Hi Mark,
I just got done listening to your interview with Scott Hennen. I just put my dog to sleep mid October. He was a 14 year old Dalmatian named Bones (b/c he was so skinny as a puppy “a little bag of bones”). My best friend, my constant. It’s a decision that I didn’t want to have to make. I, like you prayed to God to take him in his sleep, but he didn’t and I had to make the decision. My brain tells me that I made the right decision but my heart disagrees. The thing was that “Bones” was still able to walk, talk, eat, sleep and poop. But he was ridden with arthritis and had lost a huge amount of weight this year. I had my vet do an assessment and he told me that something had to be going on with the weight loss. He also said that we could do a bunch of tests-spend a lot of money, and I would still have a 14 year old dog. It was the worst thing that I have ever been through, the most pain by far. I have no children and was married and divorced. I have also lost young people in my life, and this far outweighed the pain of any of these events. I understand when people lose children – but to me he was my child.

I always said that I believed in love at first sight, b/c that is what “Boney Dog” and I had together. I found him in a pet store in Aix en Provence, France back in 1993. It was love at first sight. He came back to the US with me, and when I got divorced 5 years ago. I literally told my attorney that all I wanted was Boney Dog. My husband kept the house and Boney Dog and I moved out. I could go on and on about how close we were, and how much I miss him everyday- but somehow I think you understand that already.

I don’t know that I will ever be ready to have another dog. Not because I don’t think that it would be impossible for someone to fill Boney Dog’s shoes, but b/c I can’t imagine going through this pain ever again. I too thought about quitting my job, selling my house, and the only reason I didn’t was b/c I didn’t have a clue what to do or where I would go. He was my rock, and I know he wouldn’t want me to curl up in a corner and die. I know he is in Heaven with God, and I will meet him when we cross over that “Rainbow Bridge” (I’m sure you’ve been exposed to that poem, if not let me know and I will attach it). For now I think of him everyday and hope he knows in his heart that what I did was what was best for him. I didn’t want him to get so bad that he was blind and couldn’t walk, I wanted him to have his dignity until the end. I look forward to reading your book, and am sorry for your loss as well. I read a touching email on a child’s version of why pets don’t live as long as people….he said that dogs are born to love, be happy, treat people with respect, honor family etc….people on the other hand can take a lifetime to learn all of these things so that’s why they have to live so long. Pet’s don’t need to be here as long b/c they already know how to do all these things. God Bless you and thank you for giving me the opportunity to share my story.

I’m sorry I don’t have an electronic picture to share with you but I have tons of old fashioned ones from a good old 35mm.

Stacey from ND