When Our Dog Died :(

The passing of your dog can be one of the most painful and sad experiences of your life. Having traveled this path of tears on more that one occasion we thought it might be of some help to share with you how we handled our most recent loss, and how we endeavored to turn a time of tears into a living monument of love and hope.

The following is actually excerpted from a personal email we sent to out readers

The message

Anyone who has lost their best friend knows what we have been feeling. The deep sadness, waves of tears, looking for your pup when you get up, calling their name when you get ready for a stroll,  and wondering if you could have done anything to change what had happened.

We have been there more than once and perhaps reading how we handled this very painful time may help  when you experience  the loss of your best friend.

What we did when our dog passed away

Trying to decide what arrangements to make can be painful and confusing. Some folks actually make pre arrangements , just like funeral homes do for people. Our little guy was only 7, young for a Chihuahua and passed suddenly. We were shocked and had to face everything all at once.

So we did our best

We have a wonderful pet memorial park called the Los Angeles Memorial  Park, near us http://www.lapetcemetery.com/ and initially we planned to buy a plot up on a hill overlooking the gardens.  Known and loved by pet families throughout southern California, the grief counselor suggested that we take a few days to decide what to do.

And it was very thoughtful and compassionate advice.  After a few days my wife decided that she wanted Pepino to be near her and she opted for cremation. He will be coming home soon to join our little Bri who passed at home on Mothers' Day 2003.

Heartfelt Thanks

Our wonderful rescue friend, Pat, on the East Coast, recommended that I send a short email to our readers telling them what had happened. I thought it made sense as I did not plan to write an issue for at least a week.

So, I sent a brief message and  what happened next was nothing short of  incredible and a bit of a healing miracle.

Within minutes, my inbox started to fill up with the messages of condolence, stories of how many of you experienced the same pain and how you worked through it, encouragement to keep helping dogs and to come back when we were ready.

The emails have been coming in from all over the world and still are. We  kept each and every message in a special book of memories.

How This Applies to the Loss of Your Dog

If you lose our best friend, don't keep it  a secret. Reach out and call, write or email your friends and family. Let them know how you feel and how difficult a time it is.

You will be surprised at the outpouring of love and support that will flow your way giving you an injection of emotional strength that will nourish you while you grieve.

Every message you receive  is a precious thread in the fabric which binds us all, the love of dogs  to be forever cherished. I know, because we have a book full . We frequently read through them to give us strength.

Some Happy News

One of the lessons that we learned from our professor of life, little Pepino, was that every orphan deserves a chance.  And the  love that he gave us and we gave him still lives and will eternally.

Having decided to honor that love and continue our personal mission to help dogs, we set out and began searching pounds, shelters and rescues. Frankly, it also helped keep us occupied as we shared our memories and love for Pepino. Some may opt to wait a bit after such a loss. We knew Pepino would want us to help a pup in need now.

We met several wonderful dogs and were working on making a decision as to which would do best in our home. We also were considering which would get along with and become pals with our other little gal Sinja, a 10 yr old Chihuahua I rescued from the pound as a pup.

A few days later ago I contacted a dog rescue in Los Angeles. They had posted for adoption a Chihuahua that had been picked up as a stray. I learned that she was 4.5 lbs and had spent probably too much time on the street. She needed a home and a family to love her.

We made the trek to Hollywood where she was being fostered and met her. Little, skinny, and a bundle of energy, we spent time with her. My wife and I fell for her and she told me ..."this is the one"... Well, for any of you that are married you know that you need  not hear more. 

We made the adoption and now have a new addition to our family.

You can see her just below little pepino at: http://www.dogs-4life.com/rescue-dogs.html

When we lose a best friend, bringing another home should never be considered a replacement...rather the new adoptee is more of a continuance of the love, companionship and spirit that we have with each and every one of our dogs.

So the pain continues, we miss our little guy and always will. But our new little family member seems almost to have his spirit within her.

She has found his hiding places where he stashed treats and toys. When we ask her if she knows where her bed is, she runs to his and jumps in. She can't wait to see my wife and is a Mommy's kid, just like Pepino.

So Pepino, our little professor, taught us well. The love endures, this little girl is an orphan no more, and one day our entire family will be reunited forever on The Rainbow Bridge.