Rainbow Bridges

Never Easy

Losing a pet is never easy. Ask any pet owner and they will say the same. It is without a doubt the most heart wrenching time in one's life. The loss of a dog. I am not sure what is worse, having to put them down or watching them slowly decline until they pass. Neither one is a suitable option. Wishing they could live forever; the day comes all too soon when we realize they do not. Ask any dog owner- a dog's life span is not near long enough. We take for granted how perfect our lives are; until they aren't anymore.

Dogs on the smaller side have a slightly longer lifespan than a larger dog breed. Unless they come down with cancer, or liver disease, or some other untreatable ailment.

Beagles

I have always had dogs on the smaller side. A Beagle was my first pup. He was a chewer and destroyed furniture, countless pairs of underwear and socks. But I wouldn’t trade my time with him for anything. He left me way too soon. I had to put him down shortly before he turned 16. He had a great life but losing him left me devastated. He was my first dog, and he had been by my side since he was 6 weeks old, so I felt his loss profoundly. I didn’t know what an empty house was until he left me. Anyone who has had a dog understands. No more pitter patter of little feet down the hallway. No one greeting me at the door as I come home from work. No more walks. Just silence. Silence screams loudly, no more so than when we realize we are utterly alone for the first time in our lives.

Second Guessing

After making the hardest choice ever in your life. Second guessing comes into play. What if I had done this? Have I made the correct decision? Should I have given him a little more time? It’s never easy nor should it be. It is without a doubt one of the most important decisions that will ever come into play. His life lays in our hands. Take ample time and go over all options. Unless the decision is made for us. Cancer wrecks its havoc, or liver disease takes over (We lost our Jack Russell over liver disease.) then it is in God's hands.

A Choice Made

For those who never had to make a choice, count your lucky stars. I’ve done both. Neither one is easy. After I lost my Beagle, I started crying and didn’t stop for the longest period of time. I plastered photos of him all over the house. Looking back, I’m sure that didn’t help. Every time I turned a corner he was there. The loss was catastrophic. It left me empty inside and out for what seemed like forever. Life goes on because it has to. For me it stopped the moment Brandie stopped breathing and didn’t start again until I found Rexie. He was the Jack Russell I mentioned earlier.

Rexie

Rexie was the sweetest dog, we got him from a family who no longer wanted him. Why? I couldn’t understand it and I didn’t care because from day one he was ours. We didn’t have to take him out on a leash, we had a fenced yard. Once he arrived at our house, we took him and Sally (our female Jack Russell) for a walk in the park, returned home and he settled in. He never wanted to be anywhere else except where he was. He didn’t like car rides if he didn’t know where we were going. Oftentimes we left him on the deck, (I think he was afraid we would drop him off somewhere and leave him.) he’d be waiting for us when we returned from the store or wherever else we needed to go. He loved people and was super friendly. Although later in life he did not like other dogs. I think this resulted from hanging around Sally too much. She has a dislike for other dogs. As I mentioned above, we lost him when he was 12. It was during Covid, my husband and I had to wait in the car when they examined him. It was his second trip to the vet. He had been ill all weekend. Vomiting, he wouldn’t eat and every time he drank water, he threw it back up. We both knew his diagnosis was not going to be good. The vet called and said his gums were yellow and his liver disease had progressed. She told us at times like this we need to think about what is best for Rexie. He was suffering. The crying started and didn’t stop because Gary and I had to go into the clinic and stand by him while he was euthanized. I held him in my arms. Returning home without him was exceptionally hard. I'd take Sally for a walk every morning. The first morning after Rexie passed Sally and I got in the truck; I saw Rexie’s halter. The crying began again and didn't stop. 

Take Your Time

There is no set time period for grieving. Putting your best friend down sucks-plain and simple. It doesn’t get any easier the more dogs we have. Being a dog person, it doesn’t take long to get attached. I have a friend who is not an animal lover and after a couple days she asked me if it was better. To say she doesn’t understand is an enormous understatement. I accept and love her for who she is. But, for those of us who are dog lovers, losing one is not something we accept easily. It is not only the dog we lose, but also the source of unconditional love that goes along with him or her. Dogs never judge, they are always happy to see us whether we are gone for five minutes or five hours. It is all the same to them. Experts say losing a pet is harder than losing a person and I believe that is true. They have been our steady companions for years. Always by our side. They love us no matter what. For us they are a part of our lives. For them we are their whole life. Some people grieve for months, others it takes years to get over the loss of their beloved pet. Many people get another dog soon after, it helps them with the healing process. I wasn’t that kind of person, it took me 3 years to get over Brandie, Rexie helped with that. The only thing I know is true is that life goes on with or without a dog. Acceptance comes, realizing we will never see them again. We have no choice but to move forward. That being said, we move on, but we do not get over their death. We come to accept it only because we have to. There is no other possibility.

Older Dogs

My husband and I now have a twelve-year-old dog we took from a neglected home. So here we go again. We realize we will not have a long period of time with him. But we can give him the love he deserves and needs for his remaining years. Gary and I have discussed this before and decided we will always have a dog. It is who we are.(dog people) 

For those out there at this very moment dealing with the grief, hang in there in time it gets better. I'm of a belief we never get over the missing part. I still think about my Beagle, and he has been gone for years. 

There are so many dogs out there who are in dire need of love. Go find one!

I'll leave you with a few photos. Rainbow bridges.

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