I am a police officer and have a partner, the other day i had to take a dog to the family doctor, while I was there I ask the clerk when a pet passes away do they pull the file and marked it deceased, and she stated they did, but everything was on the computer if I needed any dates or other info on a deceased pet or a living pet, a day later I had to take a second dog to the family doctor, and the clerk said I pulled your info on the computer and she said to date we have or have had a total of 52 pets, all these pets had all been resecued, three came from Hurranine Katerina, two cats and a horse, we lost one of the cats a year later, she was old and crippled and we knew no one would ever adopt her, and we have had a dog and other cats find us, I now have 7 dogs, 11 cats 13 horses, some cows, goats, chickens and ducks. I just lost a goat I had for a very short time, a year and a half, i found her deceased in her stall on Oct. 29, this loss hurt so very bad as she like all the other animals in my life was a family member. i had to put four horses down, one was 33, one was 34, one was 18 and one 15. Three of these guys told me some how that it was time for me to let them go and cross the rainbow bridge. Each loss whether dog, cat, horse, goat or cow even chicken is tragic. I know the pain it and it never gets any easier, but I think when one passes, they leave a mark on your heart to pour out that love to another dog or cat. My roommate told me that the day that I pass, that I was surley going to be trampled by all the pass loves of my life when I cross the rainbow bridge myself. I too can’t imagine anyone ever losing a child, it has to be unbearable, God put me to my knees when I lost my goat (Rose) the other day, and a great dane that I have is getting a little slower so I know her time is near, and she is 12, so god blessed me with her for more years than the average age of 7. I could just go on and on, and knowing that I wil see my kids again one day keeps me going. The family dorctor came to my house to put down a shephard in my living room, and he even cried with us, my bedroom is full of urns, where I had a couple of my cats, my shephard and 2 of my goats cremated. Even had a horse cremated. Buried 4 horses and I now cremate because the Raleigh area is growing so fast that the farm I live on one be developed, and i can’t bear the thought of having to leave them some day due to development. Some of us live and work just to enjoy the pleasure these guys give us. Sorry I bounced around from subject to subject, I am at work and a supervisor, but I can’t keep myself together enough to think straight after listing to you the last two nights. I just wish everyone could hear you story, so when I call out at work due to a death or injury the upper management wouldn’t thinnk I was nuts. Again god Bless you.

Vickie from North Carolina