This topic is near and dear to my heart. I work in the animal welfare industry (I train volunteer and professional "pet detectives") and we deal with grief (and fear, that a lost pet won't be found or will be found deceased) on a daily basis. God has put on my heart a BIG DEAM to develop a pet memorial center where pet lovers can attend a pet memorial retreat and personally memorialize their pet in a beautiful memorial garden. Now I just need to find several million dollars...no biggie, because this is a GOD idea and with God, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE! I guess I need to start writing about this dream! I have been putting it off, but I think it is time...
It is so hard to lose them. Our boy left us Feb 22, 2024. We adopted again yesterday. We will always love him and miss his quirky ways but it’s a beautiful thing to have another dog filling that void.
i lost my cat Lenny one year after he showed up in my backyard. I named him after my father, whose funeral I had just returned from when Lenny the cat showed up. He was my angel, and losing him was devastating, but I was able to care for him in his sickness the way I wasn't able to for my dad.
Yes. I hear ya! They have the way of being there when we need them most. My mom found a stray cat after my dad died years ago. He kept appearing at her door and she took him in
Your poem in a dog’s voice was marvelous. Just right. Thank you for that.
I regularly project words into my dog ‘s mouth. She’s half Border Collie. Borders come out of the womb adking, “Where’s my Shepherd?! I’ve got work to do!! What’s my job?
It’s a great run, living with a dog. The hard part is that usually their path is shorter than ours. But it’s worth the pain just to share that richness.
Days after she came into our home as a puppy, I looked her in the eye, face to face and said, “I think one of us is going to go before the other.” (And I sincerely meant that in both ways because it’s true.) “So, anyways, we’re just gonna enjoy *every* day together ‘till then.” And we shook hands on it.
It’s goin’ on 11 years since, and I’m still not sure who’ll go first. But we sure do enjoy every morning together.
Our pup of 12 years crossed the rainbow bridge two weeks ago. I had to rearrange the living room and still have to brace myself before I open the front door—telling myself that she won’t be there. I wrote her a letter that I will share later this week.
It's never easy to write stories like you have, but it does inspires others to imagine their own tributes. In your sorrow, you've helped other grievers!
What a beautiful tribute to your fur babies, thank you for sharing. So sorry for your loss. Whether they’re furry or not, grief is grief and it hurts all the same. Been through it with my own as well. Hugs to you.
Many hugs to you. I didn’t grow up with pets like that - we kept fish and the attachment to them isn’t even remotely the same. You can’t pet fish and TBH, they don’t live very long. We had one that died within a few days. There was one who lived much longer and that was the only one I had anything that was close to what you had. But even then it wasn’t the same.
So sorry for the losses. I was moved by your poem. In 2023, we lost our two dogs and one bird in a five month period. Gosh it is painful. We have two new rescue pups who are bringing joy back into our home. I love all five of my dogs who have crossed the bridge as well as six birds. May they be running and flying free.
Thanks so much. So true. Grief is grief. Thanks for being here and commenting
This topic is near and dear to my heart. I work in the animal welfare industry (I train volunteer and professional "pet detectives") and we deal with grief (and fear, that a lost pet won't be found or will be found deceased) on a daily basis. God has put on my heart a BIG DEAM to develop a pet memorial center where pet lovers can attend a pet memorial retreat and personally memorialize their pet in a beautiful memorial garden. Now I just need to find several million dollars...no biggie, because this is a GOD idea and with God, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE! I guess I need to start writing about this dream! I have been putting it off, but I think it is time...
Kat! That's so wonderful what you are doing! Thank you for your beautiful heart for pets and their humans. I just checked out your post today
Jane, I feel your love, care, and kindness in this post. Thank you for reassuring us about our losses as you continue to process the loss of your own.
Thanks so much, Sandra! I truly appreciated it
Beautiful 😢🩷
This is sad and joyful both.
Thanks, John
It is so hard to lose them. Our boy left us Feb 22, 2024. We adopted again yesterday. We will always love him and miss his quirky ways but it’s a beautiful thing to have another dog filling that void.
I am so sorry for your loss.
I'm so sorry for your loss. It's so hard. It's wonderful you opened your home and heart to another dog 🐕
i lost my cat Lenny one year after he showed up in my backyard. I named him after my father, whose funeral I had just returned from when Lenny the cat showed up. He was my angel, and losing him was devastating, but I was able to care for him in his sickness the way I wasn't able to for my dad.
I'm so sorry about Lenny. It's amazing how pets show up when we need them most. They rescue us sometimes not the other way around. Angels in disguise
100% . he helped me through the hardest year of my life
Yes. I hear ya! They have the way of being there when we need them most. My mom found a stray cat after my dad died years ago. He kept appearing at her door and she took him in
Your poem in a dog’s voice was marvelous. Just right. Thank you for that.
I regularly project words into my dog ‘s mouth. She’s half Border Collie. Borders come out of the womb adking, “Where’s my Shepherd?! I’ve got work to do!! What’s my job?
It’s a great run, living with a dog. The hard part is that usually their path is shorter than ours. But it’s worth the pain just to share that richness.
Days after she came into our home as a puppy, I looked her in the eye, face to face and said, “I think one of us is going to go before the other.” (And I sincerely meant that in both ways because it’s true.) “So, anyways, we’re just gonna enjoy *every* day together ‘till then.” And we shook hands on it.
It’s goin’ on 11 years since, and I’m still not sure who’ll go first. But we sure do enjoy every morning together.
Thanks for restacking as well
Thanks so much for reading and commenting. Their little lives are way too short, but they live every single one of them. I strive to be more like them
Thanks for sharing your tribute of your own dog
Have quite a few pets on the other side
I'm so sorry to hear. I tell myself there will be a huge reunion somenday
Our pup of 12 years crossed the rainbow bridge two weeks ago. I had to rearrange the living room and still have to brace myself before I open the front door—telling myself that she won’t be there. I wrote her a letter that I will share later this week.
I'm so sorry CB for your loss. I'll be looking for your post this week. Thanks so much for sharing
I can't imagine losing three pets in such a short time. My heart goes out to you and your family, Jane.
Thanks so much Rod. It's be so difficult for us as there were other losses in addition to our fur kids. So much to process
Lovely tribute!
Thanks so much, Cindy
It's never easy to write stories like you have, but it does inspires others to imagine their own tributes. In your sorrow, you've helped other grievers!
Thanks so much. I had a "writing hangover" today. It gets you sometimes but so glad I decided to finish it and post
Beautiful tribute to a host of well-loved pets. Thank you for giving them homes even when your heart was breaking.
Thanks so much, Cindy. I would adopt them all if I could
What a beautiful tribute to your fur babies, thank you for sharing. So sorry for your loss. Whether they’re furry or not, grief is grief and it hurts all the same. Been through it with my own as well. Hugs to you.
Thanks so much for your kind words. So much appreciated
Many hugs to you. I didn’t grow up with pets like that - we kept fish and the attachment to them isn’t even remotely the same. You can’t pet fish and TBH, they don’t live very long. We had one that died within a few days. There was one who lived much longer and that was the only one I had anything that was close to what you had. But even then it wasn’t the same.
That's so much! We had a gold fish that lived forever (or did it??) 🤔 did mom replace, maybe? Never got an answer on that
So sorry for the losses. I was moved by your poem. In 2023, we lost our two dogs and one bird in a five month period. Gosh it is painful. We have two new rescue pups who are bringing joy back into our home. I love all five of my dogs who have crossed the bridge as well as six birds. May they be running and flying free.
That's so hard and so close together. It so hard. Congratulations on your new rescue pups. Thanks so much for commenting