Our pets become such a big part of our families.
And when they’re gone… There is a hole.
There is an emptiness in our house that wasn’t here last week.
Earlier I wrote about our dog’s mysterious bump.
2 biopsies came back clean.
Yet the surgery site wouldn’t heal; it continued to bleed. The bump grew back before our eyes. It burst in 3 spots.
And then last Monday the call came.
They had run the tests one more time:
a very rare and extremely aggressive cancer.
Just 14 hours after this news, she was gone.
That last morning she acted more like her old self than she had in a while, bringing me a toy, stealing the preschooler’s toast…
I think she was holding on, waiting for us all to know and have a chance to say goodbye.
It was her last gift to us.
No words I write here could ever come close to describing the joy Kira brought to our lives, or the loss that we feel now that she is gone.
Emma @ P is for Preschooler says
I am so sorry for your loss. They do become part of the family, bringing smiles and memories. She’s a beautiful girl and she was clearly well-loved. My thoughts are with you. 🙁
OneMommy says
Thank you. We were blessed to have her for those 10 years.
Michael Schmid says
I’m so very sorry for your loss. She sounds like a wonderful family member. *hugs*
OneMommy says
Thank you. She is definitely missed!
Leslie says
Aww, I’m so sorry for your loss. 🙁 That’s so hard!
Sarah B. says
So sorry for your family’s loss. Pets become the same as a family member, and it is so heartbreaking to say goodbye to them. I hope one last good day with her gave everyone a sense of closure. It is sort of nice she died peacefully in her sleep rather than your family deciding the time had come to put her down. Just make sure the kids understand she was sick and in a lot of pain, and now she is happy and pain free in heaven. Also, let yourselves take time to cry and grieve. When everyone is ready it is nice to go through old photos and reminiscence about the joy she brought to your family.
OneMommy says
Thank you.
She definitely was a big part of our family — my husband and I always joked she was our first child.
I hope you have years left with your dear Balboa!
Angela says
I’m so sorry. Our dog will be 10 in a few months and his health has been deteriorating. They are so much a part of our families and it is hard to tell them good bye.
OneMommy says
Thank you. They definitely are a part of our families!
I pray your dog has many more happy years with you.
Donna DM Yates says
oh my gosh, my sympathies to you and yours. We lost a dog last spring to cancer. They do tell us goodbye, and give us that chance for last loves. I am so sorry for all of you. A year later and I still think of my dog. Yes, I understand that empty house feeling.
OneMommy says
Thank you.
And I am sorry for your loss as well. It is amazing what a strong bond you can have with a pet. It’s funny, but when the bump seemed to appear out of nowhere, she slept on our bed a couple nights — she hadn’t done it in forever. I think even then she knew her time was short with us.