For those of us who care deeply about our canine companions, losing them is very difficult. The bond we have with our canine family members is very strong. It’s a connection that I consider to be magical… I’ve witnessed this magical connection between human and canine over and over again in the visits I’ve made over the past 18 years with my 5 therapy dogs. When our canine family member dies, we can feel very much alone. After all, it’s not a person that has died. Everyone understands that you’ll be sad if a person dies – a human family member – but a dog? I made the mistake once of telling a friend that I hadn’t gotten back in touch with her because my dog had died and I was very upset. She laughed….. yes, she actually laughed, said, Oh. Then proceeded to discuss whatever it was she had contacted me about. She has a dog, herself, so I figured she’d understand. Now – I am grateful to have many close dog friends with whom I can share my deep feelings of loss. They truly understand because they’ve been through it themselves.
Each time I lose a canine family member, I wonder if I can possibly go through the pain again. They never, ever live long enough. But, for me, life without a dog just isn’t an option. We are responsible in the end to be sure we don’t let our beloved dogs suffer. We are privileged to have the ability to end their suffering. What a shame it is that we can’t do the same for our human family members.
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