Thoughts on the Death of My Dog

Townhall ^ | 05/02/2023 | Dennis Prager

[ProtectOurFreedom]

We just put down our 17 year old cat. She got very reclusive the past five years, so no big loss. She was getting incontinent and had bad arthritis. The house is a LOT cleaner now.

[pax_et_bonum]

God wants man to be happy, so he allows dogs into Heaven............probably not cats though.

:-)

[telescope115]

We lost our first two cats, Peanut was 17, and Powerpuff was 13- she had feline leukemia.
We now have Coco (9) and Charlie is 3.
I grew up with dogs. We loved them, lost them and were heartbroken, loved them lost them and were heartbroken again.
Now we have our cats❤️❤️

[Ciaphas Cain]

This made me hug my miniature dachshund extra today. She has literally saved my life and sanity more times than could be counted. A few years ago she rode in my lap as we drove across America for a year. She got to see more of this country than a lot of people ever do.

She just turned eleven and I treasure each moment with her.

Some people insist that animals like dogs do not have souls. But I know they're wrong. Because anything that has such a capacity for love must possess a soul. I believe God has a place for them in His eternal creation.

[soozla]

As much as it hurts to say goodbye to a beloved pet, it would hurt more to never have known their love and loyalty.....in my 70 years, I have buried horses, dogs and cats and miss every one of them to this day....I am thankful for and will never regret any time spent with each of them!

[BraveMan]

I know what loved family members pets can become. Losing one is like losing a child.

Dear gentle poster, I cannot let this statement pass idly by.

There is a vast, unnavigable difference between the two. The loss of a beloved pet will in no way prepare you for the loss of a child.

I have the unfortunate experience of having experienced both. The pain of losing a pet can hurt terribly. However, the pain will diminish with the passage of time, eventually replaced with fond memories of the times shared together.

Not so with the loss of a child. The 'fond' memories will continue to cut and sting like a salt covered jagged rusty weapon, torturing you for the rest of your life. Any regrets you accumulate during your time with your child will be amplified beyond measure, forcing you to cast into the sea of forgetfulness ANY memories, good or bad, of your time on the planet with the child. The most innocuous moments from that point forward become sources of mind numbing pain and regret which you will be forced to endure for the rest of your existence in this temporal world.

Have pity on the strangers around you; thank GOD you do not have to endure the loss of a child. Be thankful that cup passes you by.

[viewfromthefrontier]

Eternal rest grant unto BraveMan’s child, O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon them. May their soul and the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace.

[fwdude]

Well, I’ll just say that you have no insight into the experiences of others.

[duckman]

Very sorry for your loss. I had to put my beloved Siamese Roxy, to sleep after a 7-month bout with diabetes.

[Clutch Martin]

My sincere condolences.

[FormerFRLurker]

As a childless Millennial myself, I don’t think it’s loving pets too much that’s causing young people not to have families. All the childless people my age that I know are also petless. It’s the high cost of housing, healthcare, and general cost of living relative to wages. It’s not wanting to repeat the parenting mistakes of our own parents. It’s older generations telling us we’re incompetent. Who wants the guilt of being a bad parent?

Nor is it confined to a certain generation. My grandfather, born in 1899, definitely cared more for his hunting dogs than he ever did for people. He was fond of quoting Mark Twain, of a still earlier generation, “If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man.”

Condolences for your loss. Hopefully he went peacefully and painlessly.

[Fiji Hill]

My calico cat Tasha passed away on Election Day, 2016, at 18, of renal failure, a common cause of death for older cats. I adopted her when she was 15, so I knew she wouldn’t be with me long.

[LibertarianLiz]

Condolences to Dennis Prager on the loss of his friend and companion (because that is what a dog is -- friend and companion).

I lost our beloved Corgi (Gryffin) 7 years ago; and, I still think of him often. Most wonderful dog we had ever had in our family.

[Albion Wilde]

My deep condolences, BraveMan. A worthy post, for those who need a lesson in perspective.

[Albion Wilde]

Well, I’ll just say that you have no insight into the experiences of others.

How utterly pugnacious. Have some respect for someone who has poured out his heart.

[Hot Tabasco]

Been single all my life and have a cat but could never bring myself to own a dog, specifically a German Shepherd which I love.

Back in my early 20's I was tasked with taking my dad's German Shepherd (the family's really) to the vet for euthanasia. Worst thing I have ever done in my life and that moment has stuck with me all these years to the point that I can never bring myself to bring a dog as a companion into my life knowing that they will eventually pass before me..

[TNoldman]

Sorry on the passing of your buddy. Dog and God are in my Heart.

[Exit148]

Pets are family. So beloved