Gone Too Soon

Dogs are a special breed of friend. We all know they are loyal and give you unconditional love. But they are more than that. They are confidantes and a complete support system. They make you laugh and cry and everything in between. They have the capacity to be your best friend and a real kindred spirit.

Tragically however, a dog's life span is dramatically shorter than our own. Even more tragically, they are often much shorter than that due to illness or other sad circumstances. Most of us know this all too well.

I certainly do. I have seen my share of beloved pets come and go. A few were taken far too soon. One was taken just hours before I write this. When they are taken like that, it cuts to the very core of our hearts because it is as if a piece of our soul is taken. Because essentially, that is what they are. Pets, and especially dogs, live within our hearts and we love them more than life itself.

Max, a very handsome Border Collie, was our family pet for several years. He was everything a family dog should be. He loved us all, even when we got angry at each other. He followed dad around like a puppy, always at his heels. He was a comfort and a friend. At about age 10, Max got sick. He was diagnosed with an enlarged heart. It is somewhat ironic that that is what it was, since he loved us all so much, and we loved him too. In the end, he had trouble breathing to the point where he couldn't lie down and sleep. We had to say goodbye that night, and there was not a dry eye in the house. We all knew no other dog could ever fill the void left by this amazing dog, and none has. Max was only 10 years old and gone too soon.

Jack came into my life as a rescue of sorts. His original owner used to kick him around and he was neglected to the point of dirt and grime all over his body. He was just a little happy-go-lucky puppy and didn't deserve that. When he came to me, I quickly fell in love. He was my buddy and brought great joy and laughter. He was so sweet that you could tell he had nothing but love for every member of the family. Sadly, as he got older, he started to demonstrate some aggressiveness. He felt distrust towards people he did not know, and he thought himself an Alpha towards other dogs. My mom and I spent many hours trying to teach him right, to correct this behavior. We came to the conclusion that this behavior was created somewhat from the treatment he suffered as a puppy. Finally, we decided that this behavior was just too ingrained in him, that it was just a part of him that we could not correct. For the safety of both strangers and loved ones, and our poor other dogs, we decided it would be best to let him go. I still regret the decision I made. I wonder if there was something I did not try, if he did perhaps have the potential to be well-behaved. I watched that day when the life left my best buddy, when his eyes closed in sleep for the last time. My best friend who lived barely three years was gone too soon.

Arrow is the freshest sorrow. He was the most loyal of the Dazzle Dogzz who loved to visit with people and people loved to visit with him. He was a sweetheart if ever I saw one. He was the ultimate comfort to his person and to anybody who met him. Arrow could do his tricks beautifully and could always impress. In the last month or so, he started to get sick and nobody knew why. Finally we figured out he had an enlarged esophagus. His quality of life was not good, and the poor guy had barely enough strength to even say hello on the last night I saw him. The day before though, he did come outside to greet me as is his usual behavior. I will always cherish the memory of his happy attitude, every time he had visitors He was a social butterfly and a handsome boy. Everybody loved him so much and that is why he was gone too soon.

Our hearts break when those we love leave us, and dogs are no exception. In fact, they are the rule. Max, Jack, and Arrow, we loved you so much, even if our time with you was much too short.



In memory of every pet who had to leave too soon.