28 posts
Well, my weekend started off with the funeral of my next door neighbor on Friday afternoon. He'd been our neighbor for almost 20 years. He was a great guy. 84 years old and on his third bout with cancer. So Friday was a bummer.
We have 3 dogs. Fletch (Golden Retriever) Abby (the mutt) and Tripper the Jack Russell pup we got a few months ago. When we let the out to do their business, Fletch is free, he won't run off, Abby is a VERY well behaved dog who does everything she's told EXCEPT that she runs off, so she is chained as soon as she steps out the door, and Tripper is a puppy so we take him out on a leash. Saturday night at about 7:00 I put Tripper on his leash and when I opened the door, Abby tried to force past me. I had the door in one hand and Trippers leash in the other. I reached down with the hand I had the leash in and grabbed her. I had her stopped, but Tripper ran on out. When he hit the end of his leash, he pulled me hand off Abby so she got loose. This happens once a month or so. She runs the neighborhood for a couple hours and comes home. About an hour later, she was on the back deck and I went to the door and she ran again. About 9:30 she was on the front porch. I opened the door and called her and she ran again. I tired long ago of chasing her all over because she won't let you catch her.
I live on a dead end street with about 12 houses on each side, and we're 4 houses down from the highway. About 10:30, a neighbor from down at the end of the street called me and asked if all my dogs were accounted for. My first thought was that she was down at his house, because she usually goes down that way. I said "no, Abby is loose." And he said, "there's been a dog hit up on the highway. I grabbed a flashlight and took off. The police car was there and I came running up to see my dog laying in the ditch. He said the guy stopped at the house to see if those people owned it and said she had run right out in front of her and he tried to stop. She was alive but couldn't move. She had been hit in the back end. I carried her home and brought her in the house. Since it was 11:00 I knew I couldn't take her to the vet, and I didn't think she was going to make it anyway. I sat with her and she kept trying to get up and her front legs were fine but her back legs wouldn't move. At first, I thought that maybe she was going to be ok but had a broken leg. After about an hour, I knew she was in trouble. Tripper was freaking out because he knew she was hurt and he kept kissing her and whining. She hung on til about 2:30 and she died.
We've had her since she was born, and she was 15 years old. The longest we've had any pet ever. To make matters worse, Amy's brother was in from St. Louis and she had taken Fletch to spend the night at the campgrounds where 3 of her brothers and sisters have campers. This is over an hour away, and way out in the country where there is no cell service. Needless to say, a very bad night, and a bad day today when Amy got home and found out.
for 15 years, EVERY NIGHT, no matter what time I got home from work or ball, she was waiting for me at the front door. Amy said that she'd always go to the front door around the time I normally got home and if it was ball night or something and I was late, she'd keep going back and waiting by the front door. Last time I went to Canada on a fishing trip, Amy said she cried every night because I didn't come home.
Amy cried all day today. Fletch knows something is up because she isn't around since he got home and he won't eat, play, or anything. :( When you've had a dog in the house with you for 15 years, you get pretty attached too them.
Man I am sorry to hear about that man. I don't know what to say other than wishing you and your family the best.
Sorry to hear that Howie.
I know what you mean, we have two German Shorthairs, the oldest is 14, same age as my oldest son, neither of my boys knows what it's like not to have that dog around.
Damn, sorry to hear that Howie. :'(
Our pets are our family members, as I'm sure yours are as well.
They bring much joy into our lives and it's pretty sad when they depart.
Randy
Man, I hate to hear that, Howie. I feel for you and your family. I lost one that I had for 10 1/2 years. It really sucks.
It actually makes me think of him. He was the same way. He always went out on a leash. If he got out off of the leash, it was a game to him. He wanted me to TRY to catch him. Loved that dog. Lost him to cancer.
Take care of the other two dogs. They know, and they hurt over it. It's tough to watch their grief.
What a bummer.
Man, that makes me a little teary. I'm sorry to hear about that Howie. Losing a dog that's been with you that long is a toughie to deal with. We lost a Siberian Husky who was around 13 (very old for a husky). We had her since I was in 8th grade. It can also be surprisingly hard on the other dogs. One of my neighbors had two dogs. The older of the two dogs (King) got hit by a car. The other dog (Aggie) didn't eat for 3 days. What was worse for Aggie was that, a few weeks later, our neighbor who owned her had a heart attack while driving in his car, had a head-on with a tree, and passed away (the doctors said the heart attack was so massive that he was probably dead before he hit the tree). We watched out for her over the next few days (fed and watered her, let her in and out of the house) until funeral stuff was done. His brother ended up taking her to be with his dogs. But they live just down the road, so the next day Aggie shows up at her old house. He came and got her again and she's been fine and dandy since (haven't seen her wander back).
:'(
Sorry Howie, always hard when you lose a pet.
Thanks guys. I wasn't sure how many people here would really understand this. Randy, yes, our dogs are part of our family. I have to admit that as much as I've always loved our dogs, even I am a bit shocked at how upsetting this is.
Last night was even worse. Tripper would not sleep. Every time he heard the least little noise, he'd run from the bedroom, and sit at the front door barking. Then he'd go the back door. He'd finally give up and come back for a few minutes. Then he'd do it all over again. He's convinced she's outside and every time he heard a noise, he'd go the the door and bark and bark. Fletch went out this morning and usually he goes for a stroll in the yard, comes back in and goes straight to the kitchen for his treat, and then wants to play. He went 3 feet off the deck, peed, walked straight back in the house and laid down. My wife just called me from work, crying again.
GEEZ! :(
I hope the pain of your loss wears off soon amigo, and you can resume a your natural state of affairs quickly with fond memories of your beloved pet. It is true that family pets are family members. Trouble is they have such short lifespans, and you have to go through this every 15 years or so with dogs and cats. Less with other types of pets.
True. I know some dogs have shorter expected life spans. I know that when Fletch dies, my wife will be absolutely crushed. She LOVES that dog. But she loved this one too. If you put it in perspective, we've been married 21 years and Daphne is 20. We've had Abby 3/4 of our married life, and since Daphne was just a few years old.
Amy just sent me a text saying she remembered Abby crying all day because Daphne was gone, on Daphne's first day of school! GEEEZZZ
I need a beer!
That is terrible news. There's nothing worse than sitting with a dying dog... somehow that makes the loss all that much harder.
I can tell you that I'm VERY glad Amy was not home when it happened. I got to be with Abby and tried to make her feel better. She left knowing she was loved, I can promise you that much. But if Amy had been home it would have been very hard on her. I can tell you it was VERY hard sitting with her and seeing it happen. If my neighbor hadn't called, she would have died right there by the highway and I wouldn't have known it til the next day. At this point, I don't know which would have been worse. I feel good about being able to be there, but actually seeing it happen is very disturbing.
WOW! that sucks bro, I'm with Dearth, I got a little teary eyed, too. We've got a full blooded apricot toy poodle who just turned 7 (49 in dog years). My wife has had him since he was born and he is definitely a family member. I take him on errands with me all the time, house trained, no need for a leash, he listens very well. Then her daughter moves in with us and she has a full blooded Yorkie who is only 4 mos old. Needless to say, he is the king of the castle now! hehehe. I have always been a dog person and I feel for you man. I know my girls would be crushed if anything happened to either one of ours.
Hope everything turns out OK for you and yours.......
cgtrox :'(
Sorry to hear that Howie. I am not much of a pet person but my mom is and she has lost a few dogs and has taken it very hard when they died. I never really understood the level of attachment some people have with their animals, but from seeing how it impacted my mother I know that if you are a pet person and have had one for a long time it can be very sad.
I did once have a pet locust that a former friend murdered with a super soaker, that kinda sucked.
Spa,
I understand the comment about people being attached to animals, and that's why I said above that I didn't know how people would react to this here. Some people have a dog and it stays in the back yard in a pen, or chained up or whatever, and they go out and feed it and maybe play with it a little bit every day, and that's their pet.
Our dogs live in our house. They are ALWAYS around. This dog has for 15 years now, sat at my feet or on the couch with me EVERY NIGHT after my girls go to bed. I used to say the word "roughhouse" and she'd go into full mock fighting mode and we'd fight til she got to tired to go any longer. When she was completely worn out, I'd get up on the couch and she' hop of there and put her head in my lap and go to sleep. We'd take them on vacation with us when we went camping. While my teenage daughter wouldn't come out of the room to say "hi" when I get home from work, they'd mob me every time I walked in the door and would not leave me alone until I pet them and play with them. They ARE part of our family and we LOVE them.
Man Howie I'm so sorry to hear this... I know exactly how you feel, losing a pet is losing a family member.
Hang in there...
I'm sorry to hear this. I know our Sophie is a member of the family, and we would be terribly upset if anything ever happened to her.
Best wishes man. :(
wow that sucks. i had a really kickass sheltie named boomer. where we lived we fronted a busy street not a highway just a subdivision street, so i was always real careful with him. one day my stepson and i were leaving for his football practice as he opened the door, boomer instantly took off and was instantly struck by a truck and broke his back. that was so messed up. that dog was so much fun, every morning i would take him to the park and we would play fetch with one of those rubber dumbell toys. Im not a morning person and this all happened at 6am, thats how fun this dog was. I swear he had 4.25 40 speed!
I suggest you round up your other puppies, go buy a lot of beer and fill up your glasses and doggie bowls, and sit down and watch this together.
Go ahead...git it outta yer system.
Oh yeah, don't forget the tissues. ;)
Sorry to hear that bro!!!
Sad story man. Losing a dog is just as bad as losing a family member.
Sorry DTR:
we were skiing last march in sun valley and got the call from my dad that my cat #1 was on her last leg. she was old.. its still a bummer when your pet has been with you for 14 years . our cat #2 didn't come home last month at night. probably got munched by the coyotes... anyway... sorry for your loss
A day without Kev is like a day without gastric distress
Now that is funny