Archie & Sidney 'All dogs go to heaven'.
Recently I have not found the time to sit down and just take
a minute to write, or create an image. Even when I have had a spare moment or
two for myself, I have occupied it with other distractions. Perhaps I have been
putting this off, but I feel as though I am ready to write a little about it
now. So here goes. . .
Two weeks ago our oldest dog Sidney passed away. It was
terribly sad. But the best thing to think is what a wonderful life he has had,
he was an absolute trooper and was 12 years old which is a good age for a
French Bulldog.
I do not particularly want to go on about how sad I have
been, or dwell on my own personal emotions, as it is obvious due to the fact
Sidney had been in my world for half my life. . . and it is not very
interesting to read about. Instead I have decided to talk about dealing with
the loss of a dog, and people who have not loved and lost a dog sometimes do
have trouble understanding this but these are merely my feelings and thoughts
on the subject.
Having a dog is more than just having a pet that you feed
and take for walks; it is much, much more than that. The bond between a dog and
an owner can be stronger than a bond between two people.
A dog can sense when there is something wrong and will
comfort you.
A dog never judges you, and if they do they would never do
it in a harsh way.
A dog will love you unconditionally.
A dog takes away the pain.
A dog can comfort you the way nothing else can.
A dog completes a home.
A dog, whether I want it to be so or not, will always be
part of my life.
Losing a dog is probably the only thing that has ever put me
off the idea of my partner and I getting one of our own; but I have sat and
thought about having a home without a dog, and there is no such thing in my
mind. It is always a comfort to return to the family home and be greeted by a
canine.
Last August we lost the younger of our two dogs, Archie.
That was hard in a different way because he was young and losing him was very
unexpected, where as Sidney was old, but had been part of the family for so
long… When Archie passed away Sidney was not himself, and it was awful to see
him like that, this was the time my mother got a little friend for Sidney, who
was another French Bulldog that we named George. I believe this was the right
thing to do on so many levels, for one Sidney was not himself and George being
a bouncy, energetic bundle of puppy was a good distraction for him, as well as
the rest of the family. Sidney would snuggle up with George sometimes and
sleep, and I think in general Sidney needed a companion. I think George allowed
us to have almost an extra year with our little Sidney bean, because there was
something to liven him up.
To go off tangent slightly, I also believe Sidney waited for
my mother to have an operation and I think he stuck around to make sure she was
okay. Which is a nice thought, but at the same time quite upsetting. Not exactly
a “sad” upsetting but more of a reminiscent kind of upsetting. Sidney was my mother’s shadow, and if she was
not in the same room as him he was not settled. He was the funniest dog, and I can’t
imagine having a dog quite as unique as he was, the one-eyed, fluffy,
attention-seeking ball of love that he was.
Losing a dog is a very tough thing to go through, the main
thing I found that helped me was to think about the amazing life they have had
because of their family. Thinking of the fact that you are the reason your dog
has been so happy throughout their life is something that gets me through
losing dogs. When we lost Archie, and it was such a shock to the system, for a
while we said we would never get another one, and I am so glad that this was
not the case.
A house is not a home, without a little furry, four legged
love machine. *
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