Over the course of the past few months I have lost two dogs. Two family dogs – two best friends. One being a dog my family had since I was 3 years old. A dog who lived to the miraculous age of 18, but had to be put down. Another, a dog we rescued a couple years ago who was just recently taken unexpectedly, and all too soon to cancer. And you know what, I cannot tell you which was harder. I can only say that losing both of them was significantly harder than I could have ever imagined.
For those of you who have lost a pet before, you know how hard this can be. But, for those of you who haven’t, losing a dog may seem trivial in comparison to all of the other horrible things that could go wrong in the world. It may seem nominal to all of the important people that could, and have died. It may seem silly, perhaps ridiculous, to seriously mourn the loss of an animal. And although I agree that there are so many worse tragedies that unfortunately break the hearts of people around the world every day – I also believe the loss of a pet can break your heart too.
I by no means am trying to say that animals are more important than human life or that losing a pet is the worst thing anyone will ever endure; but, I do think it is hard, and I do think that it’s completely normal for it to be hard. Although I began loving animals at a young age, and although these animals always seemed to love me back, I by no means have ever been one of those girls who goes crazy every time they see a dog being walked down the street or is shown a cute puppy vine. But, I have always been one of those girls who are crazy about their own dogs.
I have been raised by two dog lovers and two individuals who have often treated our dogs as individuals as well. They are those crazy people who refer to our dogs as our brothers and sisters, who had four dogs while living in town, who drove their dogs from family member to family member just so their dog didn’t have to sit at home alone while they were at work. And you know what, it may really be crazy. But what’s the point of having these dogs if you aren’t crazy about them? If you don’t love them as if they are just as important as people like me and you?
Your dog doesn’t care what you’ve done, what mistakes you’ve made, or what flaws you carry. They don’t care what you’re wearing, what you’ve failed at, or how popular you are. They only care that you’re there. They are perhaps the only living thing in this world that always loves you more than they love themselves. They are the only ones that possess the capacity to truly love you unconditionally. They are in fact the only ones who are always there for you, no matter what.
That being said, losing your dog is hard – unbearable, in fact. You can never quite imagine it and you always underestimate how heart wrenching it really is, how much it will actually affect you. You don’t realize how sad an empty bowl, a purposeless leash, an old toy, and a silent visit from the mailman can make you. You can’t imagine that you’ll never get to snuggle up to them on the couch again, sneak them one last bite under the table, or receive one last slobbery kiss on the cheek.
Yet, those “last times” do come, and they break your heart just like any last time does. I understand that sometimes it is for the best. I understand that they’re in a better place and are no longer suffering. I understand that doggy heaven is sure to be filled with all of their favorite treats and endless games of fetch. I understand that they were just dogs – but they were my dogs; my best pals.
So my advice for you is this – don’t take your furry friend for granted. Take them out when they have to go, even though it’s cold outside and you’re too lazy to get off the couch. Spoil them with treats and kisses and walks. Tell them that you love them, even though they can’t say it back. Because although not every person knows how to love a dog, every dog knows how to love a person. And although our dogs are only a short part of our lives – we are their whole lives. And with that, they make our lives whole too.
