I have a saying…. “there’s dog people and then there’s bad people.” For those of us that have had the companionship of a dog, we know how deeply we love, we give, we sacrifice — and when they pass, how much we lose. There’s nothing that can make the feeling of this kind of loss any better. Another dog — at the right time — can move us forward into the future, but our special friend touches us in away that truly makes them an extension of ourselves. So when our tail-wagg’n pal starts on another journey we lose a part of ourselves for awhile.
And there’s nothing wrong with that. Absolutely nothing. Take the time to reflect on all the good, all the happiness, all the memories. It gets better. And some day you’ll be vacuuming up another dog’s hair off the couch, and you’ll know that the hole that was in your heart wasn’t replaced by another dog, but certainly mended. That day will come.
I work with many people, many dogs. There’s a community of people and dogs are in my life that I am thankful for. They stay close, and feel a sense of belonging. These people —students— I truly consider my pack members. This past year I lost three valued pack members: Jett, a black lab; Ella, a collie mix; and Tucker, a flat-coat retriever. All will be sorely missed, but never forgotten.
