Our Golden Retriever, Sugar, died of cancer in 2005 at the age of 6. At age 1, she was diagnosed with hip dysplasia. The cost to repair the defect was around $6k. We were in love with her – one of a kind personality, an old sole, and couldn’t bear to put her down. As fate would have it, my wife accepted an offer from a firm, and along with it went a signing bonus (during the .com boom) which covered the surgury. We thought we had saved her, but lymphoma brought her down five years later. My advice to other dog owners who may have to face this: don’t do the chemo, it only prolongs their misery, and they are not the same being.

 John from CA

Hi Mark,

In 1991, Scampy was 16 years old, ill and it was time for him to leave us. So, because I wanted my face to be the last thing he saw in this life, I leaned over the vet’s examining table and held his head in my hands while the doctor gave him the shot that would end his life. It was the most heartbreaking thing I ever did. He was a faithful and wonderful companion to my husband, son and me. He was a furry, four-legged “Army brat”. My husband spent 34 years in the Army and Scampy devotedly moved with us eleven times in his sixteen years on this earth. I am attaching a photo of our precious Scampy so you can see just by his face what a wonderful dog he was. He is always with us because we have his ashes on our bookcase. I know how you feel about your Sprite. He will always be a wonderful, warm memory for you. Thank you for sharing your story with us.

Mary Lou From CA

I am SO sorry for your loss, and I understand how it could and would affect you. I am 63 years young, and since about 50 years ago, except four years in the Navy, I have never been without a pet, usually a rodent or a reptile or exotic fishes. We (mostly for the wife) have always had dogs and a parakeet, got the first of each while in the Navy. We have three dogs now and one parakeet, (mostly the wife’s) and a ferrit (mostly mine), and I’ve buried all friends I’ve lost on the property and each time it was so sad and so hard and I said a prayer — but either you outlive your friend or it outlives you — sorry, but that’s the sum of it (sad story to the first parakeet — we bought a new when the first died and told my oldest daughter he was the same — she was so young she didn’t know, and we just couldn’t tell her — maybe 45 years now, and I still remember and grieve — she knows and understands. The ferrit is the light of my life; he is just over a year now, they don’t live long, and I already grieve about losing him:: (presuming I outlive him) I WILL get another.

Howard from NC

There are some dogs that are really angels in fur. The first dog I owned that was all mine was just that way.

Wicket came into my life nearly six months into my first year of marriage. I was thousands of miles away from home, quite often lonely and homesick. My husband was in the air force stationed in England and while I loved the country with all my heart, I needed a friend. And Wicket became that friend.

We purchased him from a breeder, a pure bred West Highland White terrier with an impressive pedigree. We actually had to be interviewed before his breeder mum would let us take him home. I’ll never forget the first time I saw him.

He was a 6 week old pup, still playing with his brothers and sisters, and yet he seemed to pick me out right away. Of course both he and his brother came to me to say hi, but I couldn’t afford two, so I let the breeder choose which would come home with us.
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This is the story my signifcant-other wrote about “Kirah”, one of our many rescues. We have been involved in rescuing dogs for many years.

Our sweet Kirah was ushered to the Bridge, Sunday, March 17, 2002. She was in a lot of pain and x-rays revealed a new tumor near the top of the bone in her one, remaining front leg. And that was that. One x-ray showed the whole top of the bone to be filled with a tumor.

My vet left the room and came back with a syringe with a sedative in it and told me I would have a few minutes with her before he came back with the final injection. All discussion amounted to a simple, “She’s in a lot of pain, isnt she?” And his reply, “Yes”. “There is nothing else to do, now, is there” and the known reply, “No”.

Sweet Kirah licked my tears away before she dozed off. The look in her eyes said that she was ready to go. She seemed to be facing the Bridge with the same spirit and anticipation that she faced all of her hurdles with:

One last fence between her and that final freedom from pain and uncertainty and her reunion with the Source of that unconditional love she carried and shared her whole, short life.
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My best friend was named Hawkeye. I had to put him to sleep in November of 1999. He was 19 years old. Needless to say, my family and I were blessed to have Hawkeye for all those wonderful years. He certainly gave us unconditional love and attention, the kind of which can never be replaced. He did become my dog, my shadow as the years passed.
When I had Hawkeye put to sleep, it was very difficult. I could not witness it. The veterinarian tended to that in my behalf. My father (who has since passed) was my best of all friends and was very supportive of me. I decided to purchase a plot at Hinsdale animal cemetery in Hinsdale, Illinois. I have a nice monument with a picture of Hawkeye on it. I also have pictures of Kinki and Lucky (two other dogs that were our pets in the past years) on the monument. I have nice evergreens on each side of the monument.
These dogs will always have a special place in my heart.
God bless you Mark. You truly are a great American!

Joe from IL