Dear Abbey on Pet Loss
Hope folks can find some comfort in this link:
http://www.uexpress.com/dearabby/?uc_full_date=20040115
CAT'S DEATH SHOWS GIRL THAT COMFORT CAN COME OUT OF GRIEF
DEAR ABBY: I am a 12-year-old girl. My grandfather passed away. Then my
rabbit
died. On top of that, my cat, "Rocky," was diagnosed with cancer.
It spread to all parts of his body. After hearing Rocky
cry out in pain
at 3 a.m., my family and I made the heart-wrenching decision to have him
put to sleep. We took him to
the vet, where I stroked his fur and spoke
softly to him as he peacefully departed.
My parents stayed behind to speak
to the vet, but I couldn't stand
seeing Rocky lying on the table, so I walked out to the waiting room,
still sobbing.
The only other person there was an elderly man with a
black Lab. With a foreign accent he asked what was wrong, and I
tearfully
told him my cat had just been put to sleep.
He handed me a tissue and said, "You made the right choice, dear. You
were
very unselfish. Just think how your pet would have suffered had you
not done this for him."
I asked if he had ever put a pet to sleep, and he nodded. "Many times,"
he
said. "Although it is sad, I think of it as one last act of love." I
thought about his words because I had never thought
of it like that.
"Here," the man said, gesturing to his dog, "sometimes animals can
comfort best." I knelt beside his
dog, still crying, and the friendly
Lab made me smile in spite of my sadness.
Then my parents came out and said it was time to go. I never found out
the
man's name, but I'd like to thank him for that act of kindness. I'll
never forget how he helped me when I was hurting.
-- MISSING ROCKY IN
MOUNT PROSPECT, ILL.
DEAR MISSING ROCKY: Our guardian angels seem to show up just when we
need
them most. (I'll bet you didn't expect yours to have an accent and
a canine companion.) The following may bring more comfort
to you. It's
worth remembering.
Rainbow Bridge 