My condolences bro.

Vinny, I have taken this road many times..
all remained true for many yrs..
each made me a better human..
hard...there is nothing like it...
but a closed heart..
in time becomes cold as well
Nacoma would want you to remember the good,
and I'm sure she would appreciate you taking in a fellow traveler..
and if your half the human Nacoma believed you to be..
that will be one lucky dog..


Rika

Condolences to you Vinny. I've been in your shoes more then once. It never gets easier to do. Great looking dog. Maybe he is up in dog heaven hanging out with my last two weimaraners. Hang in there.

I am very sorry for your loss Vinny. You both gave the other so much over those 16 years, of that I am sure.

I fear that I will be dealing with this myself with in the next few days.

My house feels so empty now. Like I'm walking around a strange place. Very wierd feeling.

Dan, I hope everything thing works out for you. Hang in there.

Sorry guys, I guess I just need to vent.

Know the feeling well Vinny.

When we were surprised by bone cancer in our Saint Bernard last August we spent the next three weeks spoiling her silly knowing the end was near. I did the same as you, laid on the blanket with her when the time had come.

The first week went by and my wife was almost constantly in tears, saying she would never go through that again. By the end of week two the emptiness of the house was unbearable, even though we still had our 10yr old Husky and my wife asked to look at rescue Saints. By the end of week three she decided we should look for a puppy. Our new pup is now 10 mos old, and while we miss Chloe, Abby has filled our hearts with the love only a dog can provide.

Remember your pup fondly and mourn. Dog people understand that they aren't just dogs, they're family members, living symbols of loyalty, friendship and unconditional love. I still miss all of my dogs that have passed, but I don't think I could ever be without at least one.

You were a good master and friend to your dog. You did the responsible thing when you put him down, the pain and suffering wasn't going away. It wasn't going to get any better for your buddy. The hard thing is to give the order to end a life, in that moment you act as God. But as the one who is responsible for that dogs well being that dog trusted you to do the right thing by him. And you did.

Now what you have left is memories of that dog and the time you spent together. Sometimes you might want to grab the dog back but it is like gasping at the air. For your time together is irretrievably over.

You will go on and eventually you might get another dog, but it will be a differnt relationship then you had with this dog. You will creat new memories with the new dog. But you will never forget the old dog, for he is in your heart and memory

BTW on my way home last night at the last moment I saw a Chichihua running right down the middle of my lane. I slamed the brakes on and turned the wheel. I know I missed that dog, an where it went God only knows.

The only thing I wish is to have gotten hold of the dog to get it back to its owners...

VINMAN,

My deepest sympathies. On August 8, 2008 I lost my 16 year old Jack Russell Terrier (Buster). He was my absolute best friend. I got him when I was 19 and he died when I was 35. He had a huge impact on me and lots of others. I can't believe he survived my lifestyle during the 20s. He was a trooper indeed!

When he turned 15 I started to prepare myself for his passing. He was getting old and showed signs of dementia. Unfortunately his death was anything but peaceful. I came into the house and found him seizing on the floor - lost all control of his bowels. By the time I got him to the emergency room 20 minutes had passed and his temp was around 104 - major brain damage at that point. Finally the vet managed to bring him out of his seizure and I made the decision to put him down.

Rarely does a day pass that I don't think about him and miss him terribly. Sure, it gets easier with time but it still hurts 10 months later.

I made the decision to save his "things" so that one day I could pass them on to my new dog in Buster's honor. Yes, it sucked seeing his stuff around the house but it also made me smile. Kind of bitter sweet.

4 months after Buster passed I bought another JRT (Brutus). It helped me deal with Buster's death on so many levels. Now Brutus wears Buster's old collar and wears his old bomber jacket when it gets cold. They are not even close to being the same when it comes to personality, but they share a lot of similarities (foot lollipops, hook and roll move when wrestling other dogs, etc). Now I look at Brutus and love him for who he is ... while also reflecting on my old friend Buster.

I know that you feel like your guts were ripped out. Losing a pet is the most pain I have ever known in my life. Morn you loss for a few months and then consider getting a new dog. It is good medicine.

Best wishes and deepest sympathies.

Craig

Vinny, sorry for your loss...