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Losing a Pet is Like Losing a Member of the Family

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In Memoriam: My beautiful Jenna

I now am down to one newfy, sweet and totally crazy Feeny, and my little Zoey, the rat terrier, who believes she is a newfy. We had to say goodbye last week to Jenna, just one week shy of her 13th birthday. There is this huge hole in the house, and in my heart. Until this morning, there were still two bowls for water sitting in the kitchen and there were still four bowls for dog food sitting in the spot where the clean dog food dishes go. ( I always had four, two to use, and two to wash, which made four when they were all cleaned). Ah my dear Jenna, best and most honorable of search dogs, best and most honorable of parners, faithful and absolutely fearless and absolutely trusting and trustworthy. You would just keep on going, without a fuss, just like your mother Angel, whose memoriam rests below on these pages. The whisper of you still lives within my heart and within these walls, the place where you always laid in front of the fan on the blue rug, the spot where your hair got brushed and lays in dust curls under the couch, still not swept up because it is your memory...and dear old red Elmo the stuffy that was always YOUR favorite toy. Feeny picked up Elmo a couple days ago and carried him for a bit and took him tenderly out to the yard and left him in the spot where you left us. Was she bringing him back to you?

One wonders what goes through the minds of the dogs who are left. I let Feeny see you, and Zoey too. Feeny pawed at you and she pawed at me, as if to say, get up Jenna, get up NOW. Zoey ran in circles and would not go near. Zoey is older and wiser than Feeny , even though she is smaller, and she knew there was no use. You are now running with your mother, Angel, and King Arthur, and Windy, and Callie, and Bear, and Showme...and so many many others who have gone before. What a crowd will be there to greet me when I go to the Rainbow Bridge.
The Rainbow Bridge poem is comforting for those who lose a dog (or any pet). You can buy Rainbow Bridge Sympathy cards in many different breeds and keep them on hand to send to your friends when they lose a pet. If you've never read the "Rainbow bridge" poem here it is in its entirety:

THE RAINBOW BRIDGE....
Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially
close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.
There are meadows and hills for all of our
special friends so they can run and play together.
There is plenty of food, water and sunshine,
and our friends are warm and comfortable.
All the animals who had been ill and old
are restored to health and vigor;
those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again,
just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.
The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing;
they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes
when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance.
His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers.
Suddenly he begins to run from the group,
flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.
You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend
finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion,
never to be parted again.
The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet,
so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.
Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

...Author unknown...

The origins of this beautiful poem have been lost somewhere...if anyone does know of the author I sure would like to find out.

All I know is, if there is no heaven for dogs, then I'm not going!

Contents at a Glance

In Memoriam: My Partner, My friend, My S...
Check out the new Rainbow bridge Sympath...
Losing Sassy...how her dog friend reacte...
A video which memorializes a lab dog. Th...
Old Dogs: Loved and Cherished
Favorite Pet Loss Pages

My Angel... She served me so well........

KAYLAR'S CHRISTMAS ANGEL

It has been 10 months almost to the day now since I lost my Angel girl...my search dog, my partner, my best friend. These days when I train and practice and go on a callout, I am with her daughter and Jenna...she is so much like Angel that I STILL sometimes make the mistake of calling her "Angel". I have the ashes of all my newf sof the past...there are lots of boxes in my closet. I have yet to find the exact container that I want...I want them all to match, I want them all to have a place to put a photo, and I want them all to be "just right" So I still don't have anything yet for the urns. Some day...maybe, I will just sit down and make my own, plain wooden boxes with a beautiful finish.

I miss my Angel. Somehow the worst time is when I line up the bowls to feed the dogs and there is one missing. I gain great comfort from other Newfoundland owners who tell me "It's ok to grieve" ...I hope you, too, will remember this if you have lost a pet. They are a LARGE part of your life. Angel was with me 14 and a half years! So now I have, in my heart, fourteen and a half years of memories. I am one of the lucky ones!Newfoundland home pages to read more about my Newfoundlands. Any of readers who would like to submit photos and memorial poetry or other sentiments about pets they have lost.

The passing of Summer:

Now there is another loss: "Kaylars Midsummer Dream" (Summer))was sent to a pet home awhile back to live out her life, with a dear friend of mine who had just lost her other newfie. The remaining newfie that she had was bereft and mourning. It worked out so well, and Summer brought her happy wagging tail and happy disposition into her new home. She has been loved these past few years and became a BIG part of the lady's life. But this past week I got the sad news that Summer is gone. It seems appropriate somehow that she has faded from our lives with the fading of the summer months. Summer was a great girl, she was always so pleasant to other dogs and quite unassuming. Just like her mother"Purdy" she had a soft heart in her heart for people who were sick and she would hover over them. Summer was one of two in the family, and now my friend is going to be replacing her with yet another newfoundland, to help Winnie, the one who is left, to get over the loss.

Check out the new Rainbow bridge Sympathy cards at Cafepress

Remember your friends when they lose their pet

There is a large selection of Rainbow Bridge Sympathy cards at Cafepress/dogdaze.

rainbow bridge poem Greeting Cards (Pk of 10)

From: Dog Daze

Price: $22.99

American bulldog Sympathy Greeting Cards (Pk of 10

From: Dog Daze

Price: $22.99

Basenji sympathy Greeting Cards (Pk of 10)

From: Dog Daze

Price: $22.99

Cavalier SYMPATHY Note Cards (Pk of 10)

From: Dog Daze

Price: $17.99

Losing Sassy...how her dog friend reacted

Strange but true

I placed Sassy, an older newf, with a dear friend of mine to live out her older years, aftrer the age of six.When she was nearly 11, she passed on to the rainbow bridge.
The day after she passed, my friends golden retriever Champ was in the back yard where he and Sassy always played.
My friend watched in amazement as Champ, the golden, who sorely missed his friend Sassy, spent nearly a half hour in what she later termed "ghost play". He was dancing and twirling and play bowing and even play biting IN THE AIR as if his best friend Sasy was right there, playing with him!!

Old Dogs: Loved and Cherished

Saying farewell is hard

Just some photos of our old best friends

Losing a Pet is Like Losing a Member of the Family

In Memoriam: My beautiful Jenna

Contents at a Glance

Contents at a Glance

In Memoriam: My Partner, My friend, My SARDOG

My Angel... She served me so well........

Check out the new Rainbow bridge Sympathy cards at Cafepress

Remember your friends when they lose their pet

Losing Sassy...how her dog friend reacted

Strange but true

Old Dogs: Loved and Cherished

Saying farewell is hard

Favorite Pet Loss Pages

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