| Author | Message | ||
| Packer_eric Registered user Username: Packer_eric Post Number: 30 Registered: 3-2004 |
Hello to All! I feel like a stranger of sorts...I have not posted since mid-June. I have been relocated by The Lord and am teaching at a public high school outside Denver, Colorado. It was a bold move of sorts, but, my family and I hung together and have been blessed with possibly the best situation. My main topic for re-entering the forum is to touch briefly upon pets. I am possibly the most empatheic person on earth when it comes to pets/animals. Yes, a big part of my family and I being a vegetarian -not necessarily for helath reasons as, we all LOVE chocolate!?! But on Thursday afternoon, I had to make the hard decision of sending our 12year-old Samoyed/Lab on his way. He was not suffering, but he did have terminal cancer of the lungs and it was getting difficult for him to climb the stairs and just plain breath correctly. What a blessing pets are to us. My 7 and 4 year-old boys are so strong...I asked them both to HELP ME and pray for me as I was the one that was going to need support...what troopers. My wife, as strong as she is, even had her moments of grief...why wouldn't we? Each of us has that special someone or something that makes us all smile proudly...my dogs, and recently, Albie, was that someone! The memories will last, and I pray that Our Father will indeed reunite us with those that were close to us and moved on in this life. I welcome your stories and shared memories as a way to help me cope with this difficult time. I am somewhat surprised at my present day-to-day situation...God truly has answered that prayer of easing the pain...but I shall never forget that precious dog  Eric | ||
| Belvalew Registered user Username: Belvalew Post Number: 718 Registered: 7-2004 |
Dear Eric, I view the Bible as containing God's agreement/plan for mankind. I'm not sure what kind of arrangement he has with the animals, but having had some amazing pets in my life I cannot see them as simply disappearing into dust, never to be again. When I've lost a few of my pets it was like losing human family members. We all mourned, sometimes to such a degree that it was hard to explain. They loved and supported us in a way that we are not loved and supported by the people in our lives. I have to admit, my daughter had a pet rat (yes, I said rat) that I was totally against welcoming into our household at first, but after she had been around for a while she started appealing to me. She was loving, friendly, and very smart. Rats don't live for very long, though, and she was covered in tumors and we had to put her down. I think I cried more than my eight-year-old. I leave it to Jesus to decide about how he will deal with our pets, but I'm hoping to meet a few furry friends in heaven as well as human friends and family. Belva | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 2836 Registered: 12-2003  |
Eric, it's good to see you again. I completely empathize with your grief over Albie. I was just reflecting that it was exactly a year ago this month that we got a wonderful collie named Rocky from a pet rescue organization in our area--and just over a week later he was hit by a car after the wind blew the gate open during the night. He would have survived if he hadn't developed a pneumothorax (hole in his lung), and we had to put him to sleep. For some reason that was an unbelievably painful event for me. Last February we had to put our 12-year-old collie, Smokey, to sleep. He was in the last stages of bone cancer, and he was in great pain. It still surprises me how much I grieved for those dogs, and sometimes I still find myself missing Smokey. God is faithful, though--and (to borrow a phrase from Carol 2) He filled the "dog-shaped hole in my heart" with a spunky sheltie we've named "Rocky II". As Belva said, it's hard to explain the degree to which we all mourned our dogs. And yes, they do love us more unswervingly than many of the people in our lives do. I'm so sorry for your loss, Eric. Colleen | ||
| Lynne Registered user Username: Lynne Post Number: 53 Registered: 10-2005 |
Eric - Let me begin by telling you that if you are the most sympathetic person when it comes to animals/pets, I'm probably the second. I have dogs, and though it has been a few years, we had to put to sleep our beloved doberman because of a problem with her hip which was common to that breed. My husband was in the vet watching as they put her to sleep and I was in the car because I couldn't take it. I felt God's presence comforting me and I later wrote my feelings out in a couple of pages about my beloved friend and shared it with friends which really helped me heal. If God loves the sparrows, how much more does He love the dogs and pets, and how much more does He love us! Though I have dogs and love them very much, I've always been in trouble with my husband for caring more than anyone around me for cats. But I can't help it, I just believe they deserve to be fed, loved and cared for by people. And when their needs are lacking, it doesn't feel right. And a little off the subject, but that doesn't feel right feeling is why I'm not an Adventist now. I connected well with Adventists on the vegetarian issue which I connected with my pets as well. I'm no longer vegetarian now, but I don't eat a lot of meat. The animals around me are of course not vegetarian. But nevertheless, it is nice connecting with you on this. | ||
| Carol_2 Registered user Username: Carol_2 Post Number: 367 Registered: 2-2002  |
I'm so sorry also Eric. I sure know how it feels. Our best friend and beloved doberman had to be put down last April. It is incredibly painful. May God hold you close at this time. I also have a "Rocky" now. He's a boxer pup and cute as can be....amazing how he has filled that emptiness. Just had him in the north Georgia mountains for the weekend, and he makes everything so much fun! Again, I am so sorry, and will keep you and your family in my prayers. | ||
| Seekr777 Registered user Username: Seekr777 Post Number: 339 Registered: 1-2003  |
I can understand the emotions and feeling others are sharing about their "pets", amost members of the family. We had a dog that for more than i year I had to inject 50cc + of saline under the loose skin of his neck (twice a day) to keep him alive for that year. His body was failing. I remember traveling once with him and hooking the IV on the tip of some antlers on the wall to give him his fluid. Our vet has been very thoughtful and considerate the 3 times we have had to deal with the death of one of our animals. Richard rtruitt@mac.com |
