Dogs gone in 2020

[petlangsyne]

Anybody else finding themselves ruminating over pets they've lost at the turn of this year?

Looked at too many photos of my lovely dog we lost in January this year and missing him terribly.

Think we'll look to get a puppy this year, won't be at all the same but it's time, things are too quiet without him.

@moosemama What a beautiful boy, he was far too young 😞

What beautiful dogs - so nice to be able to see and talk about them. I've not managed to scatter ashes either, must do that before the anniversary. Getting another dog won't be the same as the ones we are missing, but if you're used to dogs the something missing feeling of no patter of paws in the morning can be helped by another dog.

@userxx, thank you. He was a very special lad and yes, far too young to leave us. He had a really bad start in life and was very complex with high needs - which most likely was at the root of the condition we lost him to - so he left a massive hole in our lives. Thankfully, we are lucky to have our other boy, also a Lurcher, who is now over 15 and it’s awful to think, when I look at my healthy, happy old lad, that he should have had at least as many years again, if not more and the same chance to be thoroughly spoiled into his old age.

I have his ashes in the living room at the moment. His favourite place was the beach we took him to every year in Ireland and that’s where we would like to scatter them, but we weren’t able to go this year for obvious reasons. I suspect 2021 is unlikely as well.

I still find myself turning to look for him or expecting to see him and I miss his absolute delight at being reunited with me, every time I walked through a door, even if I’d only been gone a few minutes.

We originally rescued him because our other boy was grieving so badly for our previous dog and wasn’t coping with being an only dog at all. This time, our older lad was here when his friend died (he had a massive seizure and died in my arms at home) seemed to understand and has coped much better. He definitely grieved, but he’s now loving being a spoiled only dog and we have decided we won’t be getting another while we still have him. It wouldn’t be fair on him at his age. When we do, we have chosen a completely different, new breed to us and for the first time in decades, it won’t be a rescue. I just need a different experience this time - not to take on another complex, high-needs rescue. I’m 100% certain we will rescue again, just not this time.

I’m in touch with a lovely breeder, who has put me on her list for a pup, but knows it may not be for a couple of years (hopefully). I know he’s already a good age for a big dog, but find myself clinging on to the hope that we may have a few more years with him and know I have become hypervigilant about his health since we lost our other boy.

First dog walk of the new year this morning felt very strange, moving into another year without my boy.

Here's my girl who passed away in March. She was twelve and such a prima donna, but I loved her so much.

I still haven't scattered her ashes or moved her bed from my bedroom.

She's left such a gigantic hole in my heart, I really can't put into words how much I miss her.

We lost our pup this year, also to a road accident. She was just 10 months old. When our last dog died of cancer at eleven years old it still seemed too young but he had had a good life and he got ill which happens and we/vet did everything but he couldn't recover. We can make sense of that. But the puppy death just seems so pointless. She was a cracking little thing - really good company.

Yes my little yorkie angel left us in October I’m glad she is at peace as her last year was not peaceful sorry for everyone else’s loss

I have read your messages in floods of tears. So sorry for the loss of all your lovely dogs.

We lost our very deeply loved, beautiful terrier cross last night. She was 16 and had gradually been getting frailer, but she deteriorated very suddenly and awfully and after an emergency dash to the vet we had to make the worst decision. Worst for us, but best for her. She licked my face and gazed into my eyes as she slipped away. My husband and I are utterly heartbroken. We had her from the age of 8 weeks (pic 1) and I cannot believe she is no longer here. I don't know where to put myself. I've barely slept or eaten and I've cried so much I feel like a withered husk.

Terrible end to a terrible year.

@ilovecardigans I'm so sorry for the loss of your beautiful pup.

Our ddog was far too crabby to take on holiday. This year we took some ashes and left some on Mull where she would have loved in life. Also buried some in the sand dunes where we live as she loved our beach.. When we revisit Mull annually she will be with us.
Makes sense to me anyway!

Thank you so much, @TheDogsMother. She really was beautiful, inside and out. She loved to lie in the sun and the sunlight shining on her made her coat glisten like real gold. We're just absolutely bereft. Never seen my husband in such a state. I've got the heating on full blast but I'm shivering and my hands are like ice.

@ilovecardigans, I’m so sorry for your loss. She was a beautiful dog and clearly will have given you 16 years of wonderful memories.

I’m still coming to terms from losing my 11 year old lab last month. I’m grateful to have her sister to make my days worthwhile. I’m not generally a weeper but still cry nearly every day when something reminds me of her. I’ve lost dogs in the past but this one was special and has left a huge gap in my life.

That sounds perfect, @Santaisironingwrappingpaper. x

@ilovecardigans somehow even though you know they're old it's still an awful shock at the end, a lovely dog. The first days are so hard, deepest sympathies.

Thank you so much, @Anewuser. So many memories indeed. She was an absolute joy and it really feels like the light has gone out of my life.

So sorry for your loss. I know what you mean - some dogs are just special.

@Hm2020 what a nice dog, and @puptent that's a horrible thing to happen

Thank you so very much, @petlangsyne. I think I am in shock to be honest (her decline was terribly traumatic - I won't go into details).

Thank you for this thread. It's helping me a great deal.

@trimtops I love the colour of her fur - it is hard to express. It's so nice to remember them though, painful as it is sometimes.

I lost my oldest Charlie in Feb the day before he would have turned 16, I have a photo on my kitchen window sill as this seems to be where I spend most of my time
Unfortunately his little sister looks to be heading that way, she turned 16 in Oct (same parents, separate litters) The house will feel very empty without dogs but I don't think we'll get another. I have a 12 year old cat and a couple of tortoises so they will keep me occupied for a while yet. The kids still tell me funny stories of what they think Charlie is up to in doggy heaven

We lost our Milo at end of Nov, in a tragic road accident. I have never seen my Dh cry like he did and we miss him hugely.

He was only 3 when he died and for a springer so was laid back in the house, we are lucky to live in the Fens so never walked him with a lead , he just walked next to us so beautifully, wasn't interested in any other dogs that walked by .

I miss him every single day as would walk him at 7am for 30 minutes regardless of what else needed doing as it set me up for the day.

So sorry, @gingerninja99 and @butmumineedit.

My girl turned 16 in September, but I honestly thought we would have a couple more years with her. She was still playful, eating well, enjoying short, snuffly walks and greeting my husband with huge enthusiasm when he got in from work. It's dreadful to see him sobbing his heart out.

@butmumineedit I'm so sorry for your tragic loss. What a gorgeous boy 😢

Glad to have found this thread, as I really don't think many people understand what a loss a pet is.

Was just remembering yesterday how Dog talked. I used to say after a morning walk, "C'mon, let's go home for toast and coffee," and Dog would go, "Rrrrr rrr rrr" in an agreeable tone in reply. People used to look quite astonished when he did this. He went to one dog boarder and she messaged me to say, "He can talk!"

(Admittedly he did struggle with some topics of conversation...)

When I was 20 we lost our ddog who was also 20. Didn't quite understand the grief as had left home and had a dc /busy life. Can't imagine how my dm coped after having her since she was about a year old.
The hole is real I now know sadly.

We lost our darling boy in June and still miss him every day. He was 14 which was a good age for his breed (a Cavalier) and active until the end when he suddenly collapsed after a walk and died in my husband's arms.

Not my own dog, but I work as a dog walker and my lovely client Max died suddenly in October, just hours of being diagnosed with cancer.

I had walked him since he was a little puppy.

Heartbroken, as are (of course) his family.