There's never the right words - and both your girls seemed to be part of my extended family. Such photos, such Epik Journeys! You have my deepest sympathies.
Good lord... Abby and Keeper were like the adoptive pets of all of Calgarypuck for a very long time... very sad news. Nothing else to add, I got a little emotional reading your previous post Cow, and then the latest one about Keeper....
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Sorry for your loss, Cowperson. Losing both dogs in such a short time has to really hurt. Cherish the memories and the good times they brought into your life.
the beauty of this thread is the nostalgia that it stirs up. The sadness is really a happy sad, same with the tears. I truly wish I could be as eloquent as you Cow, beautiful stuff.
I can't believe you lost them both in a month Cowperson. Maybe I missed it, but I didn't see where Keeper had gotten sick as well. Just incredible. Are you going to get more dogs? All the best to you.
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But living an honest life - for that you need the truth. That's the other thing I learned that day, that the truth, however shocking or uncomfortable, leads to liberation and dignity. -Ricky Gervais
Fortunately/unfortunately, we have four cats as well, including two 10 year-olds. So, more sad days to come.
We've gone through this cycle before, losing a 10 year-old Sheltie, two (2) 15 year-old cats, a nine-year old cat and a six year old cat . . . . and now Abby and Keeper. It's not our first rodeo.
We outlive them. Every single time. As you get older, these things happen over and over. It's part of the price you pay to have them in your life.
Doesn't make it easier though. I conferenced in from home this a.m., sticking around just to make sure Mrs. Cowperson was doing alright. As I was looking out my home office window, I realized how quiet it was. Very quiet. No barking on one of those crystal clear, crisp winter mornings. A day that's a little more lonely than the one before.
Are you going to get more dogs?
An acquaintance has offered her six month old Golden Retriever female to us. The lady was recently elected to a higher office, changing the circumstances in her life fairly dramatically, and she feels she may not have time to give her pup the attention it needs. If we don't take her, however, she'll keep her. Obviously, that's an ideal transition solution. BUT, while I get all the press with the website and stories, Mrs. Cowperson is their primary caregiver and spends far more time with them on a daily basis. It's really her call and it's too soon to tell . . . . the last time we lost a dog it took a year for her to want another one. It's very tough on her. We'll see. I'm about 85% sure she'll want another dog or two at some point in the next while.
For myself, I think I still need a buddy or two to plow through the snow with . . . .
They'll be missed.
Thanks to all of you for your sentiments. As word of our situation spread through Cyberspace, I've learned how many fans Abby and Keeper really had. If there had been funerals, they would have been very, very large ones.
Cowperson
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Dear Lord, help me to be the kind of person my dog thinks I am. - Anonymous
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Cow, you're the most awesome pet owner I know. So proud of your animals. And you tell their stories so well. With words and with pictures. Thanks for sharing.
I lost my dog almost 14 years ago and vowed to never own another, it just hurt too damn much. We have a cat, she's almost 9, not looking forward to the inevitable there (or trying to tell to young kids the news).
I'm am sincerely sorry for your losses Cow. My golden Abbey is approaching 6 years old and is still healthy. She is the happiest dog I've ever had the pleasure of raising and I hope she has many more years to come.
I've purposefully been avoiding this thread because it makes me so sad. I'm honestly tearing up as I think of what has passed and what is to come.
Anyway, best of luck and remember all the good times.
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Yes, it is rather different to have such a complete history of a pair of dogs . . . . lots of people kept coming back to Abby & Keeper's ongoing photo blog through the years and, as one gentleman wrote us today, "I have followed their adventures with great interest, and am feeling this loss harder than I would have expected for two goldens known only online."
The website was set up for my two godchildren . . . . then the world arrived. They had a message of condolence from Vienna a few days ago.
Abby and Keeper served as interesting, generally uncontrollable muses, reviving a lost interest in photography. They were a creative outlet for myself . . . .
Apparently our vet was in tears last night. She was the conduit that brought Keeper to us 11 years ago and knew Keeper as a puppy . . . . and then helped us yesterday at the end. She went home and logged onto the website and that opened the floodgates yet again. She has a hard job sometimes.
We're obviously not the first people to lose a dog or two. You can see that in this thread. It's pain well-shared. A fellow in our office will lose one of his black labs by Christmas. One lady in Australia leaving a message for us has lost four in the last year. It happens to everyone and will probably happen again to ourselves.
Life goes on.
When the snow clears though, a decade-old habit of carving trails out in our yard will reveal itself once more, a daily reminder, into the far future if cattle trails are any indication, of those who once walked there. I like that.
Thank you again.
Cowperson
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Dear Lord, help me to be the kind of person my dog thinks I am. - Anonymous
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I ended up putting my companion of 12 years down tonight. As mentioned previously in this thread, she had a malignant tumor on her paw.. and last weekend she ripped the tumor open and it's been bleeding on and off ever since. She could barely walk at all and when she did, she tried hopping everywhere. The vet said it wasn't going to get any better and it was likely quite painful for her. It's extremely hard when the animal is mentally alert and still seemed spry for her age, save for having the tumor on her paw. The vet said that if the tumor was elsewhere, she'd recommend waiting until the cancer took more of a toll on her health, but given that it was on the bottom of her foot, it was torture to keep going.... malignant tumors don't heal.
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I ended up putting my companion of 12 years down tonight. As mentioned previously in this thread, she had a malignant tumor on her paw.. and last weekend she ripped the tumor open and it's been bleeding on and off ever since. She could barely walk at all and when she did, she tried hopping everywhere. The vet said it wasn't going to get any better and it was likely quite painful for her. It's extremely hard when the animal is mentally alert and still seemed spry for her age, save for having the tumor on her paw. The vet said that if the tumor was elsewhere, she'd recommend waiting until the cancer took more of a toll on her health, but given that it was on the bottom of her foot, it was torture to keep going.... malignant tumors don't heal.
Sorry to hear that.
Very difficult circumstances as you described. Our decisions were effectively forced on us, with no wiggle room . . . . . yours had had to be tougher call.
Cowperson
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Dear Lord, help me to be the kind of person my dog thinks I am. - Anonymous
So sorry to hear of your loss of your family members. They are beautiful animals and will be missed. I've also lost two of my dogs within the past year and it hurts. Always remember the good times and never forget them. We have since adapted another puppy which does heal the pain.
