As most of us know in many cases we will out live our beloved animal companions.

The pain and loss of their passing, sometimes sudden, is very difficult to absorb.

Josh was a friend, a confidant, a partner, kind and most of all one of the most beautiful male companions inside and out that a women could ever want (don’t tell my husband). His ability to “be with me” helped me to keep my life in perspective.

He seemed to have a grasp of what was truly important in life and I know for certain that he lived his short life to the fullest. The wag of his tail, his eagerness to please, his consideration to my 1st grandson when he came home from the hospital and his way of never knowing a stranger is missed by all.

As for me I can only do what Josh showed me so many times and that was to put one foot in front of the other regardless of what left has presented and someday you will realize that the sun is shining again—he will forever live in my heart .

For the love of Animals,

Judi from NC

In May of 1993, we decided to adopt a dog from the local Humane Socirty. My daughter fell in love with two mixed terriers and could not decide which puppy to choose. She kept pacing back and forth and finally chose Sweetie over Curtis. Sweetie was the love of our lives. For fourteen years we loved her and she nurtured us both emotionally and spiritually. But on October 23, 2007 we had to make the most painful decision of our lives. Sweetie , (who was later renamed Zoe) was extremely ill and weak and we knew it was time for her to be with the angels. My family and I wrapped our Zoe in soft blankets for her final ride to the Emergency vet’s office. Saying our final good-bye to a faithful friend of fourteen years was the most heart-breaking act we ever had to do. But when she was gone, I leaned over to kiss her and then I knew…..Zoe was with the angels beecause she had a smile at the corners of her mouth. Thank you Zoe for being a part of my life.

Chris from MI

My Wife and I are breeders of Standard Poodles and have produced 8 litters of dogs during the past12 years. We have produced numerous champions and have had two of our dogs entered at the Westminster Kennel Club Competiton in NYC. The story I am about to tell is about one of the puppies, Lucky Simon, from a litter produced in 2004. That litter contained 5 puppies each weighing 1 pound. They all appeared normal and there was no problem whelping them. On the 10th day when the other 4 puppies began trying to get up on their feet this one puppy seemed unable to, and was moving about using a breast stroke type of motion with his front paws. We did research and discovered he was a “swimmer” puppy that most veternarians “put down”. We brought him to our veternarian to have him euthanized on the 12th day as he seemed in pain and distress.
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Mark, heard you on Hannity on Monday. The interview was very moving. We have a 5 year old collie, Buddy and a 3 year old Persian cat, Sandy Rose. Both of them were rescued from animak\l shelters. They have brought so much joy into our lives. May God Bless you and your family – pets included.

Bill & Patricia  from NE

Barkley died peacefully in our arms 10/19/07. He died lying in his favorite spot between our chairs, and had what looked like a seizure. He was gone within 15 minutes while we petted him and talked to him and told him we loved him. He was 12 years, six months and one week old, and we enjoyed every second that we had with him.

He loved going out in the boat with us, and watching us water ski. When he was dying, I told him to pretend he was in the boat with his ears flapping in the breeze. When he heard the word “boat” his eyebrows went up–his spirit was ready to go, but his body was too weak. He stayed with me through two back surgeries, and was always there to greet me when I came home from work with his wagging tail and bright eyes.

Needless to say, we are devastated, but are grateful that he had a good life and did not suffer. Here is a picture of him doing his favorite thing.

The ache in our hearts will never go away, and the hole in our lives is huge.

Ruth from OR

This is about my little girl Soft Coated Wheaten terrier Abigail, also known as “Wait For Me” because we spent all night (from 6:30 pm to 5:00 am) at the Newark, NJ airport, waiting for her to arrive from her Phoenix, AZ breeder when she was 11 weeks old. The plane was held up by storms, but Abigail was happy as a lark to see her new mom. A few minutes later, she fell asleep in my arms as soon as we started up the car. Three weeks ago, Abi was diagnosed with Protein-Losing Nephropathy, a kidney condition that is the most common killer of wheatens, and she is only eight years old. It is breaking my heart into small pieces. We are going from day to day with many medications, a special diet, and twice-weekly infusions of saline solutions that act as a low-level dialysis.

She feels much better after the infusions and doesn’t have to be enticed to eat then. I treasure my little girl dog. Abigail has been everywhere with me, from Philadelphia to Germany to Florida and point in between. She loves everyone, including cats, other dogs, and everyone she meets and greets with great enthusiasm. Abi loves watching television, especially when she sees other dogs, whom she tries to touch on the screen. She is still a happy -go-lucky dog and doesn’t understand, thank God, that she is a very sick little girl. Blessedly, here is no pain. I live in fear of the day when she will tell me that it’s time to go. When that day comes, my wonderful memories of eight years with the most loving dog in the world will sustain me. Until then, I will try not to cry, because Abi knows when I’m unhappy. The picture shows her in her favorite place, looking out the window to keep up to date on who walks by and to let me know when someone comes to visit.

Ingrid from Florida