TOL Pet Memoriam

[Town Heretic]

I had the thought earlier this morning while going through a few pictures of Cammy, who some of you already know passed away yesterday. That set me thinking of Lucy, who died February of 08 and of Sarah, who disappeared some time ago and is likely gone as well.

It seemed to me that it wouldn't be the worst idea in the world to have a thread where those of us who were fortunate enough to have had able and beloved companions could share something of them with everyone, if only a picture and a name.

In that spirit I'll begin with three posts. Just a brief description and photo at first. I'm too tired for eulogizing now.

 

[Town Heretic]

This is Sarah, who was recovering from surgery, but insisted on roaming the back woods toward the river. One night she ran with her pack and never returned. I searched for days, but couldn't find her. And if she could, she'd have come home to me. She always did.

Sarah...aka, Sarahweena, famous the neighborhood over for her back scratching dances in the grass.

 

[gsweet]

Grace passed away two winters ago. With my bro and I out of the house, she was my parents' substitute for us kids. A good one at that, too. I don't think I'm able to attach pictures, so here's some obligatory puppy picture links...

Romping in the backyard

A definite bird dog

 

[Town Heretic]

Grace passed away two winters ago. With my bro and I out of the house, she was my parents' substitute for us kids. A good one at that, too. I don't think I'm able to attach pictures, so here's some obligatory puppy picture links...

Romping in the backyard

A definite bird dog

Great looking dog. You know, if you hit the paperclip/attachments icon you can place a photo directly in the post like I did with Sarah. Just including this for anyone who didn't know that.

 

[chrysostom]

when I was young I had to bury my very young pet raccoon
and
don't ever remember crying that hard for any human

 

[Town Heretic]

Everyone, meet the late, great Cammy and a couple of friends. The first is Simon (these two were joined at the hip). The second and third are with Shoble, after a few days of rolling about and a river run. :chuckle:

 

[gsweet]

Great looking dog. You know, if you hit the paperclip/attachments icon you can place a photo directly in the post like I did with Sarah. Just including this for anyone who didn't know that.

Thanky, and likewise (for both of them, as well as the cats). There's just something about the unconditional love of a pet that seems to trump all other issues one could encounter on a daily basis. Walking through the front door after work and getting tackled by slobbering, unbridled adoration has a way of melting through any melancholy mood.

On a separate note, I am apparently incapable of attaching images (according to TOL). Probably something to do with my subscription status...I'll remedy that one of these days.

 

[Psalmist]

Mister Kitty
1986-1998

Independent and good natured.
Maine Coon, long hair.
​

 

[Delmar]

I looked for the thread I started when I lost George but it must have been pruned at some point. George was TOL legend and he passed away January 16, 2008
I still miss him.

 

[Ask Mr. Religion]

To music:
http://www.indigo.org/rainbowbridge_ver2.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcQvYh_3Atw

Rainbow Bridge

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge. When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind. They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

For K.C. who left us in 2008. Yes, no theological basis behind all of this, I know, but it gets me past the loss from time to time. I hope it does the same for you, my friend and brother, TH.

View attachment 15602

AMR

 

[Son of Jack]

I've been lucky to have some sweet and loving canines in my life. The first, Rocky, was a collie, Shepard, something-else chuckle mix. He was smart and playful, gentle with children and willing to protect us. I remember when he started getting bad arthritis. We found him stuck a ditch of shallow water. He died several months later. I don't remember crying that hard before.

We also had two Golden Retrievers, Lucy and Louis (pronounced Lewy). I picked Lucy out. She was the runt of her litter, but she wandered over to me and began to play with my shoelaces. Louis was the biggest pup in his litter. He was a beast of a dog, definitely not the sharpest needle in the stack, but such a sweet and loving brute. He and Lucy had puppies on two occasions. They loved each other. Louis got cancer. My dad did everything he could to save him. The vet even amputated one of his legs in an effort to save him. He managed to live for about a year with one less leg. Lucy outlived Louis by about five or so years. She got old, started to go blind and deaf. Sadly, she wandered out in front of the school bus and was killed. The lady who drove the school bus had been the driver all through my childhood (I was in college at the time). She felt terrible; it was all rather sad.

My wife and I current have a chocolate Lab, named Daisy. She is a big sweetheart.

 

[nicholsmom]

Great thread, TH

My cat, Bear, was a Texas-born, long-hair, black cat who would "talk" to me constantly. He made all sorts of interesting noises to "make conversation" while he sat in my lap or walked at my side, reserving his big, Texas, "Meow!" for urgent messages like "my bowl is empty," and "let me out of here!" He was very smart, learning quickly to never jump up onto tables or counters or anything remotely table- or counter-like, except for the counter in the bathroom. He was allowed to jump up there to be closer to me while I did my hair and make-up - and he was always there to watch the ritual and talk me through it That great cat traveled back and forth with me from school in Indiana to work in Texas, semester after semester, and finally moved to Virgina after I got married, and then back home again to Indiana. He traveled exceedingly well, looking out the windows and "telling" me about all the things he saw. I just kept a litter box in the very back that he's squirm his way toward whenever he felt the need :chuckle: I do miss that cat and I've never met his equal. I'd post a picture, but he died long before I ever got a digital camera. Maybe I'll scan one in to post here - still, he was black and hard to capture on film :chuckle:

I can post pictures of my all-time-favorite goat, Calico. She was our first, and most interesting goat. She had real personality and loved to be near us. She would jump a 6' fence like a gazelle just to be able to stand on our porch and look in our windows at us while we sat in the kitchen :chuckle: When we were outside, she'd jump that fence just to get a good rubbing between her ears or to rub her giant head and neck against our sides - 'bout knock us down! She'd eat anything that we had touched too - not like the other goats who'd sniff and snub - what a great composter We miss her dearly - still makes my chest tight just thinking of her being gone for good. She died last spring just after losing two kids to white muscle disease

Here she is in our side yard (yep, up against the house), and another in the front yard eating leaves off of that gnarled weeping willow. The sad part of that is that she used to stand up on her back legs to reach up 8 or 9 feet to get the leaves from the trees. Here, she's only a couple of weeks away from death, wasting away and can only crane her neck, poor girl.
Dang! I uploaded them in reverse. Oh well, you can figure out which is which.

 

[nicholsmom]

To music:
http://www.indigo.org/rainbowbridge_ver2.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcQvYh_3Atw

Rainbow Bridge

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge. When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind. They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

For K.C. who left us in 2008. Yes, no theological basis behind all of this, I know, but it gets me past the loss from time to time. I hope it does the same for you, my friend and brother, TH.

View attachment 15602

AMR

Must spread more rep around... I love this; it's very comforting.

 

[Skeptical Inquirer]

My pet bird died Saturday May 22 2010.
His name was Sam.
I had him for 12 years.
That is the longest I have ever owned a pet and I really loved him.
The worst part is it was my fault.
He had started a new habit of playing on the seat of the couch against the back where we keep a blanket folded up for back support.
I was setting on the edge of the couch watching a move and slide back without looking.
He was pinned in the blanket behind me and suffocated. It was more than 30 minutes before I went to get something to drink, and when I came back I saw him laying in the edge of the rolled up blanket not moving, that is when the shock of what had happened hit me --- I cried.
I have been beating myself up about this in my head and heart -- I should have looked before I moved -- all I had to do was take a little time to be more careful, and then he would still be alive.
This is the first pet I ever lost through personal neglect -- I miss him so much.
He could talk in sentences, he liked to dance around whistling into the mirror and he loved to stand on my finger and get his head scratched,
His mate died about 4 years ago and I think he still missed her -- her name was Wendy.
I will miss him always.

 

[zippy2006]

The only significant pet of my own was Reba, a brown and white beagle who died peacefully at my feet about 6 years back with the whole family sitting around her. It was first time I'd ever actually witnessed death stealing something away--a very quiet separation. It was also the first time I've ever truly cried without caring one tich about the tears.

She was known for scavenging, bringing back all sorts of odd ends and dropping them off promptly on the deck (a rabbit head is the most memorable) :chuckle:.

good thread TH :e4e: Interesting stories

 

[Town Heretic]

Thanks, zip...you reminded me of something. The mostly black lab, Sarah, I wrote of earlier had this gathering habit. One morning I came out onto the front porch to find her asleep with an empty beer can and an empty packet of cigarettes next to her...I wish I'd have taken a picture...."Sarah's night on the town: epilogue" would have been the title for it.

Great dog.

 

[Nang]

It seemed to me that it wouldn't be the worst idea in the world to have a thread where those of us who were fortunate enough to have had able and beloved companions could share something of them with everyone, if only a picture and a name.

I appreciate this idea.

We had to put down a beloved pet yesterday, and memorializing him in this way will give me some comfort and lessen my sadness, I hope.

He was a Pembroke Welsh Corgi, ten years old, and his name was Corgi (aka "Corkie"). We adopted him when his first owner, my aunt, died suddenly and left him homeless at 18 months. He had suffered with intestinal problems for the last 4 years, eventuating in a bleeding tumour. He had a fighting spirit, the personality of a clown, a love for Ma for whom he continually kept guard, and a very BIG bark that always left our ears ringing.

Here he is, to be remembered and always loved . . .

 

[Nick M]

View attachment 15661

Shadow the Lab. 23 Jul 1995-8 Apr 2010

 

[Nang]

View attachment 15661

Shadow the Lab. 23 Jul 1995-8 Apr 2010

View attachment 15662

Jimmy

Very sorry, Nick to find this news about your Lab. What a sorrow!

We just lost another pet (two this summer!). The latest was a very miniature Dachshund who was more my husband's pet than mine, but a fine little girl who deserves remembrance.

Angel, 10 1/2 years old, died September 6th of Lymphoma, at home.

 

[Town Heretic]

And so it goes...Shoble joins his best friend (seen head-butting her on the right) in the clover covered fields of memory. He is missed, especially by his second in command (Jefferson, pictured left in the left photo).