been more convenient to go ahead with it so my mother didn't have to deal with her dying while we were gone. But on the other hand, she still had a lot of life left in her. We just couldn't put her to sleep for convenience sake.

 

We chose to wait. My husband dug a grave and we got everything in place with the vet in case she needed to be put to sleep while we were gone. We worried about her during the trip but we got good reports on her.

 

Just days after we got home, she took a turn for the worse and we got to say goodbye to her and be with her as the vet put her out of her misery.

 

It was a very hard decision but we feel good about the choice we made.

 

Even though I loved her it surprised me how hard it hit me. I feel your loss. You've lost a family member and it's a really sad time.

 

I love the tree or bush idea. I'm going to do that this weekend. I also framed a small picture and put it on my kitchen counter. I enjoy seeing her every day.

[irisheileen]

I also framed a small picture and put it on my kitchen counter. I enjoy seeing her every day.

Connie,

Jasmine"s "room" was our large laundry room. Whenenver we came home throught the garage, we immediatley opened the door for her. Last night, as we returned, the door was, of course, already opened. My daughter suggested that we put a picture of Jasmine on the laundry room wall! We'll see it every time we look in.

Eileen

[kruisecat]

Eileen

 

I'm so sorry to hear about your loss. It sounds like she was a wonderful companion. In the past few years we have had to put a few of our wonderful kitties to sleep (one was 21!) and I've felt saddness so great it actually hurt, but I was so thankful to come home to my other "babies" and with each of their deaths it has opened up a place in my home and heart for another stray who needed a home.

 

It certainly will take time but you will move past the saddness and on to the happy rememberences quickly.

 

Christine

[kingsgirl]

I just wanted to pass my sympathies on to all of you and your lost pets! I've never lost one while on vacation and I'm lucky enough to either have family or neighbours to care for them while I am gone. Someone once told me that you can't love your pets, only care for them a lot -what a bunch of bull! I love my cat...there are just things animals understand better than humans!:rolleyes:

[sea_u_onboard]

A couple years ago we lost Cricket (the Heinz 57 variety) after 14 years. We had her cremated and her ashes put into an oak box (with a name plaque). It sits on our mantle with her first picture as a pup. We had her before my now 15 yo was born. He is special needs and really missed her. He would take the box down and "check on her". He still does from time to time. We waited a year before getting our current mute (Tipsy) from the humane society. We have someone take care of her because she doesn't do well in a kennel. It will be a challenge this next trip as "her favorite" neighbors have moved some distance and won't be able to visit her while we are gone.

 

Sorry for your loss.

[curiousl8y]

Eileen,

 

Hugs from another pet lover. I love all my pets, and have had to put some down over the years, and it's hard, but it's also good to know you can do something to ease their suffering, when the time comes. Don't let anyone rush your grieving process - it takes as long as it takes.

 

I have the 20 year old daughter of a friend stay at my house when we're gone. It's a win-win situation - she gets to be on the computer and phone without anybody yelling at her, and my pets don't have to go to a kennel. My critters love her.

 

Hang in there,

 

Linda

[wspatton]

I know your pain.... We had an Alaska cruise booked for months and 6 weeks before departure, our Pug Peggy was diagnosed with Pug Dog Encephalitis, an always fatal nervous disorder.

 

The prognosis was for a couple of weeks to several months before the meds would lose their effectiveness and seizures would return and she would have to be put down.

 

We arranged for our adult daughter to come stay with her and our other pug at our house while we were in Alaska. The first evening we were gone, the seizures returned, and Peggy had to be put down. In retrospect, we are convinced she tried to wait until we were gone to relapse.

 

Recovering from that loss is taking time, and our other little pug is doing her best to step in and fill that void. Here is something we received that, while somewhat of a tearjerker, is comforting:

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

 

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.

 

There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together.

 

There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

 

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.

 

The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

 

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

 

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

 

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

 

Good Luck and Best Wishes to you...

 

Bill

[irisheileen]

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

 

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.

 

There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together.

 

There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

 

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.

 

The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

 

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

 

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

 

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

 

Good Luck and Best Wishes to you...

 

Bill

Thanks Bill and to the other posters. I do believe that God is good and will match us again with our pets. All we have to do is ask Him. The first thing I did when I came home at lunch yesterday to witness her collapse was pray for Him to be merciful to Jasmine. We prayed as a family to be reunitied in Heaven with her.

Eileen

PS I've printed out your poem for my family to read!

[cjnky]

Bill beat me to it - I was going to hunt up my copy of that for you. It's definitely comforting!

 

We have it made when travelling. We have a friend who lives on the edge of our farm. Before we're gone very long, our lab just automatically heads for his house. And when he's gone, his precious little terrier heads over here! When we returned from out last trip, there was a postcard picture of our Jake next to his dog begging at the poolside table - and it said "Thanks Mom and Dad for booking me at this great Bed and Breakfast" LOL!

[codyody]

This has been a very sad but comforting thread. I have to share that when we have had to end suffering, I tie a picture of my mother, who passed away many years ago, around our pet's neck so she'll recognize and "collect" it when it crosses that bridge.