Paws, Whiskers and Wags was so helpful to me when my Mr. Scribbles passed away. It broke my heart the day I lost him. Christine herself called me and was so compassionate. They picked up Mr. Scribbles from the vet’s office and Christine called me to tell me she had him and he was safe. It meant the world to me at a time when I really needed reassurance. They were so kind during the entire process.
Rest in peace, wonderful Mr. Scribbles. I miss you. 
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All,
Today was the The Life of your Pet Celebration hosted by Paws, Whiskers, and Wags (a pet crematory). The event was to honor all of the pets who passed away last. There were probably 1000 people there and it was a beautifully done ceremony. The last part of the presentation was pictures of all of our pets. The photograph I sent them of Murphy was taken by my dear friend Pat Thomas and captured what we all knew and loved Murphy for, her SMILE. While it was heartbreaking to see her on the screen I am so, so thankful that I knew her and that my life was blessed with her for 9 years. She brought so much joy to all of us, not only because of her smile, but because she seemed to live in her own world which was full of love and happiness. She was a free spirit and was kind to everyone she met. Nothing bothered her and she loved everyone. I remember when Tyler died Murphy never left my side as I cried for 2 weeks over his death. She licked the tears from my face and grieved with me. She understood the pain and had her own sadness about his death too. There are so many special memories I have of her and too many to mention, but Murphy was a very special dog, a dog with great intuition and so much love in her heart. She was a companion to me, a best friend to Cooper (they were inseparable), and I know held a very special place in all of your hearts.
While I miss her terribly I know she has gone on to a better place. Since you all had involvement in her life I wanted to say a special thank you to each of you.
Mom and Dad: For loving her as one of your grand doggies, for sending her a birthday card every year, for laughing at her goofiness, and for the endless times you would pet her and play tug of war with her. For Dad who would scratch her ears endlessly. Murphy loved it! Oh ya, and mom for letting her get up on the furniture when she wasn’t suppose to and feeding her popcorn. I knew you were doing it.
Tom: When you were in Atlanta for all the belly rubs you gave her and for kissing her ears and telling me how soft they were. Please get Elyse a dog so she can experience the joy and love of having one.
Bonnie and Fred: When visiting Bonnie would get up every morning to feed her (them) and let her (them) out. Many times I would find Bonnie on the glider with Murphy having a great time together. Fred thanks for playing with her and walking her all the times you did.
Ray and Steve: For loving her as much as you do your dogs. For caring for her each day she was alive with her special walks (I know how much she loved them), for making special dogie treats, and for playing with her. For allowing me to put you in my will as her guardian in case I passed first because I trusted you with her life. For coming down the day she died and grieving with me. I know how much you still miss her.
Laurie: For finding her on your door step that day Adan taking her in. I’ll never forget that first picture I saw of her at your door step, we knew then she was a very special dog. For bringing her into my life, for her nickname SMURPH, for loving her enough to leave her with me because you knew how attached she was to Cooper. I know she meant the world to you and it was truly a selfless act on your part. Thank you Laurie.
Vanessa: Who found Murphy the day she died and consoled me through the grief of that day and who went with me to have her cremated. For sharing my tears and sadness. For Christian, Christopher, and Grace Ann’s sensitive words and act of love toward Murphy and me when I was sad. Christan called me from N.C. that day to say how sorry he was. Christopher gave me a card he made and talked about how sorry and sad he was too. For Grace Ann who sobbed one day crying out for Murphy and on another day told me when I was crying to “If you just stop thinking about it you won’t be sad anymore”.
Pat: Who I have known for over 20 years. Who loved Murphy as her own. Her took time out of her busy life constantly to take photos of her and Cooper and who surprised me with the photo I have on my sofa table of them together with Murphy, of course, smiling. Thank you for being at the event today, it meant so much to me to have you there and to share in my tears and sadness for Murphy.
And for Cooper who was with Murphy when she died so she didn’t die alone. Who when I covered Murphy with a blanket pulled it off of her as if to say goodbye one last time.
Words cannot tell you all how much I love you for loving Murphy. She was a great companion and I miss her every day.
As I reflect on today I want to share one thing that I have done since the day Murphy passed. Every morning before I leave for work or wherever I am going I hug and kiss Cooper and Daisy and tell them how much I love them and that I can’t wait to see them when I get home. When I go to bed at night I hug them again and tell them how much I love them. As I say my prayers I thank God for bringing them into my life, for the joy they bring me and the unconditional love I experience with them. I also thank him too for Tyler and all my other pets i have had throughout my lifetime. Of course you are all in my prayers too :0
If you have pets which most of you do, don’t ever take them for granted or have any regrets about what you didn’t do. Love them today with all your heart and thank them for all that they bring you.
So while we grieve for Murphy again, celebrate her life too.
Vicki |
Nikita Marie Melvin passed away on 3/7/2008, a victim of bone cancer. She was a beautiful girl with a wonderful spirit and the fastest nub in the East. I miss her greeting me every day at the door with a toy in her mouth. I really miss the way her whole body would wiggle when she wagged her little rottie nub. She came to me from Dade Animal Control in Florida. Badly abused, she had no self esteem and walked with her head low. It took me years to teach her to walk with her head up proud. In our basic obedience class, the instructor would often have her demonstrate. She always did everything perfectly, just wanted to please her mom. Kita Bear is missed every single day, even more than a year later. She lived her entire life with bad hips, but she never complained. She enjoyed long hikes in the mountains and her two mile walk around the neighborhood each day. Although she has left a whole in my heart that will never be filled, her legacy lives on. Because of her, I decided to foster rotties in need and in the past year 10 sweet rotties have spent time at the Rottie Ranch on their way to their forever homes. I know Kita is looking down from the Rainbow Bridge, blessing each and every one.
Sadie was brought to me as a six week old pup. My immediate thought was, NO! I cannot have any more animals. Already had horses, dogs, cats, even chickens. By the way I had a mini farm at the time and also boarded horses. I was thinking not another, BUT, she was so cute and also very scared. I fell in love with the little furball. So, of course I said yes, she can stay. From that day she was with me every where I went. If I drove to Florida to visit my mom she was with me. When I would feed the horses in the morning she was with me. She even helped herd the horses up and chase them to the front pasture. Hiking, camping, she was with me. Even when I had to go to the bathroom, she would follow me! I always said she was the best dog I ever had and that was the truth. She was with me for 15 1/2 years and she will ALWAYS be the best dog I ever had.
Hal, when you came to DREAM, everyone who met you instantly fell in love. You had such a gentle spirit, and just wanted your cuddles. It was wonderful to see you reveling being in a real home with your foster mom. Was that the first time you got so much love? Many people wanted to adopt you (you were so handsome), but your health failed due to years of neglect and advance heartworms. Your little body had just endured too much. We miss you.
Kristin Leydig Bryant
It doesn’t matter how much time has passed since we lost Biskitt and Beau years ago. We both still miss them, experience sadness when we see dogs who look like them, and remember special times we shared. But time has healed us too. And now, with the addition of a funny little boy named Tilson, he has allowed us to continue to celebrate Beau and Biskitt.
We found Tilson matted and flee ridden in East Lake. After having him vetted and cleaned up, we failed as a foster family and ended up adopting him. Tilson is a spaniel, as was our precious Biskitt. His shape, hair, coloring, everything, remind us of her. We remember cuddling with her and her soft buff coat, watching her nub tail wag with joy and looking into those expressive eyes. Being with Tilson is comforting and keeps our memory of Biskitt alive. We’ll never mistake him for Biskitt because he acts nothing like her. He actually acts like Beau, our easy-going clown of a Beagle. Tilson is happy for no reason, loves everyone, engages no one in conflict and just loves life. What a gift! Our long-term companions live on through this unlikely stray.
My partner, Pat, always says that it’s a shame that pets only live a fraction of the years that we humans do, but I think it is wonderful that we get to share our lives with animals who enter our lives for many reasons, and often just for the right season of our life.
If you don’t know much about your family’s health history, it can be difficult to understand your own health risks and conditions. Similarly with adopted pets, we have very little information about their health history or their parents’ health. Caring for an adopted pets’ health requires more research and participation with your vet to determine what is serious or mild, and some times, the most appropriate treatment options.
We knew very little about Karma other than she had escaped from life on a chain based upon her makeshift copper tubing collar. Our vet made some estimations regarding her age. We knew she had just had given birth, had every worm known to man and desperately needed a loving home. That was about it.
A couple of years ago, Karma ran head first into a closed doggie door. She seemed ok, and we didn’t think anything of it. A few months later she started shivering when we would pet her back. We immediately thought it must be a spinal issue from her crash into the door. Our vet found some neck disc degeneration on the x-ray, but that could have been from being tied up in her previous life. Otherwise, we found nothing. GVS took a look and couldn’t explain it either, offering options for additional tests. Since a cause couldn’t be determined, we tried chiropractic adjustments and acupuncture. She was always much better after the treatment, but it never lasted. Then one day, our vet started asking us questions about her behavior, movement and everything we could possibly piece together about her background. He suggested we give her some allergy tests, and sure enough, Karma is allergic to some airbornes, foods and molds. We had her on allergy shots for a year, changed her food and reduced seasonal airborne allergies with more frequent baths and minimized her time outside. It took a village, but our little beagle is much happier and healthier since we all put our heads together.
Young pets have doggie day care, dog parks and crazy cat toys, but what about our aging pets? What types of activity are appropriate for them as they begin to slow down? Most pets will give you an indication that they are experiencing pain or are tired from too much activity, but some breeds are relentless in their quest for the outdoors, or play with others. What can you do to ensure that they are healthy and safe?
Watch your pet’s patterns. When does he or she sleep and when are they most active? Does Fido need a nap after breakfast, but seems to be more active in the mid-afternoon. Choose his or her naturally active times for walks and playtime.
Engage the mind too. Although your pet may not be as interested in the activities he or she enjoyed when they were younger, you may find new activities engaging, especially when it involves a little thinking. Figure out what he or she enjoys, and start their – sometimes a game of hide and seek can stimulate the mind and get your pet moving. Senior pets are never too old for new tricks. Training class or at-home training sessions with your pet can be fun.
Massage your pet. You don’t have to be a massage therapist to have a positive impact on your pet. They all enjoy a massage, especially after some strenuous activity. Here’s a great web page with some videos on how to massage your dog – http://www.monkeysee.com/play/2163-how-to-massage-your-dog, and a good article on massaging your cat – http://www.messybeast.com/catmassage.htm.
Ultimately, consult with your vet to determine how much activity is appropriate. He or she can make recommendations regarding what types of activities are beneficial, how long and how often.
