Aww, SLEEPERBUSA...love those pups in that pic!
And BusaBret, I'm sorry
It's like a dark cloud that just hangs there 'til you finally have to let them go...it's just painful...
Thanks everyone. I'm MUCH better today, though I still tear up reading all that you guys and gals wrote and shared.
Last night, I had the incredibly tough task of going to a neighbor's house and breaking the news to her. See, about 9 years ago, Scooby discovered "Dolores' House" and before too long, I felt we actually "co-owned" him
Dolores is from Germany, very thick accent, would call me if Scooby had a tick on him or if he was spending the night at her house. I can't even begin to tell you how much this woman LOVED my dog. She had dogs of her own, but she told me that Scooby was her "best friend" and begged for me to keep him around as long as I could. Scooby had a bed in her house, she built a ramp on the back of her home to better accommodate Scooby's failing back legs, she would make him homemade meals and he would spend the night maybe 2-3 nights a week for about a year (when Dolores' health took a downturn, we tried to keep him home more)...
Anyway, sorry to ramble, but I had to break the news to her last night...I printed off a picture of Scooby and braced myself for the task. I sat at another neighbors' house for about 30 minutes (I'm taking care of their dog, cat and sugar gliders while they're on vacation this week) and just tried to build up the nerve to tell this woman that Scooby is gone. You guys just don't know how she'd react to any kind of news about Scooby, so I was worried she'd have a heart attack or something; honestly, I was scared to death!
I ring the door bell and her husband answers...I hear her saying "Is that Michelle?" and I can tell she already knows...she comes out and puts her hands up over her mouth, starts telling me "no, no, no, don't tell me" and she's in tears, I'm a snotty mess and I'm holding this photo. I hand it to her and tell her that it was just his time, that I didn't want her to find out from anyone else, that I appreciated all that she did for him, making him so loved, taking care of him and worrying over him. I told her that I'd talked about her to Scooby just before we put him down, and I did. He actually tried to head over toward her way and I had to bring him back home; I didn't tell her that part, it would have been too much.
She was a wreck, but we both composed ourselves and just talked. She led me to the side of her yard where Scooby's "walking path" was very visible. It was the first time I'd seen it; first time I'd even been to her home. We all get lost in our own lives and just begin to live in our little square; it's sad. Anyway, Scooby had walked that trail between our land for most of his life, and it was very evident, like a deer path worn through the woods, and I could even see where he'd just a day or so before dragged that really bad back leg across her driveway (he'd 'knuckle' one foot, rolling it under and dragging it along for a couple of seconds before getting his footing again...never seemed to even notice he was doing it, so it wasn't causing him pain). There was an impression in the gravel. I lost it, again...she swears the only reason she loved living here was because of Scooby, and that her life will never be the same. I feel horrible, but she understood we didn't want him to suffer and she thankfully didn't give me any grief for making the call or for not telling her beforehand.
That, my friends, was likely the next toughest task aside from letting Scooby go... *sigh*
Today, I'm better...the house is so empty and my daily routines of taking care of Scooby are sorely missed somehow. It's never fun to clean up the messes or vacuum every day because of all of the hair, but I suddenly have way more time than I'm used to and I'm just lost walking around the house. It's so strange...
I'm rambling even more...I'm so sorry...just wanted to share...I am better today, and the migraine is finally gone.
Life goes on from here and I feel like I really, really, really need a ride on Caesar
And BusaBret, I'm sorry
Thanks everyone. I'm MUCH better today, though I still tear up reading all that you guys and gals wrote and shared.
Last night, I had the incredibly tough task of going to a neighbor's house and breaking the news to her. See, about 9 years ago, Scooby discovered "Dolores' House" and before too long, I felt we actually "co-owned" him
Anyway, sorry to ramble, but I had to break the news to her last night...I printed off a picture of Scooby and braced myself for the task. I sat at another neighbors' house for about 30 minutes (I'm taking care of their dog, cat and sugar gliders while they're on vacation this week) and just tried to build up the nerve to tell this woman that Scooby is gone. You guys just don't know how she'd react to any kind of news about Scooby, so I was worried she'd have a heart attack or something; honestly, I was scared to death!
I ring the door bell and her husband answers...I hear her saying "Is that Michelle?" and I can tell she already knows...she comes out and puts her hands up over her mouth, starts telling me "no, no, no, don't tell me" and she's in tears, I'm a snotty mess and I'm holding this photo. I hand it to her and tell her that it was just his time, that I didn't want her to find out from anyone else, that I appreciated all that she did for him, making him so loved, taking care of him and worrying over him. I told her that I'd talked about her to Scooby just before we put him down, and I did. He actually tried to head over toward her way and I had to bring him back home; I didn't tell her that part, it would have been too much.
She was a wreck, but we both composed ourselves and just talked. She led me to the side of her yard where Scooby's "walking path" was very visible. It was the first time I'd seen it; first time I'd even been to her home. We all get lost in our own lives and just begin to live in our little square; it's sad. Anyway, Scooby had walked that trail between our land for most of his life, and it was very evident, like a deer path worn through the woods, and I could even see where he'd just a day or so before dragged that really bad back leg across her driveway (he'd 'knuckle' one foot, rolling it under and dragging it along for a couple of seconds before getting his footing again...never seemed to even notice he was doing it, so it wasn't causing him pain). There was an impression in the gravel. I lost it, again...she swears the only reason she loved living here was because of Scooby, and that her life will never be the same. I feel horrible, but she understood we didn't want him to suffer and she thankfully didn't give me any grief for making the call or for not telling her beforehand.
That, my friends, was likely the next toughest task aside from letting Scooby go... *sigh*
Today, I'm better...the house is so empty and my daily routines of taking care of Scooby are sorely missed somehow. It's never fun to clean up the messes or vacuum every day because of all of the hair, but I suddenly have way more time than I'm used to and I'm just lost walking around the house. It's so strange...
I'm rambling even more...I'm so sorry...just wanted to share...I am better today, and the migraine is finally gone.
Life goes on from here and I feel like I really, really, really need a ride on Caesar
