Thursday, May 26, 2011

Max, The Perfect Dog


This week has been so hard. 

We had to put Max to sleep last Thursday.

My heart hurts so bad.  I miss him so much. A part of me died that day.  My little blond haired boy.  I miss his eyes, his smell, his stubby tail,  his solemn sighs as he fell asleep on my bed at night.

He was suffering so much though that we owed it to him as his owners to help him out of his misery.  His eyes said everything. "Please...I'm hurting and I'm ready to go".  For days I'd say my goodbyes to him each night thinking he would pass in his sleep at night...then I'd say my goodbyes in the morning before work, thinking he'd pass while I was gone.  This went on for about 4 days.  Finally, my parents, brother and I decided that we would not let him suffer.  Thursday was a blur.  Working that day was so hard.  I was consoled by a sweet patient at work who out of nowhere knew I was sad. 

My dad and brother took him to the vet. They were there with him as he went. My dad said he looked so peaceful.  I commend the Animal Hospital for being SO amazing and supportive ( to the point of making a donation in Max's name to a local pet agency called Recycled Pets. and sending us a sympathy card with Max's paw prints.).

I took Max home yesterday.  His remains are in a gorgeous cherrywood box and it sits on our hearth. 

As I type through blurred vision and tear...I leave you with some words that sum everything up.  

"Mostly, he taught me about friendship and selflessness and, above all else, unwavering loyalty." 

A dog doesn't care if you are rich or poor, educated or illiterate, clever or dull. Give him your heart and he will give you his. It was really quite simple, and yet we humans, so much wiser and more sophisticated, have always had trouble figuring out what really counts and what does not. "
  
"Such short little lives our pets have to spend with us, and they spend most of it waiting for us to come home each day. It is amazing how much love and laughter they bring into our lives and even how much closer we become with each other because of them"   
-John Grogan, author of Marley and Me.