Pets 🐕 Losing a pet

[Maister]

I remember ZG saying one time that RJ didn't want to get a dog because he didn't want to deal with the end stages of their life again. In some ways, that's understandable. Pets are funny, they're not people, yet they clearly express emotions and often demonstrate trust and even affection for 'their people' so there's a strong tendency to form bonds with these beings. When they pass, the emotional impacts are sometimes not unlike losing a family member.

Anyone have any particularly beloved pets? What were your childhood experiences with the loss of a pet?

 

[The Terminator]

Family cats:

RIP Lucky 1 197X-1985

RIP Lucky 2 199X-2000

RIP Lucky 3 2000-2014

Lucky 4 is still alive at 12 and I'm hoping he'll make 20!

will share pic's later

 

[ursus]

When my girls were little we had a basset hound we called Gracie. She went everywhere with those little girls and loved them all ferociously. She loved kittens and babies and the little hummingbirds that would come to our front walk. She died young, in an accident. I'll never forget burying her under the pine tree in our back yard. I still think about Gracie and the tears will come. We loved her so much.

 

[michaelskis]

I think it hits differently for different people. Sure, it hurt when we had to put down our dog when we lived in MI, but she was struggling to breathe and I knew that it was the best thing for her.

On the other hand, not everyone can have kids, so their "Fur Babies" effectively take that role. My sister and her husband have a golden retriever that has lived a life better than any other dog I have ever seen. He gets Halloween costumes every year, has birthday parties with other dogs, frequently goes to work with my sister, and when they are out of town a friend takes him and she brings him to work at her store that sells construction clothing. He even has a yellow safety vest with his name on it and was named employee of the month at one point.

However, he was born in 2012 and is really getting up there in age. He can't go for walks anymore, so she puts him in a jogging stroller and she pushes him around the neighborhood. They have done just about every medical intervention possible to extend his life and enjoyment. He gets custom dog food that is kept in the freezer (no dry kibble for this dog) and has checkups at the vet every couple of months.

When it is time to say good bye, it is going to crush her because to her, he is so much more than just a dog.

 

[bureaucrat#3]

My father was big proponent animals are not people and just animals. His father raised hunting dogs. They were friendly and treated well, they were working animals. All the livestock, chickens and goats were tools and products. He treated them well and humanely making sure they were well feed, safe, and sheltered when necessary. He also ran a cost benefit analysis when they were injured, sick, or starting to age rapidly.

We had lots of family pets growing up. The two that were mine were a cat when I was five and a beautiful sheepdog when I was 10. The cat unfortunately got out and was run over a few months after we got it. My first experience with loss. I was devastated. The dog lived for six or seven years. She was an idiot but sweet. She had a genetic predisposition to spinal issues and I let her suffer to long. My dad finally called me out on it and he made me put her down. That had a dramatic effect on me as well. I've never wanted any pets since. I love animals and always get along with them. We have some family pets because my wife cannot stand to see a hungry animal. I don't really consider them mine even though I take care of most of the tasks associated with them. I'm the one who winds up taking the pet to vet for their final visit. We keep our animals up to date on shots and medicine. I don't mind letting them age in peace, but I won't spend money on major surgeries that don't have clear outcomes.

I'm sure these are things I should be talking to a therapist about along with a few other issues. I also have a great story about buying and raising a show cow and my dad didn't tell me years later when I home from college that we were eating.