For John, Beth, and Shadow

September 18, 2006 | | Comments (25)

Every good trooper deserves to go out in style. I don't imagine John and Beth feel much like talking, but please feel free to leave your respects in the comments section. They'll read them when they feel up to it.

Family is family :)

I think we are drawn to dogs because they are the uninhibited creatures we might be if we weren't certain we knew better. They fight for honor at the first challenge, make love with no moral restraint, and they do not for all their marvelous instincts appear to know about death. Being such wonderfully uncomplicated beings, they need us to do their worrying.
~George Bird Evans

The great pleasure of a dog is that you may make a fool of yourself with him and not only will he not scold you, but he will make a fool of himself too.
- Samuel Butler

The greatest love is a mother's;
Then comes a dog's,
Then comes a sweetheart's.
(20th century). Polish Proverb

"To his dog, every man is King;
hence the constant popularity of dogs."
- Aldous Huxley

"If I have any beliefs about immortality, it is that certain dogs I have known will go to heaven, and very, very few persons."
- James Thurber

Labradors [are] lousy watchdogs. They usually bark when there is a stranger about, but it is an expression of unmitigated joy at the chance to meet somebody new, not a warning.
~Norman Strung

"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend:
and inside a dog, it's too dark to read."
- Groucho Marx

"If a dog will not come to you after having looked you in the face, you should go home and examine your conscience."
- Woodrow Wilson

"If you take a dog which is starving and feed him and make him prosperous, that dog will not bite you. This is the primary difference between a dog and a man."
- Mark Twain

Dogs' lives are too short. Their only fault, really.
~Agnes Sligh Turnbull


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25 Comments

By cw4(ret)billt on September 18, 2006 4:15 PM
Your work and relationships reflect how you would like the rest of the world to perceive you. Your children reflect who you really are. Your dog's eyes reflect who you can be...
 
By Cassandra on September 18, 2006 4:16 PM
If our beagle, Molly, were here, she'd give him a royal sendoff. No one made "OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO's" like she did.
 
By Cassandra on September 18, 2006 4:19 PM
I've never forgotten when we lived in soCal and I was working so many hours, and then going to school at night. It never ceased to amaze me the way our two dogs would line up in front of the back door when I got home at 11 pm at night. There they would be, just sitting there quietly, tails thumping in concert. The whole rest of the house was asleep, but I used to think that was the most wonderful sight a tired person could ever see at the end of a long, long work day.
 
By Cassandra on September 18, 2006 4:29 PM
Asthma doesn t seem to bother me any more unless I'm around cigars or dogs. The thing that would bother me most would be a dog smoking a cigar. - Steve Allen
 
By Maggie on September 18, 2006 5:22 PM
Good job Cassandra.
 
By John of Argghhh! on September 18, 2006 5:31 PM
The reason dogs have so many friends is because they wag their tails instead of their tongues. - Unknown There is no faith which has never yet been broken, except that of a truly faithful dog. - Konrad Z. Lorenz Thanks, Cassie.
 
By Wild Thing on September 18, 2006 6:26 PM
Shadow will be playing with our Theodore, I wonder if they will be doing some doggie blogging.
 
By Wild Thing on September 18, 2006 6:28 PM
"No one appreciates the very special genius of your conversation as the dog does." -- Christopher Morley
 
By Wild Thing on September 18, 2006 6:45 PM
We had three St.Bernards at the same time. It was kind of like living with the 3 bears. Each one had their own unique personality. At that time we lived in a place called Topanda just up the canyon from the coast near Santa Monica, Calif. There was a park nearby and we would get visitors from the park that would manage to come onto our lawn. One night we heard barking and went out to see what it was. By the time we got outside, the three St. Bernards had stopped barking and were sitting and standing among 4 deer. The yard was a big country country and we had put an extra water bucket by the fence for our dogs. The deer were drinking from a water bucket as our 3 dogs watched them patiently. We kept a distance to see what would happen. When the deer finished, they just stayed there and our dogs laid down as if to say. OK this is our place but you are welcome....good water isn't it. The deer after that would visit often, late in the evenings. And our dogs would always go out to greet them. It came to be just one of many adventures of our children of the fur.
 
By fdcol63 on September 18, 2006 8:45 PM
John, Please accept my condolences. It always sucks to lose a cherished pet, often as much as it hurts to lose a family member or good friend because that's really what they are ... friends and family. His temporal suffering has ended and he has crossed over, but he and the rest of the Guard will be there waiting for you on the other side, when it's your turn to be fetched.
 
By wolfwalker on September 18, 2006 9:05 PM
"Cats are poetry in motion. Dogs are gibberish in high gear." -- from my collection of Nancy Lebowitz buttons. And everybody needs a little gibberish every now and then. Dogs definitely add joy and energy to life. Life's more enjoyable with them around. Less enjoyable when they leave, as they must ... but on the whole, the balance is definitely positive.
 
By AFSister on September 18, 2006 9:26 PM
Thanks for putting this up, Cassandra. It's been a long time since I've lost a pet, but I do remember the sense of loss. It's amazing how empty the house is with one less furry friend. This has been a bad year for you two. I hope things turn around soon.
 
By Dan Patterson on September 18, 2006 9:52 PM
No explanation is available for the bond between man and dog and none is needed; our world is much better because of it. I have three snoozing on the floor, two more upstairs with the bride, and two sniffing the air outside as I write. Samantha was a chocolate Lab the same age as Shadow and my roommate when I was single. She had cancer as well and waited at her favorite spot by the back fence in January, laying stoically in the sun until I got home from work. I spoke to her and the others and told her I'd be right back with a cookie, she raised her head and wagged her tail. When I returned she was gone. The others didn't know what to do and neither did I. Woodrow Wilson's quote is apt as are the others, but I don't imagine they help with the loss so much. The best we can hope for you is that you know you did the right thing, and that your dog-buddy understands that you were there for him, taking care of him and making the only decision you could. Your life was made better because of your best buddy, and you will make another dog's life better soon. Once you've lived with a pack you can't really ever be a solitary soul. Dan Patterson Arrogant Infidel
 
By dave fincher on September 18, 2006 10:09 PM
"If dogs don't go to heaven, then I want to go where they go" ~ Unknown. Buried my best friend Gus (Brittney, phesant dog extrordinaire, habitual sniffer of crotches) about a year ago. Not a day goes by I don't miss him. You have my deepest sympathy.
 
By Justthisguy on September 18, 2006 10:55 PM
Occasions like this are one of the reasons I'm afraid to, and probably shouldn't, have a dog. I've lost a bunch of kitties over the years, but consoled myself with the thought that they were free citizens, and had the right to live free and die free. It's different with dogs. I do think we co-evolved together. Yer dog really counts on you, and trusts you, and when he leaves before you do, and you can't do nuthin about it but ease his pain a bit, well, dang. Concentrates the mind, and all that. Just dang. My most heartfelt sympathies to all in the Donovan household, whatever their degree of furriness.
 
By Mike47 on September 19, 2006 10:12 AM
I'm a cat person, but I love dogs too. Grew up with a Dachshund. This summer I had to put down my 20 year old cat. Toughest thing I've ever done, emotionally, bar none. I still weep at the thought of losing that friend to throat cancer. I understand what you are going through, John. God bless you and your memories of Shadow.
 
By Tim on September 19, 2006 10:18 AM
We just lost my wife's 19 year old cat, Peaches. It hurts more than I thought possible. I pray that all our fuzzy friends are playing together in fields of gold and green, awaiting our arrival. I'll tell Peaches to be on the lookout for your Shadow.
 
By Mike L on September 19, 2006 1:28 PM
Two things - after being separated from my wife for four plus years, and talk of reconciliation began, I told her not to ask me or our daughters to choose between her and our new dog - she wouldn't like the outcome. That said, she has really come around, and has accepted Amos as a true part of the family. 2)I used to sit around playing my guitar and drinking beer - when I thought the time was right, I'd make grown men cry. No one I know who has ever owned and lost a dog can sit through the playing of "Old Shep" and keep a dry eye. If you've never had the privilege and your heart can take the pain, google Old Shep and listen to the song. Elvis did it best. In the words of our contemporary philosophers - "all dogs go to heaven." Amen.
 
By Trias on September 19, 2006 1:36 PM
Always welcoming always ready. You have indeed lost a good friend.
 
By karla (threadbndr) on September 19, 2006 2:23 PM
I was so sorry to see you post yesterday. I went through this just last January. Your Shadow will be waiting for you. I have to believe that all the best things of this mortal earth are preserved in heaven. Our dogs are certainly one of the best parts.
 
By MajMike on September 19, 2006 3:15 PM
take some small measure of comfort in knowing that he shall surely be waiting there on the porch for you when you arrive there yourself...
 
By KCSteve on September 19, 2006 3:46 PM
The little ones we've lost don't go to Heaven - they are Heaven. The pain we feel at their loss is but an echo of the purity of their love.
 
By seawitch on September 19, 2006 9:15 PM
The loss of a beloved animal is hard. I've lost two cats the last 4 years: my precious Spazzy and Fluffy. As tim said, hopefully all of our fuzzy friends are playing together in heaven.
 
By Janette on September 20, 2006 11:28 AM
{{Hugs}} John. Sending prayers your way. I know that Shadow had a happy life and was well loved.
 
By Cricket on September 20, 2006 8:48 PM
I believe that all pets go to heaven, but dogs are a special case. They ask so little and give so much. John, Shadow is healed of all hurt. He is happy. I also believe that pets will be part of the escort to the other side. After all, they are family. I know someone who is most likely helping in that Animal Heaven, welcoming them and showing them where their Happy Hunting Ground is. Shadow is chasing squirrels (the tree rats were put there for PT and for the cats to practice hunting). You will see him again. (((((((((John and Beth))))))))