Tag Archives: grieving the loss of a pet

Tahoe Loves His Dad

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In honor of our next-door neighbor’s little 12 year old canine, Pepper, I am doing a dog post today. Pepper went to doggie heaven this week and we grieve the loss of our neighbors sweet pup. Tahoe will miss running to the fence and visiting with you Pepper!  I always get ‘doggy contemplative’ whenever a friend loses a beloved four-legged friend.

I’m not sure if it’s because I’m a woman, or because I’m just weird, but on occasion my thoughts drift to what it would be like without my Tahoe or without Brent. My gratitude for Tahoe and Brent is more intense in these times. Brent is such a wonderful doggy dad and neither he or Tahoe can be taken for granted.

You know, I might not be married to Brent if it were not for my former  ‘Brent magnet’, I mean ‘helper dog’, Murray. Brent is attracted to all canines and they are attracted to him. Let me just illustrate how much Tahoe loves his dad and how much his dad loves him!

When we travel Brent is with Tahoe and me almost 24/7 and Tahoe spends so much quality time with him you might think he’s his helper. He snuggles up for a nap at the Lodge when we visited Calloway Gardens in Pine Mountain, GA.

…when I go for a swim, Tahoe and Brent relax.

Brent is the best at taking a cat-nap, or should I say ‘dog-nap’, to recharge for ten minutes.  Brent needs his naps because I inevitably disturb his sleep at night…more than once.  Yes, he is a saint.

It must have been a long night for both of them.

Brent always calls Tahoe to come join him at nap time.

Tahoe snuggles up after his after bath.

It’s not just Tahoe who loves Brent – all dogs love Brent.  Here’s our neighbor’s dog, Zeek, visiting with Brent’s size 15 feet.  He is 6’6″ after all.

Dogs are good judges of character.
I’m jealous on the rare occasion it snows because I can’t roll around very well to play,(or tolerate the cold for long) so I watch and drink hot cocoa!  There’s enough Tahoe love for both Brent and me.

After a tough day running around town with me, picking up my pen, keys or cell phone one more time, and fetching his Kong with us, Tahoe’s sleepy and snuggly…and doesn’t care how silly he looks.

At night Tahoe gets himself all snuggled to me, believe it or not…it’s probably because I don’t move or snore like his dad.


Tahoe has a ‘pink’ nose in the winter – it’s black in the summer.  Precious Tahoe and Brent, my blessings, make me smile.

As the year comes to a close we regroup and refresh our goals – living each day with gratitude is a continued goal for 2012. We work together on family direction in different areas like health, finances, ministry, marriage, travel, home improvements, etc.  In my personal life, fostering my gratitude attitude continues to be on the radar in every area.  Sometimes it’s harder than others to refrain from complaint and discontent – it’s worth the effort to thank, even when I don’t ‘feel’ like it. Today it’s easy to be exceeding grateful -Tahoe and Brent rank at the top of my blessings!

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thes. 5:18

What are you most thankful for in 2011?  Are you ready for 2012?

Paws to Remember

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My friend, Krista, said goodbye to her precious Gracie yesterday.  Gracie was in her family for 12 years and helped Krista and her husband raise four children. She loved her squeeky toys, and her bark was bigger than her bite as she mastered the role of ‘pseudo guard dog’ upon initial greeting. Before you could blink she’d curl up next to you. Everybody loved Gracie.

Losing a ‘pet’ is often given too little emotional weight – these creatures are not ‘replaceable’, and I pray friends and family appropriately grieve when this situation occurs. It’s natural to mourn when we lose our beloved four-pawed companions. It calls for the jolt of ‘a new normal‘ in our lives. Gracie, you will be missed.

A trip down memory lane is in order for those of us who have experienced the loss of a furry friend…Today, Gracie reminds me about my past losses.

Mindy was our first family pup.  She joined us when I was eleven and passed due to cancer during my first year of college. There was a strange void when I came home for a visit after she was gone.

It was years later when my heart welcomed ‘Mr. Murray’; he was the first pup who claimed me as ‘mom’.  Murray was a party dog and an enthusiastic Canine Assistant.  He retrieved everything from keys to dollar bills for me and was the office mascot who sometimes took the role of Santa’s helper in the lobby at Christmas.  Murray, in my opinion, is the reason that my dog-whisperer husband, Brent, noticed me. He loves animals and had Boone, a black lab, when we met. It was a match made in doggie heaven.

Boone was loyal, loyal, loyal. He was Brent’s dog through and through, and he was my adopted little one when we married.  For over ten years he served as a therapy dog at Eggleston Children’s Hospital and he claimed the foot of our queen-size bed until his last days.

Awwww. Now it’s just Tahoe!

Gracie, Mindy, Murray and Boone you are missed. Thank you for your display of unconditional love and acceptance. The world would be a better place if humans could be as kind, forgiving and accepting as you were.

For those who grieve and face ‘a new normal‘ – May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13