My Best Friend Passed Today
 

Those of you who have been to the house for our GTG's have no doubt met the Sam Man. He was our best friend and canine companion.

Sam has been very sickly in the seven years he's been with us. Three surgeries for bladder stones and countless other things.

Through it all, Sam learned to be loved and gave more than his fair share of love back.

We got Sam from a no kill shelter that was about to put him down due to seizures and other problems. The first three vets we took him to also advised to put him down. That was seven years ago.

When we moved to North Virginia, we found a vet who correctly diagnosed Sam with severe bladder stones and performed the surgeries necessary to make him well. It was expensive, but we had fallen in love with the little guy and wanted to give him a good life.

Sam was a fighter and recovered and brought us much love and joy. Just this past Saturday, he was doing a "dance of joy" and having a great time.

Sam loved life and all that it brought. He was a very brave and tough little guy, but his time ran out today. He had congestive heart failure and had to be put down. He fought till the end and there was much love in his eyes as he passed.

Please join me in a toast to the Sam Man. He taught Donna and I how to live for the moment and love life no matter what hand you're dealt.

We will miss you dearly Sam. May God Bless you and Rest Your Fun Loving Soul.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3.../thesamman.jpg

Sorry to hear that PP. :(

Very sorry for your loss.

I'm so sorry to hear that Kevin. I will miss seeing that little feller sniffing and snorting around my feet when I'm at your house. I know you'll miss him, too.

Sorry to hear, beer in hand and a toast to Sam!!!

Thanks you guys. I haven't hurt this bad since my father passed. Sam is Irish as am I, so I'm toasting him with some nice Irish Whiskey now. :)

To Sam.

As soon as work is over, I'll break out the Jamison's and join you in a toast to Sam.

Sorry for your loss Kevin. To Sam.

Sorry for your loss. Dogs become full fledged members of our family.

Sam had a good life (thanks directly to you and yours) and now he's off frolicking pain free at The Rainbow Bridge.

Sorry for your great loss. I'm sure he will be missed. As a suggestion, we cremate all our dogs and put them in urns with their pic and a plaque of their birthday and the day they passed and their name. That way, we will always have something of them left to remind us of them.

I've got pilsner on ice as we speak, and my best buddy Felix (the old, blind schnauzer I rescued several years ago) and I will pause for a moment of reflection for Sam and your family. I dread the day that Felix passes, and try to remind him often of how much joy he's brought me. It's a special bond between animals and their humans -- especially when that animal is rescued. There's a unique innocence to the little guys, and their loyalty is beautiful.

Sorry to hear of your loss.

Very sorry for your loss.

I feel for you man. We have a little mini dachshund "Peewee" that we love too much. She is the best dog we've ever had, and I know I'll be crying like a baby when she goes.

Dog: Love and loyalty that money CAN buy.

Three score and ten are given to man,
yet ours is a far briefer span.
So, though I give you all my heart,
The time will come when we must part.
But all around you, you shall see,
creatures that speak to you of me;
a wounded cat, a hunted thing,
A sparrow with a broken wing ...
Pity - and help (I know you will)
And somehow, I will be with you still;
And I shall know, although I'm gone,
The love I gave you lingers on.

When I lost my precious cat "Annabelle" to feline leukemia one year ago (this coming Sunday), a friend sent me this poem:

May I Go Now?

May I go now?
Do you think the time is right?
May I say goodbye to pain filled days
and endless lonely nights?
I've lived my life and done my best,
an example tried to be.
So can I take that step beyond
and set my spirit free?

I didn't want to go at first,
I fought with all my might.
But something seems to draw me now
to a warm and loving light.
I want to go
I really do.
It's difficult to stay.

But I will try as best I can
to live just one more day.
To give you time to care for me
and share your love and fears.
I know you're sad and afraid,
because I see your tears.

I'll not be far,
I promise that, and hope you'll always know
that my spirit will be close to you
wherever you may go.
Thank you so for loving me.
You know I love you too,
that's why it's hard to say goodbye
and end this life with you.

So hold me now just one more time
and let me hear you say,
because you care so much for me,
you'll let me go today.

- Written for a beloved pet & friend, by Susan A. Jackson




I still feel it today.

Sorry for your loss, Kevin.

The Nugness and I will have a 30 pack of Budweiser and some PORK RIBS in Sam's memory.

Seriously I lost a long time pet about 11 years ago, due to the neighbor murdering him. I went right out and got another sharpei and named him The Nugness. We have had him for 10 years. I suggest you in sam's memory go get another dog just like him. Take care PP.

Here's to your beloved friend (apologies, its Macallan), you have my condolences. Wishing you and family the best.

Sorry to hear that, pp. What a cute mug. How lucky for him (and you!) that you gave him a chance, and all those good years. It's hard to lose any pet, but there are always certain pets in life that really seem to take a part of you with them when they go ... but I guess the solace is that they leave a part of themselves with you that you have forever. I hate to think of losing my cat ... he's the best cat I've ever met, and in many ways is my truest friend in the world.

BC, that poem made me cry at work.:(

All of mine do about the same thing.

the monk who said to a Master, "Has a dog Buddha-nature too?" The Master replied, "Wuff" —which is what the dog himself would have said. ~Gilbert Highet

The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of his tongue. ~Anonymous

Dogs love their friends and bite their enemies, quite unlike people, who are incapable of pure love and always have to mix love and hate. ~Sigmund Freud

You can say any foolish thing to a dog, and the dog will give you a look that says, "Wow, you're right! I never would have thought of that!" ~Dave Berry

If you think dogs can't count, try putting three dog biscuits in your pocket and then giving Fido only two of them. ~Phil Pastoret

Ever consider what our dogs must think of us? I mean, here we come back from the grocery store with the most amazing haul—chicken, pork, half a cow. They must think we're the greatest hunters on earth! ~Anne Tyler

There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face. ~Ben Williams

Sorry to hear your loss, lossing animals is very hard.

Sorry for your loss. We should all sniff a little butt tonight in his honor.

Back in 91, we adopted a Pei from a dumb **** that could not take care of her. Took care of her eyes and ears and she was my friend for life. When I was late home, she would wait in the hallway for me instead of being our bed. She was a ***** so we got a Pit since we thought he could stand up to her roughness. Turned out that she was the only one he was scared of and she could chase him into a corner, scream at him till he pees. Besides that, the pit was not scared of anything. Honey died in 96 from Amloidosis. Got another Pei, Meisha and she was also a *****. She shared power with the Pit. Back in 00, we adopted another Pit, Conan. In 01 we adopted a Rott named Molly. Well, Meisha terrified Molly. When Molly passed in 06, we got the 2 stinkers Yeti and Buddha. Meisha was back to her *****y self and imposed herself on the 2 Peis.

Sorry for your loss PP.

Sorry to hear.

THE BEST PLACE TO BURY A DOG

"There is one best place to bury a dog.
"If you bury him in this spot, he will
come to you when you call - come to you
over the grim, dim frontier of death,
and down the well-remembered path,
and to your side again.

"And though you call a dozen living
dogs to heel, they shall not growl at
him, nor resent his coming,
for he belongs there.

"People may scoff at you, who see
no lightest blade of grass bent by his
footfall, who hear no whimper, people
who may never really have had a dog.
Smile at them, for you shall know
something that is hidden from them,
and which is well worth the knowing. ..."

--- Ben Hur Lampman ---
from the Portland Oregonian Sept. 11, 1925

Sorry to hear that Kevin,

I met Sam last summer, one tough little dog and not to mention helluva' hunter. He caught that lizard-thing in the back yard thanks to his skill and unbelievable persistence.


Here's to you Sammy!

I'm so sorry for your loss. My wife and I are dog rescuers as well, I know you've done a great service and bettered the life of a loyal creature. RIP Sam.

Sorry for the loss Kevin.. Having a beer right now for Sam.

Sorry to hear that. Had to put our family dog down when I was in my 20s. It's tough.

Really sorry for your loss. Sam looked remarkably like a dog we had years ago whom I had to put down after he had been hit by a car. Hardest thing I ever had to do.

Sorry to hear of your loss, Kevin. I know how you feel.

Sorry about your loss, Kevin. Dogs are wonderful creatures. There haven't been many years that I have been without a dog. You and Donna will be in my prayers. It is a wonderfully giving act to take care of a dog but they give us more back than we give to them.

I too would like to "sign" this card.

Sorry to hear of your loss.

Very sorry to hear that, I have four, all of them over 12 and therefore my family and I are bracing for mutliple shocks.

No matter what, its very hard to get over, having lost quite a few of them in past, I know well.

Don't you love the order that peis bring to your life? the nugness has kept us straight for 10 years and we love it. BTW have you ever won a staring contest with your Sharpei? I have been trying for years and am yet to win. ;)

I can read about the passing of strangers and/or their loved ones, and not give it another thought within minutes. Harsh as that may sound, my guess is it's a pretty typical human reaction.

Reading about the passing of a stranger's dog, always gives me pause. I don't feel guilty for having empathy in this situation, while having little to none when reading about the passing of a stranger. But I do find it curious.

Perhaps because true empathy, requires understanding. Humans are complicated creatures, and their relationships with each other more so. I barely understand the people I know.

But the relationship one has with a good dog...what's not to understand?

I don't know the first thing about you, powerpig. But I, and every other person reading this who has been blessed with one or more great dogs, knows exactly the grief you are feeling.

So sorry for your loss.

Meisha kicks us whenever she wants a cookie. Doesn't matter if I am on the throne or typing something. She wants it and she wants it NOW.

No, she doesn't get into staring contests with us. She does give the disgusted look when we pull such kiddie stunts. The Peibies on the other hand are different. Beaten them sometimes and got beat sometimes.

Kevin and Donna: I am greatly saddened by the passing of the Sam Man, I looked forward to that little shuffle-n-snort dance he would do whenever we visited. He is dancing at the Rainbow Bridge now and smiling down on us.

You gave him a great home for the last seven years, and you'll always have wonderful memories. My wife and I tend to adopt the "problem" mutts too, and we've always brought them around (yeah, it's expensive). Every one of them did something that set them apart from all the other dogs I've owned. I miss all of them!

Must be something in the air these days... my parents' youngest pup, P.W. (Piggly Wiggly, or just "Dubya") was diagnosed with a tumor behind her eye today. She'd been crying for a few days, and can't focus one eye, which is pushed out a bit. Had the bloodwork done and it came back today -- cancer. They give her a few days to a couple months, tops. Mom is really taking it hard, and hoping she'll know when it's time to put her down. Doc has her on meds to try to alleviate the pressure on the eye, and thus the pain, but there's no stopping the inevitable. We're hoping just to give her a good quality of life for her last few days.

When it rains, it pours. P.W. is a good kid -- Sam will enjoy playing with her, I am sure!

A friend sent this to me -

A Dog's Purpose
(from a 6-year old).

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolf hound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.

I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.

As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.

The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's Death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives . Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, 'I know why.'

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation.

He said, 'People are born so that they can learn how to live a good Life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?' The Six-year-old continued, 'Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long.'

Live simply.

Love generously.

Care deeply.

Speak kindly.

Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.

Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.

Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure Ecstasy..

Take naps.

Stretch before rising.

Run, romp, and play daily.

Thrive on attention and let people touch you.

Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.

On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.

On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.

When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.

Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

Be loyal.

Never pretend to be something you're not.

If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.

When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.

ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY!

"Centuries from now it will not matter about the house we
lived in or how much money we made in a lifetime.....but
the world may be better because we helped some of God's
little animals on this earth during our time here."

Sorry to hear that you've lost a love one.

Kevin and Donna, all in the household are sorry to hear about Sam, he was a fighter.

Sorry to hear about your dog PP, I have a t-shirt that says "the more people I meet the more I like my dog".