As I sit here and begin to write this article, I sit with tears running down my face. Even after months gone by my heart still hurts. It doesn't matter what type of pet you own, when you lose it, it hurts like nothing else. Your pets become you family members. I have always called my dogs my "furry siblings." These animals show you what unconditional love is. They love you no matter what your wearing, what you own, what you look like. They love you for you and for taking them in and being good to them. For me, my dogs taught me responsibility and how to take care of someone else. Like humans though, their time comes to leave you and pass away. And when this time comes, you realize what heart break really is.
Laila was the first one to pass. We got Laila (a boxer) when I was in 8th grade. She was the first dog we had ever had who lived in our house and soon we realized how much a part of the family she was. She loved traveling and camping in our camper with us. After a year or so, we thought she might need a friend to play with. We found Nicholas (also a boxer) who fit right in with us and they instantly became best friends. Nick was a large brute, who did not really enjoy traveling as much, but loved sitting on the couch in your lap (all 90 pounds of him). Where we my family went, Nick and Laila went. I considered these two my very best friends!
In the last two summers, I have lost two of my best friends. Laila passed away in 2015 after being sick for a couple of weeks. Cancer took her from us. We lost Nick this summer after having several seizures that fried his little brain, causing us to make the awful decision to have him put to sleep. They also believe that he was a victim of cancer.
Losing an animal is harder than what I ever imagined it to be. I knew it would be hard, but never imagined it would hurt quite as bad as it was. These animals come into our lives loving us unconditionally and we only get to spend a short amount of time with them. It's different from losing a person, because you get many more years with them. My dogs only lived around seven years. The seems like a long time, but its really not when you think about it.
I swore I would never get another dog. I never wanted to feel that type of heartbreak again. I felt that if we didn't get another dog then I prevented the possibility of ever feeling that hurt in my heart. I never wanted to have to make the decision to have my best friend put to sleep.
Not long after our first boxer, Laila, passed away my dad came home with a small surprise. A miniature Wiener dog who was close to death. He had found out about her and went to the owners and bought her, so that he could save her. Then, within this past week, we found a dog out the shelter who needed a good home. I didn't like the idea of the these two new dogs coming into our home, because I knew what would happen. I would get attached and then they would pass away. But, being the dog lover I am I couldn't stay away. I looked at this as opportunity to help out other dogs and give them the loving home that they deserved; even if it meant I would end up broken hearted once again down the road. Although these dogs will never fill the place in my heart that Nick and Laila had, they seem to be pretty good dogs!
As pet lovers, we have to make the decision of choosing to give our hearts away again to new animals. As hard as it is to accept a new pet after loosing one, it usually ends up being well worth it. Because honestly, a dog is the best thing there is to have!
