We lost a four legged child tonite.

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It was truly a dark and stormy night tonite. Earlier today, we rushed our beloved pekenese to the vet. She was having trouble breathing...the dog, not the vet. The vet said that it was a heart problem, which is...we found out, a common problem among pekes. He gave us some pills to help with Sugar's breathing and water retention and we brought her home.

She, sugar, spent the day breathing hard and my heart broke to see her in so much distress, but we hoped that the shots the vet gave her and the pills would keep her with us for a few more years at least... but it was not to be.

Her "Mom",.. my Goddaughter, had to go to work, and HER Mom was out with her boyfriend at a benefit. I was home but I couldn't stay with Sugar, it hurt me too much to see her suffering. Sugar spent her last hours hidden in a corner between the side of the couch and the wall. When Tina, my housemate, best friend, sugar's mom's mom, came home to find that Sugar tried to get up and fell, got up and fell again and breathed her last in Tina's arms.

11 years. Way too short a time with such a sweet, stubborn, walleyed dog, but there it is. 12 to 14 years is the average lifespan for Pekes and Sugar was so sick. Of course it was a tearful Goddaughter who came home to see her baby, only to find that she had died before she got home, and it will be a quiet household tonite.

See, that's the thing about pets. With rare exceptions, they don't live nearly long enough, and we are always left with nothing but memories and pet toys scattered around the house... and lots of regrets and tears. Pets ask so little of us and they give so much. They love without question and never judge.

So, on this dark and stormy night, I offer this to the memory of a loveable, maddening, stubborn pup who stole all our hearts and gave us back more love than we deserved.

Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Dowager Cixi, (1835 – 1908) said about the Pekenese, a favorite of the Chinese courts for hundreds of years.

"Let the Lion Dog be small; let it wear the swelling cape of dignity around its neck; let it display the billowing standard of pomp above its back.

Let its face be black; let its forefront be shaggy; let its forehead be straight and low.

Let its eyes be large and luminous; let its ears be set like the sails of war junk; let its nose be like that of the monkey god of the Hindus.

Let its forelegs be bent; so that it shall not desire to wander far, or leave the Imperial precincts.

Let its body be shaped like that of a hunting lion spying for its prey.

Let its feet be tufted with plentiful hair that its footfall may be soundless and for its standard of pomp let it rival the whick of the Tibetans' yak, which is flourished to protect the imperial litter from flying insects.

Let it be lively that it may afford entertainment by its gambols; let it be timid that it may not involve itself in danger; let it be domestic in its habits that it may live in amity with the other beasts, fishes or birds that find protection in the Imperial Palace.

And for its color, let it be that of the lion - a golden sable, to be carried in the sleeve of a yellow robe; or the colour of a red bear, or a black and white bear, or striped like a dragon, so that there may be dogs appropriate to every costume in the Imperial wardrobe.

Let it venerate its ancestors and deposit offerings in the canine cemetery of the Forbidden City on each new moon.

Let it comport itself with dignity; let it learn to bite the foreign devils instantly.

Let it be dainty in it's food so that it shall be known as an Imperial dog by its fastidiousness; sharks fins and curlew livers and the breasts of quails, on these may it be fed; and for drink give it the tea that is brewed from the spring buds of the shrub that groweth in the province of Hankow, or the milk of the antelopes that pasture in the Imperial parks.

Thus shall it preserve its integrity and self-respect; and for the day of sickness let it be anointed with the clarified fat of the legs of a sacred leopard, and give it to drink a throstle's eggshell full of the juice of the custard apple in which has been dissolved three pinches of shredded rhinoceros horn, and apply it to piebald leeches.

So shall it remain - but if it dies, remember thou too art mortal."

And I will await the day when I reach that lovely field, beyond which is the Rainbow Bridge... where all my loved and cherished pets will be waiting for me, healthy and young again and we shall all cross the bridge together, never to be parted again. Farewell sweet Sugar.

Catherine Linda Michel

Comments

Four legged heart thieves

All I can say is what somebody said to me after my cat died: Our four-legged friends manage to worm their way into our hearts and when they die the size of the hole they leave is enormous.

I am so, so sorry for your loss.


"Life is not measured by the breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.”
George Carlin

Thank you.

very much.

Cathy

As a T-woman, I do have a Y chromosome... it's just in cursive, pink script. Y_0.jpg

I know...

laika's picture

I never had a better friend than the kitty I lost ten years ago
and still feel the grief; but I remember and still feel her love,
and happiness she brought me. I am so sorry for your loss.
~hugs, Ronni

Catherine... I am sorry for your loss...

yes, our fur babies worm their way into our hearts. They give us unconditional love. They make us giggle, and laugh, do their best to make us feel better when we are sick.

They are all waiting for us, on the far side of the bridge from here to the hereafter. You will see and play with them again.

I am so very sorry for the loss of your little Sugar.

So sorry for your loss.

tmf's picture

They may be small (or smallish) but they are huge in our hearts.
May she rest in peace.
May you and yours find peace.

Loving Hugs tmf

Peace - Love - Freedom - Happiness

No one knows you like your dog

erin's picture

My little furry partner sees me put on my shoes in the morning and she heads immediately to the back door, bouncing a little, tall wagging while she looks back at me with a doggy grin. She knows we are going to go for a walk and when we get back there will be breakfast and maybe a time on the porch chasing toys that keep getting away from me.

When we walk and she sees the home of one of her particular friends, human, dog or cat, she whines in the back of her throat and pulls at the leash. She can't wait to say hello and then it is off again, more bushes to sniff, more bits of fluff and blowing leaves to pounce on.

When I go out, she'll be waiting for me when I get back, just for a skritch around the ears. My heart is black and furry, with a little pompom for a tail, and she is a joy and a pleasure to me every day.

Remember your furry friends and cherish them, and when they are gone the memory of them will still be something that gives you joy and pleasure.

Hugs,
Erin

= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.

Hugs Cathy

BarbieLee's picture

They give us unconditional love, accepting and sharing all our moods. They know when we are sick, happy, miserable. They steal our heart and give back all of theirs. I've cried thousands of tears over many of those four legged friends including some who stood on hooves. We are blessed to have each one in our life despite the pain when they are no longer there.
https://rainbowsbridge.com/poem.htm

Oklahoma born and raised cowgirl

I'm sorry for your loss.

gillian1968's picture

I've had to take a couple dogs for their final moment, and I still miss them.

Gillian Cairns

Sorry to hear your news

Angharad's picture

sadly, pedigree animals are all ticking time-bombs with so many inbred defects. It sounds as if she was much loved all her life which is all you can give and she was part of a family.

Angharad

It IS heart-rending

At least your little friend had a loving life.

Nothing lasts forever, and our pets we all know deep down are going to cross the Rainbow Bridge before us - in most cases.

Be proud that you provided such love.

Hugs

Julia

Such sad news

To lose a loved one is painful.

And a dog, cat or other animal can be family.

After a reasonable time had passed get another animal.

There are so many waiting in shelters in need of a good home.

To share your love and home is the best way to honor your lost one.

John in Wauwatosa

John in Wauwatosa

Thank you all.

While Sugar wasn't MY dog, she was a family member and, jus tlike a famiy member she was, by turns, sweet, lovable, stubborn, willful and even a pain in the ass at times.

No, Sugar was Kalene's dog...my Goddaughter.... but that didn't deter me from loving her and being loved, I think, by her. She would get so excited when Kalene or Tina, Kalene's mom, would come home from school or work, bouncing from front foot to the other and quivering and whining to know that her people were home.

She wasn't a pretty dog... except to another pekenese maybe. With eyes bugging out and one eye a different color from the other one. She had a face that looked like she'd hit a wall face first at about 90 miles an hour. She was ungainly and oh so willful... and despite all that, she was beautiful and loved.

She leaves us with two other dogs. A terrier mix and one of the terrier's puppies, almost two years old. They seem to know that "something" isn't right... something is wrong, but I don't think they can fathom death.

I'm sorry to be rambling, but it's the only way I can process what has happened.

Thank you all for your so kind responses. I have long decided that, since I had to put my last pet down, I was never going to have another. Never again be so close to an animal that I would outlive. It hurts too much to lose them. That still holds true.

Catherine Linda Michel

As a T-woman, I do have a Y chromosome... it's just in cursive, pink script. Y_0.jpg

Other Side of the Coin

My concern now is being outlived by my next furry friend. There is a kitten rescue group here and every Sunday they run an article in the paper and include a photo of some lovable, hugable kitten that has just been bottle-weaned. But any kitten will outlive me and that just feels wrong. My next/last cat will be an older one from the local humane society shelter. People bring in older cats for many reasons, but adopters always go towards the cute lil' kittens. But for somebody like me an older cat is perfect.

Edit/add: Sad thing in the Sunday paper. They posted a photo of two young cats that were adopted from them last year. But the cats were brought back as for some reason they couldn't keep them any longer. IMHO that is about as cruel as you can get. Pets are not a convenience item. You don't take them in for a short time then return them. They are not a rental item.


"Life is not measured by the breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.”
George Carlin

I completely understand your concerns

about outliving another pet. I am kinda in that same boat. The thing is though, I don't deal well with loss at all whether its a person or a pet. So no more pets for me. I'll make do with the two dogs that live with my housemate.

Cathy

As a T-woman, I do have a Y chromosome... it's just in cursive, pink script. Y_0.jpg

My Prayer

Patricia Marie Allen's picture

You wrote: "Pets ask so little of us and they give so much. They love without question and never judge."

My prayer has always been, "Lord help me to be the person my dog thinks I am."

My heart goes out to you. I remember like it was yesterday when our dog met the same fate. I pray that the Lord will comfort you in this time.

Hugs
Patricia

Happiness is being all dressed up and HAVING some place to go.
Semper in femineo gerunt

We lost a very very dear four

We lost a very very dear four legged member of the family two weeks ago today. We were out playing and she had a massive heart attack, and was gone very quickly. It's was the only saving grace, that she didn't suffer. But, it was a great loss to our home and family. She will be sadly missed, just as your beloved family member will be. And, the Rainbow Bridge has always been a comfort to us on such a loss.
https://rainbowsbridge.com/poem.htm

I'm so sorry for your loss.

I'm so sorry for your loss. My condolences to you and your family. I know from experience that when a furry friend passes away, it's not like the death of a family member, it is the death of a family member.

Kris

{I leave a trail of Kudos as I browse the site. Be careful where you step!}

If you think back, Gwen,

you met Sugar when you visited here. The Pekingnese with the weird eyes.

Cathy

As a T-woman, I do have a Y chromosome... it's just in cursive, pink script. Y_0.jpg

Thanks to all of you

for your so kind responses to this sad event for our family. Both myself, Tina, my housemate/best friend, and Kalene, my Goddaughter and the owner of Sugar really appreciate the things you wrote.

God bless you all and thanks again.

Catherine Linda Michel

As a T-woman, I do have a Y chromosome... it's just in cursive, pink script. Y_0.jpg