Something every pet owner dreads

[dogs4walks]

Join our free community today.

Connect with other like-minded dog lovers!

Login or Register

Every pet owners worse nightmare

Sorry for the depressing post. Just wanted to share my experience last week.

And when you think your having a bad day think about Ben's owner

 

[arealhuman]

That is a sad read.

 

[Biker John]

A sad read indeed, but it brings to mind a problem I have turning over in my mind, I'm in my 70's, live on my own with a wonderful dog. I am perfectly happy, but which is the best, or the least worst, option. Either I could get a second dog that would hopefully live past my present one but obviously the older I get the more the chance that I would leave a dog behind. Or I could not in which case theirs a good chance I will finish up without a dog. One small point, I have never yet lived without at least one dog as my parents had dogs when I was born and we got our first dog when my wife and I were getting married. And being honest the idea of not having one does not appeal in the slightest. But my present Whippet, with the way she is attached to me, would be devastated to be left behind. So a dilemma for me that I will have to solve but no idea what to do.

 

[eingana]

I have every sympathy for the man affected, and I'm acutely aware that I'm approaching a very similar position myself with my lovely (but suddenly very elderly, deaf and incontinent) GSD girl Molly Moo.

Due to my disabilities and poor health I'm unlikely to adopt another dog and you also have my sympathies Biker John- it's a dreadful position to even think about, isn't it?  I'm around pretty much all of the time, which would make me a good home on the emotional side, but my income is shrinking and I can no longer walk a dog, which to me is an integral part of dog owning.  I will miss my furry shadow and my furry protector more than I can say.

On the other side, I have worked in rescue for a long time and I understand how hard it can be for animals who are wrenched from a loving home by the death of their human family and have to be found a new home, when they may not be the youngest and easiest animal to rehome themselves.

For this reason I believe that there is a reason why we survive our furry soul mates.  It's so that the pain of the loss is borne entirely by us and they never have to go through losing their human and their entire sphere of reference.  It is my job, my responsibility AND my privilege, to hold my furries until their last breath, to do my damnedest to ensure that they undergo no suffering, either physical or emotional, and to be able to face myself afterwards and be sure that I could have done no more to have protected and loved them.

I'm terrified of going through the loss, but I'm also sure that I'm better armed to survive through it than Molly, the dog who only obeys one person in this world, would be if she was put into the position of having to cope with losing me.

I know this may not actually be fact and that she may be absolutely fine if I was to pop my clogs suddenly, but it helps me to cope so it's the path that I'm choosing to go down, even if I have to put my fingers in my ears and sing lalalalalalala to avoid the contradictory truth getting to me

 

[arealhuman]

In these situations, is it possible to stipulate - say in a Will - that if a dog survives you it should be cared for by a nominated person?  If this person is introduced to the dog and gets to know them, the wrench of going to new people after the death of an owner could possibly be lessened.

 

[Biker John]

I guess that would be possible for some people, and some dogs. For example I recently lost a Shih Tzu, now I would not have any worry about leaving him behind, his personality would have overcome any problem, I always considered him as being one of life's perpetual optimists, he met everything with a waggy tail convinced things would turn out fine. So if he had been re homed provided he was looked after properly he would have settled down and enjoyed himself. My Whippet on the other hand is very attached to me, ok when she's with me she is happy to meet people but I tend to think if she was left she would not settle.

 

[JoanneF]

In these situations, is it possible to stipulate - say in a Will - that if a dog survives you it should be cared for by a nominated person?  If this person is introduced to the dog and gets to know them, the wrench of going to new people after the death of an owner could possibly be lessened.

Yes. I have done this. In the event that Mr F and I die, Timber is left in our will to a friend who knows and loves him (along with financial provision for his future, although that was because we can/should rather than because we had to write it in).