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.

[SgtHooper]

I turned away from it for awhile simply because most of us pet owners have gone through the same torment—why relive it again. Tuned back in after awhile.

[MountainYankee]

I think the owner of the pet would be more likely to botch the job. The euthanization of a pet these days is very clinical and painless. They simply go to sleep and that is it. I know people who shoot their own dogs. I used to subscribe to that. I can’t say I have ever done it. I don’t see where the compassion is in an act like that these days. It was noble and just in “Old Yeller”. They didn’t have any other option in those times.

[Vermont Lt]

I appreciate what you are saying, but I can assure you that the process of lethal injection is painless.

I’ve watched it several times. Our dogs were given a sedative. We said our goodbyes. When the doctor gave the final injection it was if the strings were cut on a puppet. They were there, and then they were not. No noise. No shaking. No spasms. No heartbeat. They simply ceased to live.

I have put dogs down myself.

The Vet course is less painful to me.

[Vermont Lt]

Funny Old Yeller story.

I came home from work one day to find my wife’s friend over with her two young children. They were 5 and 3. As I walked through the living room to the kitchen I noticed they were watching Old Yeller. It had about 15 minutes to go.

I walked into the kitchen and asked my wife and her girlfriend if they really thought letting the kids watch that movie was a good idea.

Both of them asked, “Why? It seems like a nice movie about a boy and his dog.”

They both confirmed they had never seen the movie.

I chuckled to myself, and walked down the hall to change and start some chores.

About ten minutes later I heard screaming and inconsolable crying from the little kids.

I saw one of those kids the other day and asked if they remembered that movie. The response was that it was one of those moments in their lives they will never forget. That girl was 3 at the time—Its probably the ONLY memory of being a three year old.

[Darnright]

I want to caution people about pet euthanasia. When the time comes to say goodbye, when you take your dog/cat to the vet, please insist that the vet heavily sedate the animal before the actual euthanasia.

There is a component in the euthanasia solution that stops the heart. I've had beloved pets scream just before death and now I will not allow the vet to euthanise my old friends without pre-sedation (they are pretty much asleep before they're given the final medication).

[Smittie]

To all the naysayers, if you don’t want to hear about something turn the channel or don’t click on the thread. I guess your mothers didn’t teach you that “if you can’t say something good - don’t say nothing at all.”

[blam]

"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. "

I'm a doggie guy...click on my name to see my crew.

I like Glenn, but, I also had to turn away...it was just too much too long.

[Fiji Hill]

Amen, brother! Preach on it!

I tuned into Glenn Beck yesterday, and he was boo-hooing. I didn’t stick around to hear what he was crying about, but turned in disgust to another station.

Grown men who experience sadness should have enough self-discipline to refrain from airing their feelings in public.

[Fiji Hill]

Here's a suggestion for Glenn Beck's new theme song.

[Fiji Hill]

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?

Teradittos! When I posted a message on FR objecting to Mark Levin's going on and on, ad nauseam, about having to put his dog to sleep, the Levin groupies responded by giving me so much flak that I felt like I was flying a B-52 over Hanoi in 1972. Don't get me wrong--I've lost many beloved pets in my life--but I agree with Dennis Prager that the life of a human is far more important than the life of a pet.

[Joe 6-pack]

WOOOF!

The Doggie Ping list is for FReepers who would like to be notified of threads relating to all things canid. If you would like to join the Doggie Ping Pack (or be unleashed from it), FReemail me.

[rabidralph]

I agree with you. Maybe Beck is hurting for ratings.

[Ditter]

I understand Glenn, been there many times. Get another dog that’s the best way to get over it.

[usconservative]

This strikes a nerve.

Not sure why you're complaining at me. My comment was directed solely at those who were complaining about "putting up with" pet talk on the radio. They don't like it, change the channel.

As for me, I've had dogs my entire life. Each and every one has been unique and special in their own way, and all full fledged members of the family. I've never had a "bad" dog. I've been through having to say good-bye to my best friends (who ironically have always been ... dogs.)

I won't go into how many tears I've shed over the years at missing each and every one of them. I can totally relate to Glen Beck on this one.

As for your statement that you believe pets will be found in Heaven ... I say "why wouldn't they be?" Doesn't our Lord in Heaven know that His children experienced in some small way His own unconditional love for them through our canine friends?

When my time comes, my prayer to our Lord is simple: just send my best friends over the hill for me. They'll find me, I'll know my time has come and I'll gladly follow them home.

Peace.

[Yosemitest]

I've had three of them. Two died of old age and skin infections and one was stolen.
I highly recommend them.
They make very loyal pets, but the do shed hair, a lot of hair, and they eat like a horse.
You don't know what you're talking about.

[Yosemitest]

One of the mot painful deaths I've seen was at the hands of a vet, with the needle top the heart and air injections. NEVER AGAIN!
A bullet to the back of the head where the indentation is, where the skull joins the neck and the spinal cord is closest to the skin is an almost instant death.
It's much better than what the vet did.

[freekitty]

I know how he feels. I just lost 3 of my shepherds this past year and this year to bone cancer, liver cancer, and stomach flipping. It’s just to hard to talk about.

[Fire_on_High]

Never seen a vet do that, but it sounds positively savage.

We’ve had 2 vets and both simply injected into the foreleg vein after shaving a small patch of fur off.

The older one I believe simply used a massive OD of anesthetic, and they would simply sigh and close their eyes and be gone. Clearly very painless.

The newer one sedates first then uses a second drug to finish it. The cat we had to that to that vet lasted just long enough for one last nuzzle and was gone.

I think he understood what was going on...but again, clearly no suffering. No crying, no pain, only the tiniest flinch from the actual needle stick.

[Yosemitest]

I understand. There are some good vets and their are some quacks that just don't care.

[tob2]

This made me cry. So sorry for your loss, Glenn.