How heartbreaking :-( I'm sorry.

(((Have a hug)))

I'm so sorry nine.  I lost two of my best friends this year. The web site below is awesome as is the Rainbow Bridge Story below.  It is so hard to lose a pet that you know loved you so much, never asked for anything but love back. I believe an animals love, dog or cat or bird even mice, are priceless and can be matched by no other love.

I have a printed story about why dogs don't live as long as people, the end of it being..................."People are born so that they can learn to live a good life - like loving everybody all the time and being nice. Dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long." 

 http://www.petloss.com/

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....

Author unknown...

You sure know how to wet my cheeks...

Losing a family member like that is never easy... I ask myself every time we get a new dog or cat  "why?"... because we "love them" that's why.

AD: I print the Rainbow Bridge story and put it in a frame for all my friends who have lost their 'special' friends. 

My husband said when I get to the Rainbow Bridge there will be a mob scene since I have not been without a pet since I was 5 years old.

You said it, Gsisola.  Love.

I've been through it many times, yet I keep bringing more home.

Because I love them.

I am sorry for your lost. 

Nine, I am so sorry. Thinking of you.

Witters, it is such a sweet story that I'm not sure I could look at it every day.

I will just remember it during those times that I need to remember it; it's more powerful that way.

And Nine, I am hugging your dog in my heart right now.

this is new on the pet loss web site - get the kleenex. It is awesome. I hope the link opens I've never tried one with music and such before.

 http://www.indigo.org/rainb...

I think I will just save the link.  I am extremely sensitive to music.

I have sand cast statues of most of the dogs I have had so I put the story next to them and I don't read it every day but sometimes I read it especially when I'm missing one of my special ones.

Our neighbor has a picture of his special friend, Taffy, and the framed story just below her picture.

We have our Rotts Megan and Dillion in an urn..we had them cremated..beside that we have pictures we took of the good times and a set of sand statues sombody bought us for christmas one year representing them...Meg wore out a over stuffed chair in our bedroom over the years..it was her bed...it took me 5 years after she passed to toss that old thing and it was UGLEEE ..brand new when she started but thread bare when she left it 13 years later....

Sorry about your loss nine..time makes it easier but you never want to forget..not the special ones....

I'm with you K.  I know how hard it is to lose a "friend." 

There's a saying and I'm paraphrasing.  "Don't cry because she's gone, rejoice because she lived."  You were blessed to have her and she was blessed to have had you.

Someone who works with my grandson found a stray black lab at and took it home.  He found he couldn't keep it so another co worker took it home and found she couldn't keep it either.  Grandson conferred with wife and they decided to take her and what a treasure she is.  She's thin but healthy and full of love.  She's now found her "forever home."  I often wonder how people can give their friends away..I couldn't do it.

The time will come when you'll want to give another dog what Bailey gave you.  You'll know when it's that time and your new "forever" friend will be waiting for you.

Nine, I hope you don't mind if we share some stories with you about our "Fur Kids" and that it will help you remember the good times with Bailey.

All my life I had dogs..up until I left the ranch in 1985.  I lived in a series of apartments and couldn't have pets for nine long years so when I finally landed a house I went in search of a medium size dog and found my 2 year old Sissy at the SPCA.  She was a black Sheltie cross with a gorgeous white ruff.  That dog was such a pain.  She was an outside dog who hated wind and had to be brought in during storms.  If there was an open door she was gone like a shot.  She looked like  a bowling ball with legs and couldn't be caught until she was ready.  Boy how I cussed her when I had to chase her down.

When I had surgery and was gone for a few days my grandson helped me to the couch and asked if I was ready for my dog.  LOL..she was all over me.  I had her for about 5 years and came home one day to find her on the patio..gone.  No hint, no illness and no warning.   It took me a year and a half before I could consider another dog and, in a moment of weakness I went to look at a couple of Lab pups a co worker had.  Big mistake.  I didn't want a big dog.  Well, I got one anyway.  A 7 week old bundle of love and frustration.  She destroyed my shrubs hunting birds.  She dug holes.  She watched me plant flowers and a rose bush and when I went in the house, promptly dug them up and chewed them to shreds.  She dug under the fence and destroyed my neighbors Azalea which cost me 20 bucks.  What she couldn't eat she peed on.

She discovered the fine art of hunting when grandson started shooting rats out of the tree.  She was leery of the BB gun until she saw what was going on and the the retriever in her kicked in.  She barked at anything that moved near our back yard and made a great alarm system....but only in the back.  We decided we needed a yapper to let us know if anyone came around the front door so enter Zack, the wonder dog.  (pictures of both on my profile)  Zack was a two year old Westie cross from the SPCA and he immediately adopted us and claimed our house.  Now we  had a front and back alarm system.

One day I got a phone call from the landlord (after nine years) telling me he was selling the house and that we'd need to move.  This caused no end of concern since now I had the dogs to consider.  The grandkids (now married) decided to strike out on their own with an apartment and I was left with a real dilemma.  Finding a place to rent with a dog is bad enough but with two dogs, and one being a big one, the hunt got harder.  I almost bought but that's another story.  I needed a place I could afford on my own where I could have the dogs....getting rid of them was not an option...and that's how I ended up in the "dale." 

In the move one of us took the cushions off the couch and found a fully wrapped  chili dog from Weinerschnitzel from a few days before stuffed down underneath.  I guess Zack was saving it for leaner times.  After I moved in here I spotted something odd in my couch cushion and found a mini bag of Cheetos or something, intact,  stuck between the cushions.  Zack again.

He gets into ANY trash he can find and last week he got into trash where I had tossed candy corn and chocolate striped cookies.  Well off he went for a dose of peroxide to make him get rid of the chocolate only there was no chocolate in the "waste.:  I couldn't find the baggie either and I search high and low.  Day before yesterday I spotted a bit a plastic and there it was...the bag of cookies all crushed but still in the bag and you guessed it...jammed down in the corner of the couch.

Oooops...made him throw up for nothing.

I hope you'll all share stories about your pets here.  Nine, just know you aren't alone with the love for your pets and the memories.  I don't mean to high jack your blog, this is more of a catharsis for all of us including you.  I apologize for the length.  I have more stories but will cut it off with this looooong winded one.

nine~ I am so sorry for your loss...

I lost my beloved Rex (a min-pin) nearly17 months ago. He was SUCH a good dog! He was my truck dog when I drove cross country, sleeping on the passenger side dashboard. He loved to burrow under the covers until only his lil butt was showing. So many good memories...

When he became too ill to attempt to save (kidneys) I had to make the toughest decision of my life and on June 28, 2007, I was there as he drew his last breath. I was inconsolable...

A very dear friend had recently lost her dog and had him cremated and kept the ashes in a chest on a shelf along with his collar and a great photo. She suggested I do the same with Rex. I made a shadow box, and it's in a place of honor in my house now. When I move, I won't be leaving him behind, he'll come with me, for all of my days...

The photo I'm using as my avatar is Rex's shadow box, my loving tribute to the heartbeat at my feet...

I had a mini poodle (Tina Louise) before I had my daughter and people were telling me I would have to "get rid of the dog" or she would be jealous of the baby and might hurt her. I told people no way - all would be just fine.  As soon as I got Michelle home that dog got up on the couch next to me and put her head on Michelle and gave her a "kiss". That dog slept under the bassinet and if Michelle woke up and I didn't, that dog would come and get me! When I moved Michelle to a crib that dog slept under the crib. When I moved Michelle to a regular twin bed that dog slept on the bed. Followed that child everywhere and watched over her. 

Nine-very sorry to hear about your loss. 

I  know what you mean Witters.  We didn't know what Zacks reaction would be to the new baby but he dearly loves the little guy and is always trying to "kiss" him.   When I first started watching Logan, after they picked him up Zack would pee on his saucer bouncer thing.  I never knew if it was jealousy or marking his territory but it got him in a lot of trouble.  When the baby cries, Zack comes running.  He doesn't seems to know what to do but feels he needs to "be there."

I'm so sorry to hear about your loss. We lost our pup three years ago and though we have gotten another, there's a rare day in the household when "Saint Bosco" isn't mentioned. Pets remain forever alive in the depths of our hearts.

nine~ I am so sorry for your loss.Know I will be thinking of you.

I'm so sorry for your loss, it sounds like this is an occasion when we DO know how it feels.  My toy poodle lived one month short of her 17Th birthday when I had to have her put down.  I too, held her during the injection and felt the life drain from her.  To say there were tears is an understatement.  I never missed work, hadn't missed a day in years but losing Wendy kept me in my house for three days. I had her cremated and several years later, I flew back home and buried her remains next to two other loved dogs.

That was nine years ago, I recently brought home a new pet, another poodle, a standard, that at four months old is driving me up the wall but I can already see that she will bring me lots of joy as well.  Hopefully you will be able to open your heart to another dog sooner than I could. 

The dog in my avatar is my new best friend, Ginger.

(((nine and doggy))) I am so sorry for your loss. They can never be replaced.

I know what you mean ~amigo~....to this day--I value my pets OVER some people I know....and my pets have MORE common sence AND manners than the 'animals' we've been reading and hearing about in the news...and they're HUMAN--(barely)....but I do know what you mean....that's a pain hard to discribe unless experenced.... 

You and Bailey were lucky that you had such a long time together.  Another owner might have decided to put her down sooner than you did. I am sending you a (((hug))). We put our 14 year old German Short-haired Pointer down in May.  I keep saying "No more pets!!!"  I can't stand it when they get too sick to keep around.  Right now we only have 2 cats and 1 dog. But there is a new grand puppy also. We have the ashes of 4 dogs in our living room.  The company that cremated them put the ashes in really nice wooden boxes.  I told the boys to bury the dogs with me when the time comes.  We are all in Montana this week.  Only the cats stayed in Bakersfield.  We were supposed to have The Big Dinner Thing with all the relatives at my son's house in Butte but now we are headed to a funeral in Billings instead.  Every time we come to Montana for a Holiday another relative passes away while we are here.   Grandma Tooley was 92 she fell and broke her hip on Friday and passed away Sunday morning.  It may snow in the morning.  The Services are at 2 pm.

I'm so sorry for your loss . . . .

I still use one of my favorite pictures of our beloved sheltie as a screensaver, and have his ashes in an urn here at home with his tags right if front. He's always with us and in our hearts here at home, just in a different way. I'm sure your best friend will always be with you. 

Nine, I'm so sorry for your loss.  Anytime that I hear about someone losing their special friend it always reminds me that my little one's life will end all too soon...the most dreaded day.  {{{{{HUGS}}}}} to you!  My wish for you tonight is that you at least find peace in your dreams. 

Nine, So sorry to hear of your loss. When I lost my last two beloved pets, I cried until my eyes were so swollen I could barely see. Heartbreaking no doubt. How blessed we have been to have such good friends. Loyal to the end! We have yet to get another dog. Just not ready even yet...

I understand completely. I lost my Beagle several months back. She wandered up to the house out of the woods about 14 years ago, bloody from the thickets, shivering and starved. After nursing her back to health, I named her Gypsy and NEVER asked her to run a rabbit for me. I'd leave her home when I hunted the farm but she'd sometimes show up and flush the thickets without a single command. Whenever the shotgun came out she'd get excited. She was a good ol' friend and I loved her.

My third child is my 43 lb. standard poodle. Liza sleeps on my bed and lays on the furniture. She's a real dandy and goes everywhere with me except to work. She even likes camping with the local Boy Scout Troop. They love having her around because she's more like another kid than a dog.

Those of you who don't like people who bring their dogs into stores need to get over it. Liza lays in a basket and just rides. Most people don't even notice her there. It's all about how well a dog is trained and socialized. If they're clean and behave themselves, I like them better than most people I meet.