I Lost a great friend last night.

"DipodomysDeserti" (dipodomysdeserti) 11/18/2016 at 08:25 • Filed to: None

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My wife and I decided to put our dog, Lola, down last night. She was the sweetest dog I’ve ever known. She had cancer, and within the last few days was having a very rough time. She would never show me that she was in pain, but the look in her eyes began to be one of fear, rather than happiness, so I knew it was her time to go. My family, friends and I sat by a fire with her in the backyard for a few hours until the vet arrived, and I held her as she died. She went quickly and peacefully. Watching her go and burying her is one of the hardest things I’ve had to do in a while.

My wife and I adopted her about eight years ago. She was found as a stray, with quite a few injuries. She may have been used either for fighting or for breeding, as she had a fairly strong nesting instinct. The shelter she was at couldn’t find a home for her, so they were going to euthanize her. A lady took her in, and said she’d find a home for her. She spent a few months living in a house with about fifteen chihuahuas and pomeranians. Seeing such a stocky pit with a bunch of yappy dogs was quite a sight. After seeing her interact with these other dogs, I knew she had a wonderful heart and spirit. I introduced her to my other dog before adopting her. They got along great, and had been best buds ever since.

Her surrogate brother, Brutus, misses her quite a bit already. He could tell she hadn’t been feeling good the last few days, and laid next to her during her last few hours. I adopted both of my dogs before I had kids, so they were my oldest children, in a sense. Those of you with kids know how once they come along, nothing else in the world matters. While the love I have for my children is incomparable to anything, my love for these dogs is very strong. Lola realized how important my two children are to me, and took to watching my daughters like a hawk. People would tell me that when I wasn’t home, she would follow my daughters from room to room, watching them as they played. As soon as I came home, she would go back to laying on her bed and relaxing. Once we got chickens, I was concerned the dogs would try to eat them. Not so, as they both realized these were mine, and not for them to eat.

Watching two pitbulls laying down with chickens is truly a sight to behold.

My oldest daughter is at the age where kids start understanding the concept of death, but seem to be more curious about it rather than grief stricken by it. I explained to her what was going to happen to Lola, and why we bury certain animals and people after they die.

Lola, you have a truly wonderful spirit, and your memory will live on in everyone that knew you until it’s our time to pay our debt back to the earth. Thanks for sharing your love with us, you will be missed greatly. Love you Lo’.

vondon302 > DipodomysDeserti 11/18/2016 at 08:44

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Nice tribute. Don’t know what else to say just that losing a loving companion is always rough.

Arrivederci > DipodomysDeserti 11/18/2016 at 08:45

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Very sorry for your loss - reading the wonderful words you wrote about Lola is making me a little verklempt this morning. She clearly was a terrific dog.

osucycler > DipodomysDeserti 11/18/2016 at 08:49

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Nicely told. Peace and comfort for you and yours.

mazda616 > DipodomysDeserti 11/18/2016 at 08:49

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I’m so sorry man. Looks like she was incredibly blessed to have found you.

I love my dog so much. I dread this day in the off future when it comes for us. Ugh I want to go home and hug her right now.

Tripper > DipodomysDeserti 11/18/2016 at 08:49

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Aw man, really sorry about your pup.

Flavien Vidal > DipodomysDeserti 11/18/2016 at 08:50

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Sorry man, losing a pet is always very very hard... Even harder when it doesn’t happen suddenly actually. I’ll go hold my cats now :)

SteveLehto > DipodomysDeserti 11/18/2016 at 08:50

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Very sorry for your loss. Thank you for sharing.

Birddog > DipodomysDeserti 11/18/2016 at 08:50

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Aww shit! That look. When they’re in pain and can’t communicate it or don’t want to.

I’m sorry man.

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > DipodomysDeserti 11/18/2016 at 08:50

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Im sorry for your loss

$kaycog > DipodomysDeserti 11/18/2016 at 08:55

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So sorry for your loss. That’s a hard thing to do.

Bourbon&JellyBeans > DipodomysDeserti 11/18/2016 at 08:56

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Sad to hear this. When I was in high school, my family had to put our two-year-old boxer down due to a fatal heart defect. Absolutely terrible. Dogs are an especially hard pet to lose because of how innocent and happy-go-lucky they are.

Best thing that you can do in a time like this is remind yourself that you gave her the best life that you could have while she was here. I’m sure she’d thank you for it if you could.

deekster_caddy > DipodomysDeserti 11/18/2016 at 08:59

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Sorry for your loss. Our dog came before our kids, and at 13 years old I know he’s not going to be around much longer, but it’s still going to be really difficult. He was a rescue dog from Puerto Rico and he’s always been scared of strangers and protective of our kids, which is great except that we only have friendly people come to our house and it takes him a long time to trust them. He’s a medium sized mutt, 45 lbs or so, but we still pick him up and pretend he’s our lap puppy... and he loves it - although now it’s much harder to put him back down, we can tell that we are stressing his legs and he’s uncomfortable when we pick him up.

ttyymmnn > DipodomysDeserti 11/18/2016 at 08:59

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My family, friends and I sat by a fire with her in the backyard for a few hours until the vet arrived, and I held her as she died. She went quickly and peacefully. Watching her go and burying her is one of the hardest things I’ve had to do in a while.

I can think of no better way to honor a dear friend. Your tribute speaks of loss, but it also speaks of a life well lived, and that’s all anybody can hope for. You gave Lola a better shot at that life than she might have had otherwise, and you can take comfort in the fact that you made someone’s life special. RIP Lola; and be at peace, Sky.

interstate366, now In The Industry > DipodomysDeserti 11/18/2016 at 09:06

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Sorry for your loss.

TysMagic > DipodomysDeserti 11/18/2016 at 09:09

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the loss of a friend so close is always so hard. It sounds like you gave her the tribute she deserved. Sorry for your loss

EL_ULY > DipodomysDeserti 11/18/2016 at 09:10

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dang dude that is mega sad :’( Lola was no doubt super happy with you two. We have 5 four legged children and do as much as we can for them while they are here.

R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet > DipodomysDeserti 11/18/2016 at 09:12

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Doggos are better than people

Cash Rewards > DipodomysDeserti 11/18/2016 at 09:13

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You did a real good thing taking in a dog like that, when many others would’ve turned away from that breed and background. I’m sorry for your loss.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > DipodomysDeserti 11/18/2016 at 09:17

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So saddened to read this. I’ve been there myself multiple times (once with a dog many years before his time) - a terribly hard decision, but the right one. Sorry for your loss. Thank you for taking a chance on Lola and giving her a wonderful life.

Here’s my boy Jimi, body ravaged by cancer, playing Frisbee one last time on his last day:

sonicgabe > DipodomysDeserti 11/18/2016 at 09:20

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From the wife and I, we are very sorry to hear about the loss of your beloved pup. She sounds amazing. I’m gonna go hug our dog now.

Seat Safety Switch > DipodomysDeserti 11/18/2016 at 09:21

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I’m very sorry for your loss. Dogs are so great.

handyjoe > DipodomysDeserti 11/18/2016 at 09:23

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So sorry for your loss. We had to let our rescue pit go last year, and it was hard. It’s never easy to say goodbye to a friend, no matter the species.

E92M3 > DipodomysDeserti 11/18/2016 at 09:31

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BobintheMtns > DipodomysDeserti 11/18/2016 at 09:33

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:(

HammerheadFistpunch > DipodomysDeserti 11/18/2016 at 10:05

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I been there, 3 times actually. Sucks everytime. Sorry.

fhrblig > DipodomysDeserti 11/18/2016 at 10:27

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Sad to hear that, hope you’re doing ok. Sounds like you were able to give her a great life, though.

TheRealBicycleBuck > DipodomysDeserti 11/18/2016 at 10:28

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There’s no getting around the heartbreak. I still miss all the dogs to whom I’ve had to say to say goodbye. Damn. Why is there so much dust in here?

shop-teacher > DipodomysDeserti 11/18/2016 at 11:44

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I’m sorry for your loss. Losing a special friend like that is always rough. I imagine losing one that is so protective of your kids makes it even worse.

“My oldest daughter is at the age where kids start understanding the concept of death, but seem to be more curious about it rather than grief stricken by it.”

I have been finding this fascinating. My oldest daughter is almost four, and her grandma (my mother-in-law) passed away at the beginning of June. Every few weeks she asks us, “Why is grandma dead?” or just simply states, “Grandma is dead,” or “Grandma is up in the sky.” She’s always very matter-of-fact about it.

DipodomysDeserti > R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet 11/18/2016 at 14:58

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This dog was better than a lot of people I’ve met, and experienced some of the worst in people. She never gave up on loving life, though.

R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet > DipodomysDeserti 11/18/2016 at 16:32

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Sorry for your loss bud. (is bud a gender neutral friendly identifier?)

Have some virtual cuddles from my Brits to you

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > DipodomysDeserti 11/18/2016 at 17:02

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Aww, sorry to hear bud....never easy to lose a family member...you have my sympathy...she looks like she was a sweetheart! :]

DragonBreath > DipodomysDeserti 11/18/2016 at 17:45

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I feel for you. My wife and I have had to put down two dogs, both because they just got so old that it was painful to watch. We had no timeline for anything, because they weren’t sick, but it got hard to watch them go down the stairs into the backyard, sometimes falling and at the end, one of them litterally could not climb the three steps into the house.

I am usually not one to believe in such things, but I get some comfort from the concept of the rainbow bridge, thinking that I was not ending their lives, but freeing their still young spirits from the old cages that they lived in. Rather than remembering them old, I prefer to remember my black and white mutt bounding through the backyard when the weeds got high, or my golden retriever tricking our new puppy to go into the house so that he could have a little quiet time in the backyard.

Someone, about 100,000 years ago or so, sold part of mankind’s soul for the loyalty of dogs.

It was a good trade.

DipodomysDeserti > R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet 11/18/2016 at 21:35

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Thanks. I call my dude and dudette friends bud.