Saying Good-bye

wonka

Active Member
Today I played god, I looked into the eyes of my best friend of 14 years, and told him it was time.
No more will we chase pheasants in the field, or sit around a campfire, no more will I feel your unconditional love, or just sit and scratch your belly. It tears me up to hold the power of your life in my hands and have to make the choice to let you go.
In the last month you lost almost 30 pounds and I hoped and prayed you get better, never even realizing the pain you must have been enduring or how much weight you where losing. You fought your fight without protest, no whining or wimpering, just bravely carrying on. I will miss you my good friend and pray you are in a better place, pray your pain is done and you are at peace, and I pray I made the right decision.
I will miss you my friend, you boys stoke up that fire 'cause I'll be along, then we'll spend days chasing birds, and nights solving the mysteries of the world.
Tamarak's Royal Chancellor Rest in peace my good friend.


At the same time we said Good-bye to our 17 year old cat, both having battles with cancer.
 

rick_debbie_gallant

Well-known member
Thanks for posting, your post gave me chills and goosebumps as I remembered Shakespeare's finial days with us. That was 4 years ago and I still think about her.
 
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Sandpirate69

Well-known member
Wonka,
Sorry for the loss of your companion. I too was there two years ago. Our Golden Lab also, had a cancerous ball inside his belly. After two tours in Iraq and executing orders of such magnitude, I still felt the true compasion of a family member passing away at my finger tip. No money or power would have saved his life. So now he's in a better place. God Speed Manolo.
 

Bobby A

Well-known member
Sorry sorry for your loss, we are still grieving our black lab of 14 1/2, had to say goodbye a few weeks back. We miss her dearly. Stay strong my friends
 

Nabo

Southeast Region Director-Retired
wonka - so sorry for your loss and definitely feel your pain. We also had to put down our cat 2 weeks ago. Even tho she wasn't our camping/traveling partner, the love she gave us was unbelievable. Rest in peace all those 4 legged friends we have all had in our lives.
 

flameon

Active Member
wonka please feel comfort in a poem that was given to us that helped with the many pet losses that we've had.

*Weep Not for Me*

*Weep not for me though I am gone**
into that gentle night.*

*Grieve if you will, but not for long**
upon my soul's sweet flight.*

*I am at peace, my soul's at rest**
there is no need for tears.*

*For with your love I was so blessed**
for all those many years.*

*There is no pain, I suffer not**
the fear now all is gone.*

*Put now these things out of your thoughts *

*in your memory I live on*

*Remember not the strife*

*Please do not dwell upon my death,**
but celebrate my life.*
 

Hastey

Oklahoma Chapter Leaders
Wonka, you didn't play the part of God. You played the part of a loving, caring and trusted friend. You done everything in your power to keep your loyal friend from suffering. I've been there and my heart goes out to you.
 

wingfoot

Well-known member
Loosing a pet is, in my opinion, like loosing a member of your family. We too have lost pets..It's never easy. Our last loss was especially hard on me and my wife. I'm not the least bit embarrassed to tell you guys..we cried like babies...It's hard, you will, in time get better, but you will never forget.

Good luck..God bless you and yours,
Larry
 

jmgratz

Original Owners Club Member
It is more than just a pet. It is a friend, a confidant, a companion, and someone that will give you unconditional love. It is so hard to say goodby. We feel for you and am sorry for your loss.
 
I had to put by Golden Lab to rest on July the 12th of this year.
She too had Cancer.
She was 12 1/2 years old.
She helped me get through some very tough times, with the loss of my first wife.
Interesting, because my wife died of Cancer.
She was always there to lend an ear, or for me to rub her head if she knew I was feeling down.
She was such a special friend to me, and I will never forget her.
She was cremated and now rests in my curio cabinet in a small shrine I made for her.
Wonka, I guess that's the hardest part of life, is saying Good-bye.
I know where you're coming from, I've been there too.

Hockster
 

larryanddonnakeever

Past Oklahoma Chapter Leaders (Founding)
Know how you feel, we had to put our Westie of 16 years down several weks ago. Our Schnauser still looks for her, we had her cremated too and she is on our mantel...
 

wonka

Active Member
Thank you everyone for the replies, the hardest part is my girls, we lost both our snowshoe siamese (17) and the springer (14) yesterday, gone together, both with abdominal cancer. My daughters do not remember a time that they were not around, and it is tearing them up. We have a pup from a litter Chance sired and he has never been without his dad, I have never heard a more mournfull cry, he gets everyone going. They are being cremated and we plan on spreading the ashes in our favorite camping spot.
 

Ray LeTourneau

Senior Member - Past Moderator
Wonka, so sorry to hear of the loss of your best friends. Keep your memories of them in your heart forever.
 

kakampers

Past Heartland Ambassador
My heart goes out to you...still grieve over my yellow lab who we lost almost six years ago. We now have a beautiful Llewellyn Setter named Katie (Bomber's Dashing Katlyn) who we got two days later, and dread when her time comes. Not to mention the sweet little 4 year old Tiffy, a Shih Tsu, Poodle mix we adopted last year...

Loosing our fur kids is really hard, but still can't imagine life without them...guess all the wonderful years together is worth the pain of having to make the "decision" when it's time....hang in there, it will get better.
 

JohnDar

Prolifically Gabby Member
It's never easy to let a pet go, no matter how long they've been with you. Over the years, I've had to take five of our cats in for their last visit to the vet, three of them between 15 and 18 years old. The wife will not accompany me on that final journey. Many tissues have been soaked during the final minutes as I said good-bye.
 

pegmikef

Well-known member
Wonka, we feel your pain and are very sorry for your loss. While some might say that pets are just animals, most of us real animal lovers know that pets are actually integral family members and are often more loyal or at least as loyal as other family members. I think that saying good bye to beloved pets is one of the hardest and heart-wrenching things we have had to do. Best wishes.
 

ankie3467

Active Member
I feel your pain, I have been there. We had to let our 15 year old Carien terrier go at Christmas time. This fall when our youngest son when off to college, my house got tooooooo quiet. I am now the proud owner of a silky terrier, a rescue dog. An adult dog who is already potty trained and gone thru all the chewing phases!. He is going to be a great camping buddy!
 

hcriddle

Well-known member
I had an appointment this morning and said goodbye to the most beautiful German Shepherd I had ever owned. She was the companion that my kids grew up with and she was a great friend and provided good security. She loved going to Texas A&M baseball games to see our daughter but it finally got too hard to get up and down the steps into the Big Horn. I will miss her greatly but these 13 years were certainly filled with love and joy.

I hope you are getting through Wonka. Reading all these posts this weekend got the whole grieving process started sooner than I had expected.
 

goldenbetty

goldenbetty
We have lost pets through the years as well. I never thought we could get so attached to our "feathered friends" as we had to our dogs in the past, but I can tell you, we cried like babies as well when we came home and found our cockatiel on the floor, and her mate sitting beside her lifeless body. True love! He passed 3 months later because he grieved for her. Undying loyalty to each other, and undying love for us as their caretakers. Here is something I would like to share in regards to losing our four-legged friends. A friend of ours passed it along to us when we had to put our beloved "Friday" to sleep (liver spotted dalmation) due to heart worms. It is better to have known and loved all of our "faithful companions", then not to have known them at all. The pleasant memories are what you will always think of!

[h=3]Heaven's Doggy-Door[/h]My best friend closed his eyes last night,
As his head was in my hand.
The Doctors said he was in pain,
And it was hard for him to stand.
The thoughts that scurried through my head,
As I cradled him in my arms.
Were of his younger, puppy years,
And Oh...his many charms.
Today, there was no gentle nudge
With an intense "I love you gaze",
Only a heart that's filled with tears
Remembering our joy filled days.
But an Angel just appeared to me,
And he said, "You should cry no more,
GOD also loves our canine friends,
HE's installed a 'doggy-door'!!!

Jan Cooper '95


 
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