Mark,
My wife and I had two Shelties, Mitzi and Maggie. Each lived until about 14 years old. Both are gone now. I had the experience of putting each dog down, at the vet’s office,when it was her time. Each occasion was for me quite sad and I am not ashamed to say that I cried when each died. I chose to be in the room with each dog when it was time for them to be put to sleep because, in part, each had always been there for me. The least I could do was to be there for Mitzi, about five years ago, and for Maggie this past year. In each instance I simply put both of my hands, gently and lovingly on her while she received the euthanasia and said, “Good dog, Mitzi” and more recently, “Good dog, Maggie” and then said good bye. These were both good, smart affectionate dogs and they always greeted me with wagging tails when I came home each night from work. They asked for so little yet gave so much. I know I learned a lot about life, including: living, suffering, and dying through Mitzi and Maggie.
(more…)

In the 1990’s I lived in Phenix City, AL, right across the Chattahoochie River from Columbus, GA. One day a story ran in the paper about an old widower who used to take his pet Chihuahua, Little Bit, everywhere he went. The old man would walk the town with his elbow bent, and the little dog resting on his right forearm. After the man’s wife died, the dog was his only companion, since they had had no children.
Now, I’m sketchy on the details, but, suffice it to say, one day the old man passed away. For the next few days, this dog was inconsolable. It was every bit of 23 years old, blind, deaf, and had no teeth. All the dog would do was lie there and cry. Eventually, the dog was euthanized. At the funeral, anyone who walked up to the casket to view the old man’s body also saw the body of Little Bit, nestled on the right forearm of his friend. They were laid to rest together that way.
Not only does the heart of a master break over the loss of a dog, but vice versa as well.

Jay from Missouri

Dear Mark, I got my first dog, Sergei, at a local animal shelter. I had just bought a house so I had graduated from the renters world to home ownership. Sergei was a found dog. He looked just like Lassie but he stayed close to the back of the kennel and shook. He was so frightened. I’ve never seen a dog so completely scared in my life. I suspect it was in part the noise of all the other dogs barking. When I got him home he continued to be very shy at first and I wondered if he would ever warm up to people. Well – that is a thing of the past. He is so gentle and caring. Sergei has a heart of gold.

A year after I got Sergei I started searching to find him a friend. Since he was so sensitive, I didn’t want to get a dog that was too dominate. I searched and searched the shelters and my mother, recently widowed and thrilled to be helping me fix up my new home, came with me. She was non to thrilled though. She kept saying to me “why do you need another dog” – “you don’t need another dog” she’d say.
(more…)

Mark,
This article was sent to me in in April of this year after my second golden retriever was diagnosed with cancer of the Nares, Murphy is still with us and everyday is a blessing..I dread the day that we will have to say goodbye.Everyday he brings so much joy and unconditional love to us and some days he acts like nothing is wrong.
The attached message is from a friend who knew the day we were told Murphy had about 4 months to live..That was 7 months ago.
HERE YOU GO. I LOVE YOUR SHOW AND AGREE WITH SHAWN YOU ARE THE GREAT ONE.
(more…)

Foxy is our latest family member. She has been with us for 5 years and came from the Boulder Valley Humane Society. She had come to them from a different shelter with two of her puppies. Foxy is a Shiba Inu/Cattle dog mix and is very cute and very smart. When I brought her home from the shelter she ran right over to my wife and has stayed by her ever since. She takes two walks a day with me but I must be content to be second in her life….and I am content.

The joy a dog can bring to your life is worth the eventual pain of their loss. I feel our job is to make every day for them worthy of our sharing their love. When our first dog Duchess died the vet said “we want them to live forever but they don’t”. That simple statement of fact was very consoling to me. I no longer expect my dog to live forever except in my heart and I will forever love Duchess and Queenie and Foxy, here or gone.

Joe from Colorado

Here our story.

Early in April 2003, for about three months before, TJ had been experiencing a marked atrophy and lack of balance in his legs. The symptoms shifted from one side to the other and he had a lack of energy, appetite and motivation while in the house. When we took him out though, he was his usual self, excited, wanting to play…you know…just like any pet that is nurtured and loved and know it; the usual TJ, just a little off balance.

At first (back in late January) the Vet thought it was just a touch of arthritis but had some reservations when the Glucosamine did not help. They referred him to a Neurologist over in Raleigh Hills (Dr Steve Skinner) who said it looked like a problem common in some dogs. The Neuro said he had serious inner ear problem, called it a Vestibular Infection but that it was very curable and they could treat it with an evac of the infected ear and antibiotics. They did the evac and he stayed on antibiotics for two weeks after which he seemed better but still off balance from time to time. Then he got worse and the Neuro increased the anti’s for another two weeks but they made TJ sick. Still, TJ finished that regimen and was still having a problem. The Neuro said that he was sure there was something else wrong now that the usual treatments had failed. We took him back to our local Vet who tried something else using heavy cortisone, DMSO, and steroids to try and bring down any inflammation of the nerve that may have been caused by the ear problem but …no response. They just gave TJ stomach bleeding which the Vet said was usual when dogs were treated with steroids. He said we should go back to the Neurologist.
(more…)