Category Archives: death of a pet

So Long, Skip

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It was 9:30 p.m. on July 9, 2012. I was at Marin Humane, about to process a feral cat I trapped, when at the same time, an officer was carrying in an 18-month-old frightened fawn with white corgi mix. I immediately stopped and yelled, “Wait! Who is that?” And that, my friends, is how I met my dog, Skip.

A little malnourished
Our first meeting

Now don’t get me wrong; I knew the moment I saw Skip, he was meant to be mine; he simply had to be. Thus began our wonderful 13-year relationship. If you read my posts, you’re aware I’ve had a few pets in my day, but there was something unique about this one. Maybe it was those big brown eyes and his laid-back demeanor. He was a go-with-the-flow type; in other words, perfect for me.

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That’s Just Jack

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Marley and Me

Spoiler Alert

I just watched the movie Marley and Me with my fat cat, Jack. Yes, Jack watches TV; he’s a very observant guy. But if you haven’t seen the movie, I’m about to ruin it for you so you should probably skip the next paragraph.

Marley and Me is a comedy about a dog but also a tearjerker because Marley dies, as dogs will do. I’d already seen the movie but I still cried like a baby. I’m talking crocodile tears that spilled from my eyes, missed my cheeks entirely, then landed on Jack, who lounged on my lap. Pathetic? Yeah, I’d say so.

Now that you virgins of Marley and Me are back with us, let’s continue.

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This Too Shall Pass

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I don’t know about you, but I can’t say 2023 ended on a good note for me. In fact, I’d say it was a bad note. Totally off key. Actually, I should have known something was up toward the end of December when I had one of those days where everything that could go wrong, did. Maybe the moon was in the Seventh House and Jupiter aligned with Mars (to steal a line from The Fifth Dimension).

Basically, something was off. I knew it the minute I stepped in a pile of dog poop (I suspect Skip) on my way to the bathroom at 5:30 a.m. Why that early? Because my dog Taffy, who snoozes next to me, sneezed right in my face. I’d been asleep approximately 2 1/2 hours and knew that was all I’d be getting. And to be honest, it was diarrhea. I almost left that out so as not to repulse you but I changed my mind.

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Meant to Be

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I believe in meant to be.

Like when you’re at a low moment and something happens, an unexpected occurrence that ends up being a godsend (so to speak) exactly when you need it most. That’s what happened recently to my friend Leanne.

Leanne was dealing with the possibility her black and white 15 1/2 year-old blind Papillon, Kingston, was near death. Congestive heart failure had him struggling to breathe and his seizures became more frequent.

Late one night we were texting when Leanne called in tears. Kingston was still struggling to breathe and she worried he was suffering. Soon we were on our way to pet emergency to have him humanely euthanized. It’s the toughest decision we make for our pets, knowing when it’s time to say good-bye. But they count on us to know.

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That’s Just Jack

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Marley and Me

Spoiler Alert

I just watched the movie Marley and Me with my fat cat, Jack. Yes, Jack watches TV. He’s a very observant guy. But if you haven’t seen the movie, I’m about to ruin it for you so you should probably skip the next paragraph.

Marley and Me is a comedy about a dog but also a tear-jerker because Marley dies, as dogs will do. I’d already seen the movie but I still cried like a baby. I’m talking crocodile tears that spilled from my eyes, missed my cheeks entirely, then landed on Jack, who lounged on my lap. Pathetic? Yeah, I’d say so.

Now that you virgins of Marley and Me are back with us, let’s continue..

Continue reading →