Friends S and NK’s beloved dog died recently.
It’s a terrible thing to lose a pet. People who don’t appreciate animals don’t really understand that losing a pet is the same thing as losing any other family member. When an animal dies, you still need to go through the entire grieving process.
We put our childhood dog down almost 10 years ago.
While I no longer cry and the ache is gone, I still miss Buffey. That’s not quite correct. She is like a happy memory. I can think about her and remember the childhood times spent exploring the river, the trails behind my parents’ house or simply sitting with her.
She was a great comfort to me. While I now have Sylvester, and he is just as much a dog or a child as he is a cat, he isn’t as understanding as Buffey was. You could wrap your arms around Buffey’s neck and cry, and she would give you a lick now and then and nudge you to make sure you were OK.
So despite the happy times I had with Buffey, and the length of time she has been gone, I am still not ready for another dog.
And that is another thing that non-animal lovers don’t understand; pets aren’t so easily replaced.
My condolences, again, to the K’s. I am thinking of you.
2 comments:
Thanks Lisa :)
I can empathise with you and your friend. We put our 16 yr old dog, Kelly, to sleep 2 weeks ago after she was diagnosed with lymphoma 8 weeks prior. She was a huge personality and definitely one of the family! Dogs are people too!
We were devastated and thought we would not be ready for another pet for quite some time. Especially after the time involved in caring for Kelly through her illness.
Then last week, we went to the RSPCA and found the perfect little 9 month old puppy. He fits into our family so well and has helped us move on. Kelly had lived a long life; and now we have another crazy personality to take her place.
That isn't the decision for everyone and I certainly didn't expect it but it worked for us.
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