Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Dear Tara,
I was so sorry to learn that you lost your sweet Zeus. He was a fine dog and I know you will miss him very much. You were so kind to him, especially at the end, riding with him to the vet's office and staying with him and holding his paw as he was released from his earthly pain. That was a very, very difficult thing to do and you had the courage to do it, for your Zeus.
When Zeus decided to no longer eat, that was his way of telling you that it was time for him to go to the Rainbow Bridge. And, that is where he is now, healthy and running with four legs again, waiting for you some day in the future to be with him again.
I certainly understand your wanting to be near Zeus' toys. There is nothing immature about it. After Dave and I had to put Luna to sleep on Sept. 16th, 2008, we were leaving the clinic when I remembered that I didn't have her leash or collar. I went back inside after we were in the parking lot, and asked for her leash and collar so I could have them with me. When we got back to the hotel (we had taken her to the Univ. of Florida in Gainesville, about a two hour drive from our home) I put her leash and collar on the bed. It looked so empty, the collar never to be filled with her neck again. I took photos of those precious items lying on the bed. It expressed how I felt, so empty and helpless. I put her little collar in my pocket and wore it for many days to come in my jeans' pocket. It was a comfort just to know that it was there. I have now put the collar in a special drawer where I keep things that are very precious and private to me. I also have a "Rainbow Bridge" wristband, which has the rainbow colors in it and embossed in the wristband are the words: "I'll be waiting for you at the Rainbow Bridige". I wear this wristband 24 hours a day and it is a real comfort to me. The staff at UF, at my request, cut off some of Luna's fur and put it in a baggie and gave it to me the next day. I would reach into that baggy and feel her soft black fur. It was so sad to still be able to touch her precious fur, but I was glad that I had it to touch. I'm sure that others do similar things to be near the tangible items that were so dear to their pets. For me, these are what brought me comfort.
Again, my condolences on your loss of your precious dog, Zeus.
Sincerely,
Sandra Thomas & "Angel" Luna
Hi Tara, I, too, feel terrible over your loss of Zeus and understand why it was so difficult to sit down and write about it to us. You are doing nothing differently than anyone of us would do after losing a beloved pet. Each of us grieves in different ways, but nothing we do is unusual or silly. You have to be allowed to grieve your loss in the best way you know how. I do admire your courage for knowing when it was the right time to let Zeus run free. I think that's what Zeus really wanted even though he had a hard time saying goodbye to the family who loved him so dearly for so long. I'm glad that he is pain-free now and able to romp and play with new pals. Thank you for sharing this very personal story with us. Someone mentioned that we are strangers on this site, but are we really? The bond that all of us share for our beloved animals really makes us more of a "family" and that's the way I like to think of tripawds.com.
Love, Vicki, Blazer & Kitty Kimber
Hello Tara, our thoughts are with you. I do apologize for this late reply to your post but we were going through the same emotions you, Zeus and your husband were going through. We also had to set our baby girl Kellie free recently so know that our prayers and thoughts are with you in during these difficult time. Love, Kellie's heart, Isabel and Wayne (pawrents).
Kellie
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