Pets of SJ.com

We are overcome with grief.

Lost --- literally lost --- our 17-year-old dog Sunday at South Mountain State Park. Only reason we were there is because we were showing our house and had to vacate for the whole day with animals. How do you lose a 17-year-old arthritic dog walking with you?

He was a few feet behind us --- as usual, no big deal --- and the path took a curve and he was momentarily out of sight. Couldn't have been more than a minute or two before we noticed he wasn't there. Ran down the path to ostensibly catch up with him . . . nothing. Wife thinks maybe he panicked and tried to find a shortcut to get to us. I'm not so sure he sensed it was time and just escaped to be alone and die, although I've heard that's part-myth. The past couple of days he had taken to just standing and urinating, standing in his own puddle. As if he had no control. Not like him at all. Earlier in the walk he had done a U-turn and started walking back. We caught up with him that time. But we were too stupid to hear what he was telling us: "No more!"

We had even considered putting him down about a month ago when he was having trouble even getting up, but we added two medicines that really seemed to help. Wife has cried herself to sleep every night this week, blaming herself for everything. Losing him is just part of it. The thought that his end may have taken days is horrible to think about.

RIP, Dikusha.

 

Oh man. Heartbreaking. So sorry @BTExpress

 

He was a very good boy for 17 years and knew he was loved by you both. Somewhere he is still giving you a tail wag from the great beyond. Grief is real and I wouldn’t dream of telling anybody to “get over it” but y’all will have to find a way to release the guilt. He wouldn’t want that for his humans.

 

Thank you. We have so much shit going on right now (end of one job, another one starting next month, selling house, buying another house in another state), and the wife has basically shut down. Goes to her job, comes home, does some embroidery in her room, in between crying episodes. We go to look for houses on June 14. I can only hope she's better by then.

 

BTE, sorry to read about this loss ... worse, with the language barrier between animals and humans, job chaos, moving chaos. Just more chaos.

Hope your wife feels better, and you know there are better days ahead. Hope all parties stop beating themselves up. I know you're receptive to animals, so move forward knowing you did what could have and can be done.

 

So sorry, the not knowing is the worst feeling.

 

I'm so sorry, BTExpress.

 

One of the worst memories of my life is a much-loved pet getting lost and never coming back. It's made me hyperaware of where my pets are at all times. I am very sorry it happened.

 

At lunch today and at the next table a dog wearing a bandana placed himself strategically to get any drops.




Then I saw his eyes and wow, what a demon dog with those baby blues. 43 could probably look straight into the dog's soul.

 

BTE we haven’t seen eye to eye many times nevertheless that’s just discussions, this is life and my heart goes out to you and your wife.