On Saturday, December 8th, our beloved Golden Retriever, Zachary, died at the youthful age of 12 (84 dog age). Those of you who are animal lovers, can fully appreciate the sadness one feels when your dog or cat or any other pet passes on.
Zach was the best dog anyone can have. He was a total gentleman, loving, faithful, silly, serious, dependable and so smart. I remember some years ago when some of the neighborhood kids would come by and ask if Zach could come out and play! It was so funny….. but that’s how good he was with the kids and how much they liked him!
When you have a pet, they totally depend on you for everything and if we do right by them, they are really more like family members than not. He always kept tabs on every one of us and would wait up until everyone was home before he would retire for the night. Then and only then would he lumber up to his bed, only though after he checked up on us and made sure we were in our rooms. What a friend. I certainly always felt so safe with him especially when I was home alone.
In the last almost 3 years since I’ve been on my own, Luis and Zach were best of friends and Luis has taken it hard. It’s sad however, the last time I saw Zach was back in October when both my sister Yvette and Surei came to visit - and I took pictures of him – he was so sweet, his face was totally white, he looked like a wise old man and at that time he had no symptoms of being sick, but as the doctors say, at age 7 these dogs are considered geriatric and will last until about 12 maybe 13 years. How sad.
It was a bit emotional at the vets, because it was so unexpected. The girls spoke with us on the phone and Marisa who initially had adopted Zach was also able to say her last good byes to him before they put him down. He was so sick and they kept him on oxygen just long enough to give me time to get there, say goodbye and thank him for being such a good faithful, loving friend. Luis tells me that Amos the cat seems mournful – they were, after all, good buddies.
I found myself thanking God for Zach – and how even through our pets, He is teaching us about life – about unconditional love, patience, obedience - Sound familiar? So many opportunities to learn about God’s love for us and our relationship with Him.
Give your pet (your friend) an extra hug or scratch behind the ear before retiring today and let them know how much they are appreciated and or loved.
Blessings to you and yours,
Mildred
Hola Mildred – I was so sorry to hear about the passing of your precious dog. I lost my first and only pet ever, Nena, in April of this year and can so totally relate to your sense of loss. I was always afraid of dogs; I almost got bit by one when I was a young girl and that fear kept me away from them for too long. However, ten years ago my husband walked in the house with a tiny, furry puppy wrapped in his coat and my life and outlook on dogs and pets in general completely changed! She also died suddenly though she too outlived many in her breed (Rottweiller). I miss her dearly, still hear her at times and recently had a dream with her. I know that I am a much better person for experiencing life with the most loyal, faithful and loveable friend one could ever have! I enjoyed the sweet portrayal of your dog. It bought back so many memories of my “Nena”!