The Rainbow Bridge - Hugs and Prayers for Backhoe

FreeDominion.ca ^ | February 1, 2007

[Calpernia]

Prayers to Backhoe for the Loss of Taffy

Saint Francis Blessing  all creatures, great & small.

"We who choose to surround ourselves with lives even more  temporary than our own, live within a fragile circle,  easily and often breached.  Unable to accept its awful gaps,  we still would live no other way.  We cherish memory as the only  certain immortality never fully understanding the necessary plan. " from The Once Again Prince by Irving Townsend

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[MizSterious]

Absolutely--Backhoe, so very sorry for your loss of Taffy! Prayers on the way.

[tacticalogic]

Been there, done that. It sucks. It's the price you pay, and it's always worth it, even if it seems like too much right now.

[backhoe]

Thank you, friends- I swore I'd never have another dog- but already, I am missing the friendly furry face greeting me when I step in the door. They give so much, and ask so little.

[nw_arizona_granny]

"Why sure we do, Son- all God’s children are welcome here- that first gate was just a test." <<<

You have passed the test of love, and caring.

God has you trained now to love a dog, so hurry and go to the pound, walk quietly thru it, a dog will choose you.

It hurts to love and loose a dog, but think how much you have to offer the next one.

Sending extra hugs to you and your wife.

[word_warrior_bob]

Standard Poodle, click on my homepage to see what he'll look like when he grows up.

[backhoe]

Sending extra hugs to you and your wife.

Thank you.

She's doing about as well as anyone does, but those little things- like setting aside little bites of tonight's steak for Taffy, and then...

Lots of good memories, though.

That old dog-girl gave so much to us, for just a kind word and a comfortable place to stay.

[Rushmore Rocks]

I'm so sorry, BackHoe. On our acreage, near a natural spring, are the final resting places of Neeka and Toby. I fear it won't be too much longer before Alyeska (Siberian Husky)joins them. She is getting pretty crippled up and it just breaks my heart to see her struggle so. I dread the day we have to send her on.

God's blessings to you and yours.

[Oorang]

As best we could determine, she was Spitz and Chow, with some German Shepard tossed in to the mix. We still see her siblings in the neighborhood.

She was part Backhoe and part Emily, that's what breed she was. Hugs to you both at this time.

Time for me to take Strider for a walk and then a couple of cookies. Normally it's one cookie after the walk but today it will be two, in honor of Taffy. Hang in there backhoe.

[Ditter]

Good advice. There is nothing like a new puppy to heal your broken heart. Even if your heart is broken because you dear friend died.

There is a poem by Rudyard Kipling, The Power of the Dog. I won't post it because it is too sad, I get teary just thinking about posting it.

God Bless you Backhoe.

[backhoe]

I'm so sorry, BackHoe. On our acreage, near a natural spring, are the final resting places of Neeka and Toby. I fear it won't be too much longer before Alyeska (Siberian Husky)joins them. She is getting pretty crippled up and it just breaks my heart to see her struggle so. I dread the day we have to send her on. God's blessings to you and yours.

Thank you.

There's just me, Miss Emily, and the surviving female of a pair of cockateils around here, now.

The only redeeming thing about this was seeing how Taffy was suffering- it made the decision to let her go simple ( not easy ) to make.

We gave our friend, and child, release from misery.

Our dogs and cats love us so, that they would crawl through Hell, just to spend one more day in our presence. We have to be merciful, and wise enough, to know when to send them on to whatever is on the other side of life.

But it's one of the hardest and most hurtful things to have to do.

My kind thoughts, and prayers, go out to you and your Alyeska.

[backhoe]

Good advice. There is nothing like a new puppy to heal your broken heart. Even if your heart is broken because you dear friend died. There is a poem by Rudyard Kipling, The Power of the Dog. I won't post it because it is too sad, I get teary just thinking about posting it. God Bless you Backhoe.

Thank you Ditter.

I swore my next pet would be a parrot ( so it would outlive us ) that I taught to swear like a sailor... and I was going to will it to my nieces, so they'd have to worry about the bird dying.

But we are already thinking about another dog.

Our shelters are overflowing with unwanted animals who just want a kind word and treatment.

I know that poem...

I believe it was Mark Twain who said something along the lines of "The love, and courage and loyalty that go into an exceptional human being are about average, for a dog."

[OregonRancher]

Hi Friend,

Out on our ranch there's this one huge oak tree on the edge of the meadow which overlooks one of the creeks. Just a short walk from the house and a quiet, cool place in the summer months.

On the edge of the short bluff are Boomer, Lucky, and Skyler with their two feline friends, Scruffy and Silky who weren't quick enough. We keep the grass down and generally just steer clear of the place because it's theirs now. We'll sometimes visit in the cool of a late afternoon and just remember all the joys our friends gave us...We share this with the new members of our family, Jake and Sadie, foundlings both, purebred mutts, both from a long line of pedigreed mongrels who display all the finer qualities of dogdom...

Take care and go visit the pound, you'd be saving a life, yours and a new fried.

Rancher

[nw_arizona_granny]

I know exactly how your wife feels, about saving a bite for Taffy.

I lived over 20 years with a parrot, LOL, Dink always sat on my shoulder and the first bite went to him, or else he would bite your ear.

He has been gone several years, and I still find my right hand
headed to the left shoulder, if I am not paying attention.

He lived on my shoulder, so after a time, you don't think of him being there.

[RightWingMama]

Your posts are bringing tears to my eyes. As a "mom" of 5 dogs, I know the pain you are feeling. As others have said, when the time is right, a new puppy will bring you joy.

[PGalt]

love

[Cagey]

Rancher,

You wrote just a few paragraphs but they painted a wonderful picture. Nicely done.

My son and I had to take our dog to the Vet one last time just a few months ago. As the three of us stood with Brook during her final moments I told the Vet that this must be the hardest part of all the work he does. He looked at me as he said this was so much easier than seeing an animal suffer. It only took a few seconds for me to realize how right he was.

[backhoe]

"My son and I had to take our dog to the Vet one last time just a few months ago. As the three of us stood with Brook during her final moments I told the Vet that this must be the hardest part of all the work he does. He looked at me as he said this was so much easier than seeing an animal suffer. It only took a few seconds for me to realize how right he was."

---

Hard as it was to do, deciding to send Taffy off, to wherever good beings go was easy- she just couldn't enjoy even the simplest parts of life anymore.

Wherever she is, she's free of hurt, and fear, and that crippled old body.

And yes, it's still so hard. I wrote a little about it here:

http://tehsqueakywheel.com/?p=300#comment-25966

"Last night, I was up half the night with a dying, old baby of a dog- even though we mercifully did not really realize that at the time.

This night, I am up half the night with a restless, angry wife. And I do not blame her, and understand as well as one human being can understand another. We are all prisoners, inside our own skulls.

She wants to touch Taffy one last time.
( So do I, so do I, to touch and hold and smell my baby, one more, one last, time… )

But Taffygee, also known here as Lecha ( Hebrew for beloved ) has gone beyond that.

We can only hold and carry her in our hearts now; she has passed into a place where there is no pain, or age, or weakness. I hope."

[MATSEVAH]

I know how you feel seems like the joy has been taken out of you.Animals gives us unconditional love no matter what we say to them they always love us,No matter what people say I believe that the lord has a place he keeps are love ones and one day we will see them again van impe wrote a book about animals and he said animals do have a spirit I cried less when my mother past away. then when my dogs past away I loved my mother but those dogs was my best friends. they will never be replaced. You will never fill the void I still miss my two dogs and my parrot today but the lord has a place for them.

[Calpernia]

ping to post 38.

[backhoe]

Thank you both- and, Calpernia, thank you for starting this post. I just wrote this over at FD:

"Thank you all, friends.

I'm sitting here, thinking that 24 hours ago, Taffy was an hour away from traveling ( not walking, the poor old girl had lost all that the day before ) that last mile.

And it was a mercy. We set our old pal free from that failing body.

Wherever she is, there's no pain and fear.

Mayhap, one day, we'll all meet again."

http://www.freedominion.ca/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=905421&highlight=#905421