A sad day

Last night was the coldest night we have experienced here, might have been a record at 13F (-10.5C) but today has turned into a very nice day, sunny 54F (+12C) with little wind. We decided to bath Muffin much to her displeasure; she behaves but does not appreciate a bath. I sit and hold her wrapped in towels for awhile after her bath, and by the time we finish bathing her we have many wet towels so after lunch Woody takes them to the laundry. While at the laundry our friend Lenore comes over to tell Woody that she and Mike had to put down their beloved dog, Danny a beautiful reddish brown dog about the size of a golden retriever, he looks like a retriever except for the colour and is taller. They have had Danny for a long time and of course Lenore and Mike were broken hearted and I cannot blame them, Danny was such a well mannered, even tempered dog that loved life. They took him to the vet today and found out he had liver cancer, and just 13 days ago he had walked 6 miles with Mike on a desert hike. This morning he was visibly sick, didn’t want to eat or drink and was just lying around, he could not jump into the truck and normally he jumps in, loves to go for a ride, by the time they got him to the vet they had to take him in on a stretcher. The vet did some tests right away and found the cancer, what liver cancer does is compact the blood vessels so Danny was hemorraging inside and there was nothing that could be done. I created a sympathy card for them with a small picture of Danny and with the card I printed out a copy of the poem “The Rainbow Bridge”. For those of you who have not heard about Rainbow Bridge I am including the poem here as I think it is very beautiful and healing to read while grieving for a beloved pet.

The Rainbow Bridge

By the edge of a woods, at the foot of a hill,

Is a lush, green meadow where time stands still.

Where the friends of man and woman do run,

When their time on earth is over and done.

For here, between this world and the next,

Is a place where each beloved creature finds rest.

On this golden land, they wait and they play,

Till the Rainbow Bridge they cross over one day.

No more do they suffer, in pain or in sadness,

For here they are whole, their lives filled with gladness.

Their limbs are restored, their health renewed,

Their bodies have healed, with strength imbued.

They romp through the grass, without even a care,

Until one day they start, and sniff at the air.

All ears prick forward, eyes dart front and back,

Then all of a sudden, one breaks from the pack.

For just at that instant, their eyes have met;

Together again, both person and pet.

So they run to each other, these friends from long past,

The time of their parting is over at last.

The sadness they felt while they were apart,

Has turned into joy once more in each heart.

They embrace with a love that will last forever,

And then, side-by-side, they cross over… together.

Author Unknown

This poem surely invokes tears but tears are a large part of the healing process, I believe one should let them flow freely while grieving the loss of a beloved pet that has become a noble, loving faithful friend as well as a wonderful pet. We have lost dogs and know it is not easy and a piece of our heart is always with the dog. I will not deliver the card and poem until tomorrow, giving them their private time today. Our prayers, thoughts and love are with you Lenore and Mike.