Glenn’s emotional farewell to ‘best friend’ Victor

www.GlennBeck.com ^ | Friday, Mar 22, 2013 | Glenn Beck

[Yosemitest]

Watch Glenn in his own words talk about it for 17 minutes 16 seconds.
Victor has been battling health issues in recent years and tomorrow [ Saturday Mar 23, 2013 ],
the family will say their final goodbyes as he will be relieved of his suffering.

Glenn’s dog Victor has been the protector of the family for quite some time,
but more than that he’s been a ‘best friend’ as Glenn described on radio today.
Victor has been battling health issues in recent years and tomorrow, the family will say their final goodbyes as he will be relieved of his suffering.
On radio this morning, Glenn reflected on what Victor has meant to he and his family and the difficulty in coming to this decision.

“Most people after a long relationship with their pets know what it feels like.
They become member of the family,” Glenn told listeners.

Glenn and Tania got Victor years ago when Glenn got his first death threat.
Neither of them felt they were ready to have a gun in the house for protection at the time, and they agreed that it would be better to have a guard dog.
They ended up going to Harrison K9 where they found Victor.

“Here’s a dog that looked like a lion or a bear, giant.
Head the size of a cinder block,” Glenn remembered.

Victor was always very kind and gentle, and Glenn recalled that when Raphe was a baby
he would hang onto Victor’s teeth like they were rattles.

But Victor was more than just the family dog, he was the kind and gentle protector of the Beck family.

“I never knew what it felt like to be afraid for your life.
We now have 24-hour protective details on my family and I.
And I can’t even explain to the men who stand by my side or in front of me or behind me,
what it means to know that someone will risk their life for you.
Victor has been our best friend — I apologize.
And a guardian,” Glenn said through tears.

Listeners and viewers know that Victor has been sick for the past several months,
and the Beck’s have been preparing to say goodbye for some time now.
And despite knowing that their time with Victor on Earth is coming to an end,
the decision has not been an easy one.

“When they get sick you usually have to bring a decision in a short period of time.
You bring them to the hospital, and you have to decide now to put them down.
Once in a while you watch your best friend decay and suffer and you wonder when?
You pray,
please Lord, just take him.”

“Nobody wants to put an animal down.
But somebody has to say the hard things. We’ve known this day is coming.
He’s very old.
He’s 13 now. Which is extraordinarily old for a purebred German shepherd.
We thought we were going to lose him two summers ago, but he just kept coming back.
And last summer, we talked about putting him down when we were up at the ranch we have.
We have a place where if he were younger he would have chasing the cows and barking at the sky, and running through the fields.
We brought him up, thought he was doing better last summer.
When we came home I think Victor retired,” he explained.

“We’ve decided to have him cremated
even though I’m not sure that’s the right thing to do.
We wanted to bury him up at the ranch because we just are afraid that God forbid, things happen,
we’d sell our house, and move away.
We didn’t want him alone.
I’ve tried to give my kids the experience this week that they’ll always remember,
and wanted to be able to dig his grave myself and bury him
because I think there is something in that honor and dignity
and I think it’s something that a boy and his dad should do,” Glenn said.

“I just wanted to thank you.
Especially those who have listened in Tampa or Philadelphia when we got Victor.
We’d go out and meet people, and so many people say how is he?
I thought of you yesterday as we took a walk.
I told him that he’s been loved by people he’s never even met.
I don’t know if it means anything to him, but it means something to me.”

“It’s going to be a tough weekend obviously.
And sure would appreciate your prayers one last time,” Glenn said.

[Yosemitest]

Glenn, as the tears run down my face, my prayer go out for you and yours.
I know what this is like, although I don't have children.
I especially hurt for them, and I hope they understand.
Please don't cremate Victor, but get some 2"x4"s and some 3/8" plywood and build a simple box to fit him, and bury him in a place of your choosing.
I hope they use an I.V. sleeping solution, and not a needle to the heart.
If you have the nerve, a simple bullet to the back of the head is the quickest and least painful method, but with children, I understand the way you've chosen.
Again, many of us who were raised in the country have gone through this.
You're not alone in this hardship and wait a while before you choose another dog.
Allow your grief a chance to pass.
May I recommend a wolf hybrid? Once you've owned a wolf, you'll never go back to a regular dog.


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[MountainYankee]

I was listening to this yesterday while in my workshop and had to change the station. I am a Beck fan but, WTF?. I put down two great dogs in the past year, said my goodbyes in the veternarians treatment room, and left it there. I couldn’t figure out what the point was in him blubbering on and on. There will be time enough for mourning if our country stays on the path it is on and it won’t be for pets.

My apologies inadvance for those who think I am insensitive.

[Yosemitest]

I won't let another person, a stranger, put down one of my pet.
Every watch "Of Men And Mice", the original?
The dog trusts his owner, and it must be done with compassion.
It shouldn't be done sloppily, causing more pain than necessary, but quick and painless.
Only the owner of the pet should do the task.

[raybbr]

I was listening to this yesterday while in my workshop and had to change the station. I am a Beck fan but, WTF?. I put down two great dogs in the past year, said my goodbyes in the veternarians treatment room, and left it there. I couldn’t figure out what the point was in him blubbering on and on. There will be time enough for mourning if our country stays on the path it is on and it won’t be for pets.

I'm with you but it's not just Beck. We have to put up with Savage, Levin and Limbaugh's endless yammering about their pets and how they suffer or their stupid pet stories.

I, too, have had to have dog put down. It's sad but sheesh, how are their pets more important than ours that we have to listen to this?

[fortheDeclaration]

Agreed. There seems to be this view today that every emotion has to be made public.

Mourning is very personal and should be private.

[kitkat]

“Mourning is very personal and should be private.”

Mourning is always private, and VERY painful.

Which is why the mourner needs to hear an acknowledgment of one’s grief by saying a kind word about the lost one, or an expression of sympathy for the mourner’s difficult journey back to normalcy.

Which is why Ann Landers said, “There’s an elephant in the room and no one sees it,” while discussing how badly we handle other people’s grief.

[momincombatboots]

I remember the stories of Victor when he was very young. I feel connected to someone when they share their grief and their victories. Connection to others is something we have lost as society becomes less personal. A dog that will sacrifice his life for yours is much more than a pet. I can not relate to that connection. I cried too, every animal I have had to put down. Thanks for sharing a personal connection.

[usconservative]

I'm with you but it's not just Beck. We have to put up with Savage, Levin and Limbaugh's endless yammering about their pets and how they suffer or their stupid pet stories.

You don't have to "put up" with anything, change the channel on the radio. Personally I don't know why anyone listens to Savage (whack-job) or Limbaugh (gotten soft ...) .. Levin's the only good one of that bunch.

[Yosemitest]

I cannot prove it, but I have a belief that God allows angels to watch after us through pets.
I've seen pet call other people to the scene of accidents, thus assisting in the rescue and saving of other people's lives.
I've seen horses jump across a small branch and when their owner stumbled going up the other bank and fell, the horse somehow fell to the right of the owner on its knees, when motion and gravity would have had the horse land directly on top of the owner.
I've seen small wonders like that, several times in my life, that cannot be explained, for if angels can take the form of men, what makes us think they cannot watch after us through pets?

[Yosemitest]

"to Savage ... Limbaugh . .. Levin"

I like them all, even though I rarely get to listen to Savage, due to other things I have to do.

[OldPossum]

I so disagree with you people who think a bullet to the head is the best way. Why allow your beloved pet to die in such a violent manner? Damn it, have you never seen a dog go with the overdose of an anesthetic? It’s quick and it’s peaceful.

[Revelation 911]

i agree - its painless - in fact we had a cat many years ago who had feline leukemia - finally it was weak and frail - the injection must have made the pain subside long enough to perk up and stand up for about 7-10 seconds before he passed

[Patriot365]

Wolf Hybrids do not make good trustworthy pets. The Dog part wants to love and protect it’s human masters and the Wolf part wants to flee and attack it’s human keepers. The animal is in a constant state of internal conflict. They are a danger to anyone that is not part of it’s imediate family pack. After two I will never have another.

[seeker41]

Agreed. Pets deserve a quiet and peaceful journey..

[Paradox]

I put my pet hamster down, using a home made CO2 generator.
It made me feel creepy, it was too easy. Was glad to relieve him of his suffering though.

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

I don't think you are "insensitive." You are NORMAL!!!

The cult of animals makes me sick. Lord there are many people who care more for some animal than they do for their children. Sometime compare the fee charged by a Pediatrician with the fee charged by a veterinarian. Such difference illustrates the relative value placed by many people on their children and animals.>P/ By the way I have owned and cared for many dogs in my life. None of them ever suffered by my acts or inaction.

[Paradox]

The internet and mass media have made us all these incredible, navel gazing narcissists.

[Rick66]

Granted it should be as quick and painless as possible but I could never pull the trigger on my best friend. Just seems wrong. I put one of my beloved English Springer kids down a couple years ago and it still stings. I just think of the happiness that we brought each other for almost fifteen years. No animal or human deserves to suffer....

[hinckley buzzard]

I have had to say goodbye to numerous pets all my life. I never felt compelled to make a histrionic display of it in public.

[aumrl]

This strikes a nerve. I have a 90# Black Lab,’Valor’. He was Seeing Eye trained and is just,well, my best friend.He will be 14yo on 4/12. He had a seizure last year and now has a broken toe but his quality of life is still good and he loves the snow and the water. Vitamins and glucosamine seem to have him stable.
Statements regarding disposition of pets are interesting. I am coming to believe pets will be found in heaven.