Indeed, OG. I am on rescued Beagles number 4 and 5, right now.

The Force10 household isn't exactly void of pets at the moment...lol.

We have two cats...they are now 7 years old that we rescued. A homeowner had his house foreclosed on and he walked away leaving them behind...in the house... at 3 months old.

We have two birds...our Lovebird Douglas is 17 years old! My daughter also has a 2 year old parakeet.

So we do have some pets to shower with love for the time being.

I I got most of my dogs as rescues. Then I got involved with a no-kill rescue group and started fostering dogs. Well, seems like I wasn't good at fostering. I would get dogs in to foster ...
and then I would take them out of the program and keep them. I had to back away from it before I got a pack. Best one I ever had was a rescue. I miss him even many years later.

Good for you chichlidfan and all you others who save rescues and strays.

Very nice post, OG. Gives a new perspective.

I know more than one former foster family with the same problem. That is why I never tried it.

I feel for your loss Force.
I've been there a few times now, and will no doubt be there again.

Remember the good times.

I have owned two retired greyhounds and have fostered maybe 10 more. When Thunder dies I expect I will just foster afterwards.

Always got my kids from a shelter..Lost a dear friend of 16 yeas a couple years ago named Winston,,Swore I'd never get another one,,But the house always seemed empty and now I have Mary Sue a beautiful yellow Lab 80# and it's just her and me,,Every night I get in bed and she sits in the door way until I tell her to get in the bed,,She starts off on one side but by morning I'm about to fall out of bed,,She's worse than a woman crawling up your back,,But she's my kid and nobody ever dare kick her like she was before..And I know nobody will come in the house her hair stands up all down her back when the doorbell rings,,

I feel for your loss Force, it's only been a couple of months since I had to put Jack to sleep and I still miss the little fellow.

The wife wants a border collie but I know I would be the one that has to look after and train it and I'm not sure I would be up to keeping herd on a bundle of energy like that, having had a border collie before I know how much work they can be.

That's the 'cunning plan' OG!

We have had (and have) a foster dog, the situation here is that we give the dog a home and the Dog's Trust pay for the heavy medical bills which these elderly dogs incur. As pet insurance now more often than not refuse a claim on the grounds that it was probably a previous condition, as in the case of our latest dog (We think the previous owner lied about the dog's health on the hand-over form, as the dog had no health cover.)

We and others we have advised (for want of a better word) have found the best catharsis for losing an animal is to adopt one from a shelter. I apologise for being a bit preachy about this, but I do hope people in a loss situation will consider re-homing. It is a great aid to grief knowing you are given an often stressed and perhaps condemned animal a chance of a good life. I don't know what the situation is over there, but if one requires a particular pedigree or breed here (UK) there are many breed-specific rescue organisations to approach. (My eldest daughter is lead behaviourist for a Greyhound trust)

Indeed, at the Dog's Trust were my eldest son works, they often have high value dogs handed in, recently 6no. French Bulldog pups seized from an illegal import.

We face a decision tomorrow that the dog we have had nearly all of her 15 years will have to be euthanised due to sudden deterioration in quality of life and subsequent distress.

Very sorry to hear this Force. I have two five year olds and I hate to think of the day that they will leave our family. I just try to keep in mind the good life that they have and the love we give them, and they us.

Wow...I didn't expect this many responses! When I created the thread, I sent it to my wife and daughter and they sent it to a couple friends.
It's nice for people that have never been to SimHQ before to see what a truly awesome community we have here!

Thanks again for all the condolences!

I look at my three dogs and think of how much longer I can expect to have them around and I tear up at times.

My condolences to you and your family.

Putting your dog down is a very difficult decision. We had to put down our Boxer Hagler, a few years back. I was so sad for like 2 days afterwards. I was married for 15 yrs, my wife never saw me cry. I balwed that day. we both did.
But after the saddness starts to subside, you remember the many years, days of laughs and smiles they gave you. It is so worth it.
One of our Boxers, Tank now is 9, and that is old in Boxer lives. He is totally blind. But he is just as happy and content as he was when he could see. Sweet dog, this one is really gona hurt. He's a 125 lb softie.

Force, I feel your pain! Hardest thing I ever did, putting my buddy Tommy down five years ago. Every dog will have a special place in your heart, but after a while life gets lonely without one.

We have had our dog Wilma now for a year. We love her to bits.



One of my favourite poems, by Lord Byron. He wrote this about his dog after it passed away:

Near this Spot
are deposited the Remains of one
who possessed Beauty without Vanity,
Strength without Insolence,
Courage without Ferocity,
and all the virtues of Man without his Vices.

This praise, which would be unmeaning Flattery
if inscribed over human Ashes,
is but a just tribute to the Memory of
Boatswain, a Dog
who was born in Newfoundland May 1803
and died at Newstead Nov. 18th, 1808


When some proud Son of Man returns to Earth,
Unknown to Glory, but upheld by Birth,
The sculptor’s art exhausts the pomp of woe,
And storied urns record who rests below.
When all is done, upon the Tomb is seen,
Not what he was, but what he should have been.
But the poor Dog, in life the firmest friend,
The first to welcome, foremost to defend,
Whose honest heart is still his Master’s own,
Who labours, fights, lives, breathes for him alone,
Unhonoured falls, unnoticed all his worth,
Denied in heaven the Soul he held on earth –
While man, vain insect! hopes to be forgiven,
And claims himself a sole exclusive heaven.

Oh man! thou feeble tenant of an hour,
Debased by slavery, or corrupt by power –
Who knows thee well, must quit thee with disgust,
Degraded mass of animated dust!
Thy love is lust, thy friendship all a cheat,
Thy tongue hypocrisy, thy heart deceit!
By nature vile, ennobled but by name,
Each kindred brute might bid thee blush for shame.
Ye, who behold perchance this simple urn,
Pass on – it honours none you wish to mourn.
To mark a friend’s remains these stones arise;
I never knew but one -- and here he lies.

Fourteen years. Good innings.

"No, my dog used to gaze at me,
paying me the attention I need,
the attention required
to make a vain person like me understand
that, being a dog, he was wasting time,
but, with those eyes so much purer than mine,
he'd keep on gazing at me
with a look that reserved for me alone
all his sweet and shaggy life,
always near me, never troubling me,
and asking nothing."

There are some things that even Sim nuts agree on.

My condolences. Having to take that final journey is always heartbreaking.


Wheels

I can share your grief today Force 10, and others who have expressed their feelings in this thread.

Our vets are wonderful, visiting our house just now to give Connie, our companion these past 14 years her final release in a most compassionate and dignified way, without any distress to this dear dog.

A Good Dog, (most of the time!) Excellent at agility when young, but unable to drive like your lovely Pug Force 10!

She is the fluffy one on the right:

Wow, BD. My sympathy for your loss but happy to hear that your vet was able to do that for you in the privacy and comfort of your home.

I am glad to see that you have a good crew to help you with your sadness.