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End of the Trail

1K views 17 replies 17 participants last post by  pathfinder65 
#1 ·
I'm 66 and after the last 4-5 years wondering why I'm even still alive myself, which is why the old adage "I'll never have another dog" seems to make sense. When I was a kid we always had a dog and the dog I grew up with had to be put down when I was around 12, which was a really sad thing even then. After my wife and I got married in early 1973, we both had dogs but neither made it for our first year. In late 73 we got our soul mate, perfect dog .... a Queensland Blue Heeler that was "off color for the breed". She became our first child, best friend, helped me work cows, and became a full fledged part of our family. When we had to have her taken to the vet for the last visit in 1988 we both decided "Boo-Boo" was irreplaceable and we would not have another dog to work our life schedules around. That lasted until September of 2004 when a pristine "stray" Doberman (docked tail with intact ears) wandered up and adopted us. We called all the local veterinarians, placed ads in the "Lost and Founds" of the local newspapers and waited two (whole) weeks before we laid claim. Took her to the vet and had her spayed, shots and groomed and she was ours and named her "Guinness" (well, she was black and tan)... or better said "we were hers". During the first vet visit we were told she was probably 18 month old, and not expect her to live much past 11-12 years old. The statement was made almost 15 years ago which would have made her about 16-1/2 years old. We took her to the same vet this morning and had her relieved of her misery. Spent 3 hours after that trip trying to remove all the everyday "Guinness" objects from sight. It's going to take a lot of time to re-arrange day to day life with her gone.

Now, the ironic part is that we have a great grandson "Wyatt" to be "born" (C-Sect) around 5:00 p.m. this afternoon. My wife will meet them at the hospital a couple of hours earlier to pick up Wyatt's 3 year old brother (Josh) to keep him occupied for a few hours before we go back to the hospital to meet the new family member. Makes for a memorable day.

The last 4-5 years have been really difficult and/or life changing for me. Losing Guinness just adds to the pile of other events.

Nope, there won't be another dog for me ....


jd
 
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#6 ·
Sorry for your loss, it is always hard to loose a friend. Bid congrats on the new grand son, have you got him a rifle yet & rod & reel???
 
#8 ·
oh but there is another stray or pup that needs you. you gave the last ones good homes. without you they might have had a life of misery. give another one a good home. my wife's little dog died in her arms Christmas night 2017 that was a Christmas we will never forget. but now we have another loyal dog. she was a stray and starving, now she is safe because of us,,,,,,,,,,,,
 
#12 ·
My most sincere condolences upon the loss of your beloved Guinness. You have given her a long life filled with purpose and love. And you were there for her when she needed you most. We have our dear friends for so short a time it seems. May you find peace.

There are many other older dogs out there who need a loving family to belong to. It's not too late.

No one can have just one Guinness.
 
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#13 ·
Surveyor, also 66 and wondering why I'm here. I lost my Fi - a Great Dane - at the ripe old age of 12 years and four months, a bit over six years ago. I cry over her every day and miss her incredibly. What keeps me going is that blinding flash of the obvious: that I wouldn't miss her if I'd never had her in my life. We spent her last eight years together - far more than we ever had a right to hope for. We did not seek her out, but rather, we were offered her "out of the blue", along with her little buddy Scruffy (a 12# Terrihuahua). Those eight years we had together were the best and finest years of my life - and I believe hers. Without her, they would rightfully be the worst: losing both parents, diagnosis of prostate cancer, surgery for it, learning surgery didn't get it all, learning radiation didn't get it, my wife's first heart attack, spreading of the prostate cancer to my spine, having most of my teeth extracted to prepare for the bone cancer meds, etc. With all of that, Fi was my best companion, friend, and therapist.

It was like God said "here, you're going to need her"...She was a blessing like no other!

I had grown up with a dog all my life, but there had been an 18-year lapse before Fi and Scruffy entered my life. A lonely void. And now we're in that void again - over four years since Scruffy began her commencement of life eternal.

My wife and I love dogs, but won't seek out another due to our age and health. But we both agree that if God deems we should have one or two and unexpectedly presents them to us (as He did with Fi and Scruffy), we will gratefully accept them and love them and embrace them and care for them as family.

Our farm house is really no longer a true home without Fi and Scruffy - both joined us our first night here. Yet, Fi is still around, giving me hints (and sometimes billboard-statements!) that she is still with me/us.

We have two horses (one approaching 30 years old) and two barn cats (13 years old) to keep us busy, but there is something very special about a dog's love and devotion and, in particular, Fi's letting me know in very definitive ways she is in God's Heaven, shared that incredible love briefly, and is awaiting me. A spiritual experience I had never had before.

Were I alone, I'd go to a shelter in a heartbeat and scoop up a bundle of love. But the reality is my wife is most likely to be the caregiver and nurse - it's in her nature, and she is not willing to go that route unless God provides. So I/we settle for the two formerly feral barn cats' love/affection, and mostly caring for our elder horse Mac, the one who brought us to this farm, the one who kept me from going to work near (and possibly into) the Pentagon on 9/11, our first "pet". When my wife indicated he was up for auction (she had known him for a few years), she first asked if it was okay to bid on him, and then cautioned it would be a "life-changing event". I said fine, very happy to fulfill her life-long dream of a horse.

It was a "life-changing event" that led us to this farm, and Fi and Scruffy, and Hawk (a pasture partner for Mac), and Spooky and Smokey (our barn cats).

Fi's and Scruffy's mortal remains are buried here. I respect those remains as they were God's vehicle of love that let us know them in our lives, but also know they are just that - mortal remains.

Surveyor, you may find some traces of Guinness in Wyatt. Our black barn cat comes to greet me on the driveway each morning much like my Fi did, and is starting to develop white hair exactly where my Fi had hers. Some of this is wishful correlation, some not. Mannerisms are similar. Not a huge incarnation believer, but there are signs...

Bless your grandson Wyatt, and don't discount accepting another dog into your life: if God wills it. You'll know...

May God Bless you, brother. Never say never.
 
#14 ·
RJF, it sounds like we've had a whole lot of similar experiences. Losing Guiness is going to be tough for sure, since the reality finally hit me in the last couple of hours. But, it's not insurmountable.

On the good news front, we just got "the call" about 30 minutes ago that Wyatt was brought into the world, apparently fit and ready to go. I'd doubt that he'll be up for a range trip any time real soon, so I guess I'll have to hang around at least another five or six years to start being an influencer to the both of them boys. We'll give them another hour or so to get settled in before we take Josh in the meet his new baby brother.


jd
 
#18 ·
Very sorry for your loss!
Yep, it is hard (we had to put our 14 yr. old Great Dane Harlequin down last Fall).
At 75, I doubt that we will get another.
On the other hand my wife just left 5 min. ago to go to a local pet shelter Board meeting. So, she gets to handle a lot of friendly paws that helps fill the gap in our lives. Got to handle a couple baby raccoons yesterday (would love to have one again, but not in the cards these days!).
 
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