Rest easy, dear Cena

[Tanuki]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/news/animalia/wp/2017/07/28/goodbye-my-brother-a-marines-loving-sendoff-for-the-cancer-stricken-dog-who-saved-him/

.... "As friends and fellow patriots saluted, Jeff DeYoung carried his best friend Cena, a hardened Marine combat veteran like his owner, past the crowd of well-wishers as they boarded a decommissioned Navy ship in Muskegon, Mich. It was there on Wednesday where the black lab, lame with bone cancer, was euthanized.

He was 10.

This raw, emotional moment captures the indelible bond that forms between American troops and the animals who accompany them into battle.
Trained to detect roadside bombs and other improvised explosives, war dogs have become vital to the military’s mission overseas, performing lifesaving duties under gravely dangerous conditions, and leaving lifelong impressions on the men and women with whom they serve.

DeYoung declined to comment, telling the The Washington Post on Thursday he needed time to grieve. In a Facebook postreflecting on their final night together, he called Cena “my brother” and said the dog “blessed my life with love and admiration, happiness and strength.”

"I want to run away and not face what I must do,” he wrote. “But he needs me to be strong and set him free. … Because of him I got to have a family. Because of him I was able to live. May God forgive me for what I do tomorrow. And may the Lord greet you with open arms and a nice ear scratch.”.....(more)

https://img.washingtonpost.com/wp-apps/imrs.php?src=&w=600

[Zoonart]

1. This really gets me.

I fully understand the duty we owe our stalwart furry friends, who give us unconditional love and loyalty. I have held two of my beautiful companions in the past three years as they were helped accross the rainbow bridge. It is a terrifying and beautiful responsibility, but then, duty and responsibility are the watchwords of this brave marine and I wish him peace. I know Cena has it already.

[ret5hd]

2. +

[Fla Dem]

3. NBC news had this on their evening news last night. Very touching.

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/multimedia/Cena-Military-Dogs-Final-Farewell-437076893.html

[douglas9]

4. More Pictures/The Dog Who Saved My Life/America-Humane

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2017/07/community_turns_out_for_us_mar.html#incart_gallery

[hamsterjill]

5. A beautifull tribute.

I know what DeYoung is feeling as I've experienced it many times. My life was saved once by a very smart border collie.

This was on my Facebook last night and I simply could not believe some of the asinine comments that were being made. Just a dog? My ass. Cena was a marine.

[Tanuki]

6. Think of all the lives Cena saved with his bomb detection expertise.

He sacrificed more for our country than the current president and everyone in the president' s family put together. Having to put down a beloved pet is one of life's most gut-wrenching experiences, even when the pet is terminally ill and you know it is the right thing to do. It must be even more so in a situation like that shared by DeYoung and Cena.

[Ken Burch]

7. Damn...I should have known that would get me...

Rest easy, Cena. Semper Fi.

[hunter]

8. Some of the dogs I've wept for the most were dumb ass worthless creatures in every way.

But they've left me with many fine stories to tell and a much broader and generous appreciation of this world than I might not otherwise have enjoyed.

When my own grandma had fallen entirely over the cliffs at the borders of sanity, declared by the courts a danger to herself and others, no assisted living place would keep her, and many of her words were either pure madness or vile observations about her neighbors, friends, and family better left unspoken, she could still tell a good story and laugh about the crazy dogs and horses she'd known.

Dogs and horses are sentient beings, as are humans.

My favorite childhood dog used to jump into the cars of strangers, undiscovered until they got home. That's why her collar had a tag with our phone number and address on it. Hey, I found your stupid ass dog in my truck... This worthless dog, really, she was good for nothing and not even especially affectionate of humans as most dogs are, once ran away on a camping trip, and we stayed an extra night at that campground waiting for her to return, and she did about five o'clock the next day, so we stayed another night in that campground and missed Yellowstone. I was looking forward to Yellowstone.

But hey, hey, don't be mean, 'cuz no matter where you go, there you are. And everything is awesome.