Just had to have my dog put down.

[leftyladyfrommo]

You know what the real problem with rescue work is? It's having to lose the animals I care for.

I have lost 5 animals in the last year and a half - all rescues and all from age related illness.

They all lived with me until they got old and died. And that was pretty good for them but boy has it been hard on me.

I lost 3 cats right in a row. So I only have one left now and she is old and diabetic.

And I have two dogs left. One that is 13 - but she seems just fine so far. And one little crippled on that is about 6, I think. And she also seems good.

And you know what the really neat part of all this is? I can still feel those animals all around me. I swear they are still with me. I lost Bandit (15 year-old border collie) last December from brain cancer. I can still feel him beside me on the bed. And the one I just lost was Trim. She had cancer. I can actually still hear her feet on the wood floors - her spirit is just all around me.

And they have come back to me in the most amazing dreams. Beautiful dreams where they are young again and playing in an endless field of the greenest grass.

I know they are all OK over there. I just miss them. I just wish I could have kept them with me longer.

[MonkeyFunk]

1. Oh, I am so sorry

That's a lot of loss in a short time. You're a saint for taking such good care of them.

[leftyladyfrommo]

9. I'm not a saint. But thank you for saying such nice things.

I have just been the recipient of an incredible gift.

The animals I take are the ones no one else wants. I can do that because I live alone and don't have kids.

So the emotional wrecks can come and live with me. I don't care if they bite. And I don't care if they have emotional problems.

It is funny when we try and go to the vet - I swear all the staff up there starts running out the back door when they see us coming. LOL
My dogs do have some issues with strangers and with being handled because most of them have been pretty abused.

They are a mess - but they are my mess. And I just adore them.

[MonkeyFunk]

13. I understand entirely

:hug:

[CTyankee]

35. Oh LeftyL, I know how I felt putting only one dog down. How awful that is.

Especially for you, dedicating yourself to rescuing them and then losing them.

But just think of it this way: you gave them a happy life, perhaps the only happiness they ever knew. Kindness is never wasted. You paid it forward and gave them a gift, not only of a life, but a good life with a gentle, loving caregiver: you.

May you find solace and peace in your wonderful work, going forward...

[wildhorses]

2. ----

:hug:

[Kajsa]

3. I am so sorry, leftyladyfrommo.

It's so hard to lose any of our animal friends.

God bless you for rescuing and caring for the animals
who have no home.

You are right, they are still with you in spirit.
I know this because I've experienced the same thing
with my animal buddies who have passed on.

:hug:

[skygazer]

4. I see my dogs all the time

Especially when I take a walk in the woods - I can see them so clearly on the trail in front of me. They'll turn around and glance back, tails wagging and tongues hanging out, then bounce on ahead again.

It's wonderful and painful at the same time.

I'm sorry for your losses. That's hard - knowing that they have problems and may not last as long as you'd like doesn't make losing them any easier. :hug:

[leftyladyfrommo]

7. You see yours too? My house is just full of animal spirits.

I lost two of my border collies right in a row about three years ago now, I guess. I can feel them with me all the time.

You might enjoy this one. I had this dream one nite. To give a little background - my very first dog was a little cack-a-poo from the shelter. And she live for 18 years and then I lost her. And I was just having a horrible time dealing with her death.

And then she showed up in a dream. She was the one that was young again and running and playing in the greenest field.

And then seh came back again. This time I was waiting to meet a bus. And this bus pulls up - and instead of a regular bus it had seats for all the dogs inside but it was covered in chicken wire so that all the dogs could feel the wind in their faces.

And the driver came and put Kelly in my lap and told me I could have her for a while - put not to worry because he was taking really, really good care of her.

Animals have been the greatest gift in my life.

It hurts a lot to lose them - but owning them and caring for them is just such a blessing. They have the purest souls.

[skygazer]

10. That's a great dream

I do see mine in dreams sometimes - they can be so vivid and real and I wake up happy to have spent that time with them.

I'm not really a believer in either a god or an afterlife but there's a part of me that wants so badly to believe in heaven because, more than anyone else I've lost in my life, I want to see my dog Dixie one more time.

[leftyladyfrommo]

12. If you never believe anything else I say - believe this.

There is another side and all the animals go there. I believe that with my whole being.

That is how I can stand to lose them - I know they are all right over there.

It only hurts for a while when I lose them and then I get over it. So I can stand to go take on another dog that really needs a home.

But I am kind of wondering if maybe I need to get a puppy this time - just so that I have something young and alive and full of it for a while. I think it might be a good thing to do for my spirit.

[xchrom]

5. ... bless you for loving your furry friends so much

Dear God, you have given us care over all living things; protect and bless the animals who give us companionship and delight, make us their true friends and worthy companions. Amen.


Dear God, protect and bless all beings that breathe, keep all evil from them, and let them sleep in peace. Amen.
--Albert Schweitzer, "Memoirs of Childhood and Youth"

[Liberalynn]

6. I am sorry for your losses!

Thank you as well for caring so much about our four footed friends.

You gave yours a good life and lots of love while they were with you :hug:

[GreenPartyVoter]

8. *hugs* You are a beautiful person to be running your own little

animal hospice. :)

[leftyladyfrommo]

15. Really. It is kind of like that. I have owned most of my dogs for

about six years. But lately its like I have had an old folks home for animals. But old dogs are just too cool. They have such character.

[Arkansas Granny]

11. I know that has to be hard on you. Try to keep in mind that the love

and care that you gave them at the end of their lives may have made that part of the lives the best they had known.

:hug:

[SecularMotion]

14. I had to put my 14 yr old Boxer-Shepard mix down last fall

Making the decision on when it was time was one of the hardest of my life. I couldn't imagine 5 in such a short time. I'm looking for a shelter dog to adopt now. Thanks for all your work.

[leftyladyfrommo]

18. Hey - 14 is really old for a boxer/shepherd. You did good!

And yes - go to the shelter and get another one. There are great dogs there.

And the bigger dogs are harder to place so they need you. I think I can actually hear them calling your name. LOL

[MissMillie]

16. What a big heart you have....

it takes someone special to rescue older, sickly animals... knowing that you'll probably lose them somewhat quickly.

But how lucky for you to have had your life enriched by so many wonderful pets.

:hug:

[leftyladyfrommo]

19. Well, sometimes I have a big heart - and sometimes I can be

really selfish.

Sometimes I want them back. I want them back just for me. Just because I need them here - not on the other side.

But I get over it.

Too many animals out there need help for me to stay in selfish mode for long.

[Beer Snob-50]

17. I am so sorry!

It is just as hard to lose an animal as it is to lose a human family member or friend!
:hug:

[leftyladyfrommo]

20. I think in many cases it is really harder to lose an animal.

They give us a kind of unconditional love that we simply don't find anywhere else. And when we lose them it can be absolutely devastating.

I don't think people realize just how great that kind of loss can be.

We need to be very kind and aware of friends who have lost pets. Their grief is important - and should absolutely never be just ignored as irrelevant.

[Beer Snob-50]

28. Before marrying a cat lady,

we had three or four dogs we lost and it was very very hard on all of us.

[leftyladyfrommo]

21. Thanks you guys. This discussion has really, really helped.

Time to quit feeling sorry for myself and get back up on my feet.

[myrna minx]

22. I am so sorry for your losses.

Your big heart has given many in need happy lives. Bless you. :hug:

[Road Scholar]

23. I am truely sorry. I don't have any words of wisdom except

that, I was asked one time what was the worst thing that ever happened to me. To give an honest answer, I had to think about it for a couple of days.Finally I said that losing a friend had to be the worst thing that I ever experienced. I had lost several friends, most were human, but one was "Pepper" a black lab that pratically helped me raise my two children. He died about twenty years ago and I still miss him.

[cobalt1999]

24. It's hard.

We keep 1-2 foster dogs around at all times. Some have been abused, some are sick, some are the wonderful dogs...just unwanted. It's even tough to see them adopted after working with them, helping them, and seeing them improve.

[sinkingfeeling]

25. I'm so sorry for your losses. But you certainly have a good outlook in that their

spirits are with you always. It is a hard thing to do to free them from pain and taking that pain onto yourself.

[stuntcat]

26. they were lucky to have You

they could have ended up with someone who couldn't appreciate them or wouldn't care for them.. or like a million animals, just homeless. But they had you to love them and help them through life. Your soul is very important.
:hug:

[ThomCat]

27. It takes a wonderful, special person to take in

older rescues. :hug:

[BlueIris]

29. I'm sorry, hon.

Peace to you.

[Alleycat]

30. So Sorry for your loss

It's so incredibly hard to lose a much loved pet. I think in a way they do stay with us in spirit.

[YankeyMCC]

31. I had to do that twice while I was growing up

You have my sympathies but as you seem to be well aware in balance you're life has been better for knowing your furry friends even if only for a brief time.

[devilgrrl]

32. I'm sorry :-(

:hug:

[EFerrari]

33. I'm so sorry, leftylady.

:hug:

[Roon]

34. My Grandparents lost their 18-year-old schnauzer

This dog barked like crazy whenever anyone entered their house. I still see and hear her whenever I go over there.

[hatredisnotavalue]

36. I am so sorry for your loss:(

Although this poem makes me cry everytime I read it, it did help me work through my grief when we lost our dog several years ago.

Last Night
I stood by your bed last night, I came to have a peek.
I could see that you were crying, You found it hard to sleep.
I whined to you softly as you brushed away a tear,
"It's me, I haven't left you, I'm well, I'm fine, I'm here."
I was close to you at breakfast, I watched you pour the tea,
You were thinking of the many times, your hands reached down to me.
I was with you at the shops today, Your arms were getting sore.
I longed to take your parcels, I wish I could do more.
I was with you at my grave today, You tend it with such care.
I want to re-assure you, that I'm not lying there.
I walked with you towards the house, as you fumbled for your key.
I gently put my paw on you, I smiled and said " it's me."
You looked so very tired, and sank into a chair.
I tried so hard to let you know, that I was standing there.
It's possible for me, to be so near you everyday.
To say to you with certainty, "I never went away."
You sat there very quietly, then smiled, I think you knew...
in the stillness of that evening, I was very close to you.
The day is over... I smile and watch you yawning
and say "good-night, God bless, I'll see you in the morning."
And when the time is right for you to cross the brief divide,
I'll rush across to greet you and we'll stand, side by side.
I have so many things to show you, there is so much for you to see.
Be patient, live your journey out...then come home to be with me.
- Author unknown

[theNotoriousP.I.G.]

37. you are a special person

for taking in animals who have been thrown away and need a loving home. My heart goes out to you for your losses. I know I could never do what you do. O8) :hug:

[DBoon]

38. Your pets are all in heaven

and you will be with them someday as reward for your generosity and kindness

[UrbScotty]

39. Oh dear. Thank you for what you do, however.

:hug:

[Karenca]

40. You are a most special and wonderful person.

You have really touched me.
Your babies will be with you always. :hug: I am so touched by your thread.

[seemunkee]

41. I'm so sorry

You took them in and gave them a good loving home, what more could they ask for.