My mother in law, kindly referred to as "MIL," said to me "no more; I just can't have any more dogs; this is too hard." And it is so true; the decision to euthanise an animal is so very, very hard. I frequently hear "never agian" and "no more" comments. Because in the moment we say goodbye to our old friends, our emotions take over and we seem to forget about all the joy our pets brought us. We focus only on the difficult moment we are in. But we must try and think not only what our pet did for us, but what we did for our pet. Where would Dixie be if the Clarks had not adopted her as a puppy? There is no way to know, but I am thinking she probably would not have lived to be 13 years old, nor would she have had a warm bed and bowl full of food every night. And in her last years would someone have given her the much needed arthritis medication and joint supplements that MIL faithfully gave her every evening?
So my message today is think about the good times. Let the memories take over the sadness and fill the void. Never say never. Be open to new relatioships and when the time is right, don't let that pound puppy or stray kitten pass you by. Maybe you will be her saving grace and she will be your next Dixie!
We love you Dixie! Rest in peace faithful friend.