Remember

Oh Randy, how terribly sad and painful that must have been – both of them this summer. Was there and accident, or were they unwell? How long did they live with you – together the whole time? They don’t look like siblings, but you can never tell. What were their names? We’d really like to know them better, and I extend my deepest sympathies to you and your wife. I think the holidays stir up strong and deep emotions, and I hope you find comfort in the memories of the love and joys you shared. Please tell us more and let us know how you are doing. Toni

Hi Toni. Doing OK here. Getting back to you about the loss of our 2 shepherds. We found out our silver & black shepherd “Ranger” was riddled w/cancer & suffering only 1 week b4 going on a trip so our vet recommended putting him to sleep. We were very sad, but still had our white shepherd “Axel”. 6 days later we took Axel to a local boarding kennel before we went away & 2 days later the lady who runs the kennel said he became ill & lethargic. A few hours later she called back to tell us Axel had passed away. We cut our trip short & came home late that night. We picked Axel up in the morning & brought him home to bury him in our yard next to Ranger. We don’t know if he died of a natural cause like heart failure (he was over 10 yrs old) or if it was the trauma of losing his buddy. We’ll never know for sure why it happened but we hope that they both enjoyed a loving home here w/us.

Thank you for sharing your touching story with us, Randy. My sister’s dog had cancer and she made the loving, generous choice to let him go peacefully, as you did with Ranger. You were thinking only of what was best for him, at the expense of your own feelings. We’ll never know what happened to Axel. It sounds as if something was wrong with him, and yes, maybe whatever it was, was compounded by his grief….we don’t know. But I am sure they DID enjoy a wonderful life full of love and joy with you. Please always feel welcome to share with us, and if you open your hearts and home to more loves, we’d love to hear about them, and see photos. And Randy, if you read posts that move you, please share your sympathies and comfort with others – it means so much. I am glad you are in our caring community. Toni