GIGI DIED TODAY!

August 8, 2003 | FreepForever

[FreepForever]

My 15 years old Shih-tzu, Gigi, died today after a well fought battle with nature. No apparent sickness, just failing due to old age.

I bought her, no, she adopted me 15 years ago at a pet shop. I reached inside the cage and she's the one who came forward to lick my hand. That magic moment started our 15 years commitment in which we have never failed each other. I hadn’t got a clue the trouble involved in taking care of a long hair breed then. Since then, we went through a lot of ups and downs, her large brown eyes had seen the best and worst of my times. We joined the June 4th Tiananmen Massacre protest march in Hong Kong in 1989. She was only 7 months old then and had energetically finished the march like every brave citizen though I carried her on my shoulder some of the time. Kids called her the democracy dog.

She was a “one-man dog” and refused to leave me out of her sight for more than a few minutes. I had to carry her around in a back-pack, especially in those “no dogs allowed” places. That made me a “one-dog man” too. She had taught me that there is no other unconditional love like this. I was hospitalized once and my relative had a bad time convincing her to eat and rest for two days and had to return her ASAP. She had created her own share of troubles like every other pets, like chewing on my valuable books. But, when looking back, these are the fun of having a furry pal like her.

On one New Year’s day 5 or 6 years ago, we went fishing. When we were finished and ready to leave, I was shocked to find a fishing line dangling from the corner of her mouth and she was making a gargling sound in pain. Obviously, some careless folks had left baits and hooks on the shore. We called and rushed her to the RSPCA immediately. By 8:30 pm, thanks to the excellent people there (it was New Year’s day), the vet (who came back after receiving my emergency call) managed to cut and remove the hook with her superb surgical skill. Today, I am still keeping that fishing hook as a souvenir.

When she was getting old and cannot walk long distance. I took her on bike rides and have made a special rear-basket-seat for her. She was my passenger on our numerous bike rides. We will stop by the lawn beside the mountain trail where we took a breather. I brought her water and snacks too but she always wanted a bite of my sandwich. She liked to play on the lawn, although it took me an hour to remove those grass seeds from her fur. The lawn will be her burial site, her rainbow bridge. And, if I still have the heart to cycle again, I have to cycle alone from now on...

When she was struggling on her sick bed, Charlie the cat (6 years old) who look to Gigi both as a mother and a companion was beside her affectionately. He seems to understand what is going on. And if you think it is worth while to say a little pray for Gigi, I would deeply appreciate the kind thought. Thanks your reading this. I am running out of tissues...

[Mark]

I lost my 12 year old Bichon Frise (Sugar named by my six year old) a few years ago.

Our dog was a Bichon Frise also and died at around 13 years old. He had Addison's(sp?) disease(like JFK had), found out at around age 9. We were told that that disease is common for the breed. We paid for monthly shots at around $35.00 per month for shots for his last 4 years. Did Sugar have that disease?

[FreepForever]

Thanks for your healing words. The house is still full of Gigi. Her toys, her doggy smell, her bed beside mine, her leash, her shampoo, her hair is still all over the place. And, most of all, the love is gone. A dog is the only animal in the world that loves you more than you love yourself. I believe God created them to teach human what true love is.

Just because we were so attached to each other (like me and my shadow), I don’t know how long it would take for me to overcome this sorrow, grief and pain. I have lost other dogs too. Gigi’s son. BonBon, passed away 6 years ago due to acute urinary problem and I still remember his ever smiling face today. There are still many “wish he was here” occasion like Christmas and family reunions, etc. when dogs in the family would be the star.

A life long friend is hard to forget... I am not avoiding having another dog but I dread the inevitable process of having to deal with this sorrow all over again. Like human, some dogs are more communicative and expressive than others. The more character a dog has, the more one will become emotionally attached to them. They know how to steal your heart and win your commitment..... forever.

[GovernmentShrinker]

Her love for you, and yours for her, is most certainly not gone. Don't be afraid to feel her presence, just because she's physically gone. I lost a 20ish cat last year, after nursing him pretty intensively for the last year and a half of his life. That love is still very much with me, and I'm sure it always will be. That sort of love is truly immortal.

[Lijahsbubbe]

My Bichon (Mischa) is 13 yrs. She is starting to have a hard time walking. Can you tell me what the symptoms of Addisons are?

[Lijahsbubbe]

So sorry about your little lovey. Our dog is getting old and it's very hard to even think about losing her.

[Simcha7]

Shalom!

Dear FreepForever and Charlie The Cat,

While writing this to you, I'm sitting here crying.

And I Pray that GiGi is in Heaven, No more pain and suffering, she is now at peace.

My Prayers go to You and Charlie, I know that you will miss GiGi, and nothing can or will ever replace her.

Thank GOD that you had a wonderful relationship for 15 Years!

Now her Memory will remain in your Hearts.

I have a Shih Tzu, she is 9 Years old...is Very, Very Smart and she's a Little rip too, always has something to say about Everything!

Her barks sound like a Yodelling Turkey...very Funny.

Shih Tzu's are Great Dogs...but you can't call mine a "Dog", she thinks that she is a human "Kid".

And believe me...she gets better care and more attention than most kids I know.

[FreepForever]

Shalom, Simcha7. Thanks for your prayer. It is great to hear from another Shih-Tzu lover. This is something that other dog lovers may not understand. Shih-Tzu is a very special kind of dog with an almost “human” character. I remember one time when I was preparing dinner. When I went back to the kitchen, Charlie jumped on the dinner table and stole the fried fish. When I returned and saw the empty plate, both Charlie and Gigi were sharing the tasty fish on the floor. I knew Gigi couldn’t jump on table so I rolled up a magazine to beat Charlie. Gigi scrambled forward and offered her body to shield the beating. She wanted to protect her friend Charlie because she had eaten the fish too. Both were pardoned. What other dogs have this kind of “selfless” character? Gigi really knows what love is. Yes, Gigi didn’t think she is a dog too. She prefered to be around human and treated other dogs like other animals. Does animal really understand death? Charlie, the naughty one, suddenly went quiet. He is curling up by my foot to comfort me, something he never does in Summer. Take good care of yours, she deserves it.

[4CJ]

I think God is a pet lover and there is doggy/kitty heaven too.

We lost one 17+ year old this past November, and then our 12 year-old in December. All of us, including the children, were in mourning. May God comfort you and yours.

[tob2]

Sorry about the loss of your beloved animal companion. When I lost my Cocker-Pekineese mix last year, it was very difficult. However, the many happy memories, pictures, a memorial service at one of his favorite walking places with his many friends have eased the pain of the loss. Peace.

[tob2]

That has me crying in my coffee.

[Scott from the Left Coast]

It is my personal opinion that good dog owners are the finest people in the world. You're one of them.

Your emotions are on edge right now and things probably seem confusing. Yes, they only live for a specific period of time, and it's shorter than humans. They also have more fun (if properly cared for) in those years than humans have in their entire lifetime.

You have needs right now and are confused by these nasty emotions. But regardless of what you need right now, I can tell you this for absolutely certain: There is a puppy out there right now that NEEDS YOU.

[FreepForever]

Dear Fellow Freepers:

Thank you all for your compassion and generosity. You are the nicest kind of people in the world. I really don’t know how to repay you. This was sent to me by some great people I don't even know over the usenet. Allow me to share this wonderful piece with you -- so that you can console other pet owners who have lost their best friend like me.

God Bless You All,
FreepForever




CHOICES by Anne Kolaczyk

The little orange boy stopped. Behind him, kitties were playing, chasing each other and wrestling in the warm sunshine. It looked like so much fun, but in front of him, through the clear stillness of the pond's water, he could see his mommy. And she was crying.

He pawed at the water, trying to get at her, and when that didn't work, he jumped into the shallow water. All that got him was wet and Mommy's image danced away in the ripples. "Mommy!" he cried.

"Is something wrong?"

The little orange boy turned around. A lady was standing at the edge of the pond, her eyes sad but filled with love. The little orange boy sighed and walked out of the water. "There's been a mistake," he said. "I'm not supposed to be here." He looked back at the water. It was starting to still again and his mommy's image was coming back. "I'm just a baby. Mommy said it had to be a mistake. She said I wasn't supposed to come here yet."

The kind lady sighed and sat down on the grass. The little orange boy climbed into her lap. It wasn't Mommy's lap, but it was almost as good. When she started to pet him and scratch under his chin like he liked, he started to purr. He hadn't wanted to, but he couldn't help it. "I'm afraid there is no mistake. You are supposed to be here and your mommy knows it deep down in her heart," the lady said.

The little orange boy sighed and laid his head on the lady's leg. "But she's so sad. It hurts me to see her cry. And Daddy too."

"But they knew right from the beginning this would happen."

"That I was sick?" That surprised the little orange boy. No one had ever said anything and he had listened when they thought he was sleeping. All he had heard them talk about was how cute he was or how fast he was or how big he was getting.

"No, not that you were sick," the lady said. "But you see, they chose tears."

"No, they didn't," the little orange boy argued. Who would choose to cry?

The lady gently brushed the top of his head with a kiss. It made him feel safe and loved and warm--but he still worried about his mommy. "Let me tell you a story," the lady said.

The little orange boy looked up and saw other animals gathering around.

Cats--Big Boy and Snowball and Shamus and Abby and little Cleo and Robin. Merlin and Toby and Iggy and Zachary. Sweetie and Kamatte and Obie.

Dogs too--Sally and Baby and Morgan and Rocky and Belle. Even a lizard named Clyde and some rats named Saffron and Becky and a hamster named Odo. They all lay down near the kind lady and looked up at her, waiting.

She smiled at them and began:

---

A long long time ago, the Loving Ones went to the Angel in Charge. They were lonesome and asked the angel to help them.

The angel took them to a wall of windows and let them look out the first window at all sorts of things--dolls and stuffed animals and cars and toys and sporting events.

"Here are things you can love," the angel said. "They will keep you from being lonesome."

"Oh, thank you," the Loving Ones said. "These are just what we need."

"You have chosen Pleasure," the angel told them.

But after a time the Loving Ones came back to the Angel in Charge. "Things are okay to love," they said. "But they don't care that we love them."

The Angel in Charge led them over to the second window. It looked out at all sorts of wild animals. "Here are animals to love," he said. "They will know you love them."

So the Loving Ones hurried out to care for the wild animals. "You have chosen Satisfaction," the angel said.

Some of the Loving Ones worked at zoos and wild animal preserves, some just had bird feeders in their yards, but after a time they all came back to the Angel in Charge.

"They know we love them," they told the angel. "But they don't love us back. We want to be loved in return."

So the angel took them to the third window and showed them lots of people walking around, hurrying places. "Here are people for you to love," the angel told them. So the Loving Ones hurried off to find other people to love. "You have chosen Commitment," the angel said.

But after a time a lot of Loving Ones came back to the Angel in Charge. "People were okay to love," they said. "But sometimes they stopped loving us and left. They broke our hearts."

The angel just shook his head. "I cannot help you," he said. "You will have to be satisfied with the choices I gave you."

As the Loving Ones were leaving, someone saw a window off to one side and hurried to look out. Through it, they could see puppies and kittens and dogs and cats and lizards and hamsters and ferrets. The other Loving Ones hurried over. "What about these?" they asked.

But the angel just tried to shoo them away. "Those are Personal Empathy Trainers," he said. "But there's a problem with their system operations."

"Would they know that we love them?" someone asked.

"Yes," the angel said.

"Would they love us back?" another asked.

"Yes," the angel said.

"Will they stop loving us?" someone else asked.

"No," the angel admitted. "They will love you forever."

"Then these are what we want," the Loving Ones said.

But the angel was very upset. "You don't understand," he told them. "You will have to feed these animals."

"That's all right," the Loving Ones said.

"You will have to clean up after them and take care of them forever."

"We don't care."

The Loving Ones did not listen. They went down to where the Pets were and picked them up, seeing the love in their own hearts reflected in the animals' eyes.

"They were not programmed right," the angel said. "We can't offer a warranty. We don't know how durable they are. Some of their systems
malfunction very quickly, others last a long time."

But the Loving Ones did not care. They were holding the warm little bodies and finding their hearts so filled with love that they thought they would burst. "We will take our chances," they said.

"You do not understand." The angel tried one more time. "They are so dependent on you that even the most well-made of them is not designed to outlive you. You are destined to suffer their loss."

The Loving Ones looked at the sweetness in their arms and nodded. "That is how it should be. It is a fair trade for the love they offer."

The angel just watched them all go, shaking his head. "You have chosen Tears," he whispered.

---

"So it is," the kind lady told the kitties. "And so each mommy and daddy knows. When they take a baby into their heart, they know that one day it will leave them and they will cry."

The little orange boy sat up. "So why do they take us in?" he asked.

"Because even a moment of your love is worth years of pain later."

"Oh." The little orange boy got off the lady's lap and went back to the edge of the pond. His mommy was still there, and still crying. "Will she
ever stop crying?" he asked the kind lady.

She nodded. "You see, the Angel felt sorry for the Loving Ones, knowing how much they would suffer. He couldn't take the tears away but he made them special."

She dipped her hand into the pond and let the water trickle off her fingers. "He made them healing tears, formed from the special water here. Each tear holds bits of all the happy times of purring and petting and shared love. And the promise of love once again. As your mommy cries, she is healing.

"In time, she will be less sad and she will smile when she thinks of you. And then she will open her heart again to another little baby."

"But then she will cry again one day," the little orange boy said.

The lady just smiled at him as she got to her feet. "No, she will love again. That is all she will think about." She picked up Big Boy and
Snowball and gave them hugs, then scratched Morgan's ear just how she liked.

"Look," she said. "The butterflies have come. Shall we go over to play?"

The other animals all ran ahead, but the little orange boy wasn't ready to leave his mommy. "Will I ever get to be with her again?"

The kind lady nodded. "You'll be in the eyes of every kitty she looks at. You'll be in the purr of every cat she pets. And late at night, when she's fast asleep, your spirit will snuggle up close to her and you both will feel at peace. One day soon, you can even send her a rainbow to tell her you're safe and waiting here for when it's her turn to come."

"I would like that," the little orange boy said and took one long look at his mommy. He saw her smile slightly through her tears and he knew she had remembered the time he almost fell into the bathtub.

"I love you, Mommy," he whispered. "It's okay if you cry." He glanced over at the others, running and playing and laughing with the butterflies. "Uh, Mommy? I gotta go play now, okay? But I'll be around, I promise."

Then he turned and raced after the others.

[HairOfTheDog]

That is great!

Very well said.

I was going to say something to you about this regarding your fear of getting another pet. That we love them and know all the time they will break our hearts, but that I get great satisfaction out of knowing that for their whole short lives they were safest in my hands, till the end, hopefully. So I feel I get two of the benefits described up there!

The animals will be born and die whether we personally choose to love them or not. Some will not get the love they deserve, I know that the ones I take in will.

[FreepForever]

Yes, I know what you have said are all true. Wait until I get through this someday. I don't know when but I will. My plan is to volunteer to work in the local RSCPA for some homeless and less fortunate pets. Maybe I will meet my next Gigi there. I hope.

[Scott from the Left Coast]

Good man! Excellent thing to do.

And yes, you are guaranteed of meeting your next best pal there.

[HairOfTheDog]

I wouldn't be able to get through the first day without takin' somethin' home!

And FreepForever, you won't find another Gigi.... You will find a Gonzo or a Gunner or a Buck or a Zeuss! - Every dog I have ever had was uniquely individual,

Regarding dogs, I like them all - pointers, setters, retrievers, spaniels... I have had good ones and bad of several kinds. Most of the bad ones were my fault and most of the good ones would have been good under any circumstances. ~Gene Hill, in my Gun Dog book.

[Scott from the Left Coast]

I wouldn't be able to get through the first day without takin' somethin' home!

Me neither. And that's the beauty of this decision. Neither will FreepForever!

And some marvelous pooch will end up with a magnificent home and a fabulously wonderful life!

[Mark]

Sorry for late response. RE: the disease, heart rate drops very low. Trouble walking may be a result of that. It wouldn't hurt to have the dog checked and mention what our vet said. I'm sure the internet may have information on that topic.

[Sasha152]

This made me cry. I completely understand. Pets are so dear, and never judge. They don't care if you look a mess, and they aren't fair weather friends.
I have a few little dogs that I love, and cannot bear to think of being without. In fact, this username is the name of one of my little "babies," a fluffy little mainly black and white Sheltie/Chihuahua mix. He's so devoted to me.
Now I need to go get him, and hold him a bit.
God bless little Gigi.