My nephew's dog died and I can't stop crying.

[zanne]

I never saw this one coming. My nephew, who is in his late 30's, has had a yellow Lab named Casey for 13 years. She was his best buddy; everywhere Dave went, Casey went. My nephew's wife used to get pissed because Casey always wanted to sleep between them.

A few days ago, Dave called me, sobbing, to ask me to go with him to the vet's to put Casey down. He held her all the way there and he refused to get out of the car for about 30 minutes in the parking lot. He wouldn't let them put her down on the table; he held her through the whole thing. On the way home, he asked me to pull over. He got out of the car, walked into the woods for a bit and I heard him howl. I'm crying now just thinking about it.

I'm hoping and praying that time will help Dave. Please send some good vibes his way. I never expected to be so affected by the loss of somebody's else's pet and I wish I could hold my nephew the way I did when he was a little boy.

Any good thoughts would be appreciated.

[mikeytherat]

1. Good thoughts and vibes for you and your nephew.

I lost my best buddy, Tate, very suddenly last October and it hurt like hell.


Little Man Tate 2001-2008

mikey_the_rat

[AirmensMom]

2. Oh, that's so sad!

:cry:

I understand the howl. I did the same thing when we had our beloved kitty, Sesame, put down. Just couldn't keep it in. That was 11 years ago. I still miss him, but another little kitty, Satchmo, and all his kitty brothers and sisters, have helped to ease the pain. Some people get a new pet right away and some wait. I got one right away because Sesame was my friend who was there for some very major life events. Harleydad thought I needed a friend to help me through the loss of my friend, which was also a major life event. Satchmo got the job done. No one can fill the hole that Sesame left in my heart. But I found that there are lots of other little pet-shaped holes there and you really can love again after losing one.

Good thoughts are coming your way and to Dave. :grouphug:

[Blue Diadem]

3. I'm sorry zanne.

Hugs and good thoughts being sent for you and your nephew. :hug:

It's been over 5 yrs since we said goodbye to our sweet chocolate lab. I miss him.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

4. I did 'the howl' one night shortly after I found out my yellow lab had cancer.

When his time came several months later, after a long fight, for me it was more like somebody'd poured my insides out. No more howling, just empty and quiet.

Time will help Dave. Meanwhile I know there are plenty of good DU vibes coming his way.

[lizziegrace]

5. For you and Dave

:hug:

[SeaLyons]

6. How deeply we love our pets....

how utterly sad and heart wrenching it is when they leave us.

:cry:

Time will heal Dave's pain, and eventually there will be only loving memories and gratitude for having loved Casey so much. :hug:

[jobycom]

7. Time will heal. My parents just lost their little Oscar.

The sweetest, most unique dog I've ever met, and I've known and loved a lot of dogs. My dad is half disabled from strokes and is lonely all the time--I live far away, and my siblings aren't much good (they may say the same thing about me, I guess). Oscar was his salvation. He snuck out of the house a week ago and they found him later on the side of the road, dead. My mother feels guilty because she's the one he bolted past. At 70 she can hardly catch a bolting dog, but she is devestated. They both are. She said it was like losing a child.

Hang in there. Your nephew is hurting, but he'll recover, and look back and smile at Casey's memory one day. You are hurting because he's hurting, and because you know he has just changed in a way that can't be undone, but even that is okay. Love makes a person stronger, and they never feel love as deeply as when they are losing something. He will be more mature now, but he will cherish everything more. He's not the little boy you used to hold, but he'll be a man you are proud of.

:hug:

[zanne]

10. That hit the nail on the head, Jobycom....

Thanks for the badly-needed wisdom. And thanks to all of you for your compassion. Only animal-lovers know how hard it is when a cherished pet dies, leaving us or somebody we love devastated.

[MajorChode]

8. You may want to consider getting him another dog

Many times people don't want to think about getting another dog when one dies, but many years ago when my last dog died someone had the foresight to get me another. That puppy healed me better than I think anything else could have. I still have her today and she's 17 years old.

As George Carlin said, "Life is just a series of dogs."

[driver8]

9. I'm so sorry....

Losing our friends is never easy -- especially our faithful and furry ones.

My thoughts are with you and your nephew.

[Shell Beau]

11. This almost made me cry.

I howled last year when my Hutch baby got run over. It killed my soul a little. I am sorry.

[mnhtnbb]

12. I"m so sorry. It's so hard losing our furry friends. It's been 10 months

since my youngest son (18) and I had to take our beloved Tanya to the vet to be put to sleep. We both
just cried and cried and held each other and held her and cried some more. She'd been with us for 13 years
and came out of the fire that burned down our house in Aug 07. We used to say that even though we lost everything--just about everything--at least we all, people and pets, got out (the cats were out that night
and returned within a day to the burned down house). When we had to put Tanya to sleep it was like
losing everything all over again.

I still miss her--10 months later--and I'm crying now for her and for your nephew Dave and his beloved Casey. May he be comforted by the many memories of his faithful friend.

If you have any favorite pictures of him with Casey, it might be nice to do a little photo album for him.

Good vibes to you all.

:hug:

[old mark]

13. I am very sorry for you both. I have had dogs much of my life

since before kindergarten, and I miss them all still. My dog is going on 9, and he is a very large dog, not known for long life span. I hug him whenever I can. He was given to us to replace a dog we adopted at age 6 from the shelter in the last few days before she would have been put down. She lived to age 12.
I have had more good times in my life with my dogs than I have had with any person except my wife.
I hate losing them, but I could not be without one.
They are such good souls.


mark

[SalmonChantedEvening]

14. Aww zanne

Huge hugs and vibes for you and Dave. :hug: :hug: :loveya: :hug: :hug:

I was at the table for 2 of my babies, and the memory of the moments are with me to this day. If there are no tears, there was never any love.

Cry away :shoulder: