Just recently our sweet, old dog, Holly passed away. She was out for her walk at 5 pm but took ill at 7pm. With emergency vet care it was decided that she was so sick it was time to make that dreaded decision and she went to sleep with my son and I talking gently to her, stroking her fur and tears running freely. We knew she was getting frail this past summer but in many ways she was doing pretty well for a very old dog. She played puppy games with my son like”get the sock and get a dog biscuit in return”, ” get the cat…no not really, just kidding”, and the ever popular” dog dance”(which reminded me of a lively polka).
She was out of her mind with love for my son and would lick his face over and over and over…then run over to tell me, with eyes shining to communicate to me that she loved him SO MUCH and he was home again…then run back to renew the face licking all over again. She was my constant companion, a loving loyal dog. Even though we knew it would happen soon due to her advancing years, the day she died was very sad for us.
We are both dealing with it our own way. It is only now, after a couple of weeks that I could bring myself to write about her. It is probably because I ran into a friend today who is working as a volunteer animal rescuer and we talked about her work. Somehow, I doubt that I’ll get another dog ( not right away) but I fully intend to support animal care and rescue in my community as a tribute to my dear dog. When I was just starting to write on this blog I wrote a story about Holly. If you would like to read more about her and see her beautiful picture, please read the post, “Our Buddy, Holly” on this blog site.
An Embarrassment of Freedom 
i don’t really “like” this post. i’m so sorry you had to experience this Liz. i’ve gone thru it too many times to enumerate. i know how much she will be missed. my condolences to you and yours. continue…
thankyou for your thoughts. Liz
It sounds like Holly was a wonderful dog, and you sound like a wonderful dog parent. Perhaps, when you’re ready, you could use that obvious love and patience to foster a dog who needs a safe place to rest before finding a family of their own. Either way, I wish you peaceful thoughts and happy memories of Holly during your time of loss.
Your kindness is appreciated. Fostering is a very good thing to do, and I intend to look into it…
I look at my boy pups and realize they’ve aged so fast… losing them will be hard. She was a beautiful girl and your love for her is so evident. I’m sorry.
~ Lynda
She was a beautiful dog….like a beautiful toy when she was a puppy and a lovely, smart dog in maturity. Enjoy your young pups, bet they are cute and sweet! Liz
I’m so sorry for your loss. I understand what it’s like to have to let go of your pets…it’s one of the hardest things I had to do for my dog of 13 years. You may or may not decide to get another. We now have 3 cats and I know it’s going to be difficult when the time comes. Whether dogs, cats, hamsters, rabbits or horses, it’s like losing a family member. (P.S. – thank you for reading my blog!)
Thankyou for your kindness. We loved our Holly like family as you can well appreciate. I dreamt about dogs last night….I like your write ups about food, your chef in residence (lucky you) and views on weight, food etc.