Posts Tagged ‘adopt’

This past week of interacting with animal and human pals in Twitter has created an unexpected emotional toll of pain building up as pet parents type news about pawpals crossing the Rainbow Bridge. Perhaps this pretend Pet Letter from the Rainbow Bridge will help you or someone you know who has lost a pet.

Yes, it is a person behind those tweets typing for their pet and sharing that unique personality from their perspective, yet that persona becomes as real as if that pet could actually talk and type. Here’s a letter they might write if they could.

Pet Letter from the Rainbow Bridge

Dearest Friend,

I crossed the Rainbow Bridge much sooner than you or my guardians expected. It happens to human pals and their friends or family, too. Please don’t be sad or disappointed, at least not for long anyway. There are reasons I left that you may not understand until it’s your turn to pass over.

For now I have permission to let you in on a secret. Truth is there is no secret because God has already revealed words of comfort in the bible for us to find. Perhaps this verse will help you understand why I left so soon.

The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come. Isa 57:1 (KJV)

See? As much as you wanted me there, the path my life was taking may have been an even more painful experience for you to witness. Besides being “taken away from the evil to come”, I have work to do making people happy on this side of the Rainbow Bridge. While waiting for you I greeted a human baby, very old kitty, and a grandmother this week. Here’s another secret that’s not really a secret.

But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 1 Cor 2:9 (KJV)

Either me or someone you love will be waiting. For now, read that last verse again. You cannot imagine the joy on this side of the Rainbow Bridge, yet the details are not yours to know until you have completed your time on earth and it’s your turn to cross over, so I can’t elaborate.

Time will heal your sorrow. As a parting message, consider one reason behind the short lives of animal friends. You cannot replace me or our special relationship. However, most humans will outlive their pets and the loss of one is an opportunity to rescue another. When the time is right, please search your heart to make room and adopt a shelter pet.

The real forever home awaits on this side of the Rainbow Bridge where there is only joy and no fear or pain. However, there is no limit on pets or people to share your love for eternity. Until we meet again I forever remain…

Lovingly,

Your Faithful Friend

To all my fans, and especially my friends on Twitter, hopefully this pretend pet letter will help ease the pain of losing a loved one and sharing the grief of bad news. If nothing else, understand that life is truly fragile and unpredictable, so make the best of each moment to love and appreciate those around you.

Cat and dog owners can safely assume a person in reasonable health will outlive their pet.

The facts don’t change the feeling of loss when your senior pet dies, yet there’s more to consider when letting go of aging pets. My guardians were enlightened by their veterinarian in a discussion about the elderly dog who was in our family before me.

The dog was near her natural end of life with serious health complications due to aging that could not be reversed. Besides vital functions shutting down she was incontinent. Within weeks she stopped eating and could not walk.

After a thorough examination and comparing notes from recent visits, the vet advised a humane and peaceful end.

The facts about pets and pain which the vet shared helped the guardians in their decision. Dogs are stoic meaning they tolerate pain without letting you know. This is true of cats, as well. Here’s a quote with a link to more information about how dogs and cats handle pain.

Dogs’ responses to pain vary. Some dogs are very stoic, and will show few outward signs even when in extreme pain.
Source: Dr Barchas, DVM http://drbarchas.com/pain

Letting go of aging pets is not easy. Seek professional advice from your veterinarian to know the right thing to do and when. Understanding the stoic nature of pets, extending their life by all possible means may not be in their best interests if they’re in agony.

Appreciate your pets every moment of every day while you can. Supress selfish feelings and let them go peacefully with dignity when the time is right. Finally, as you heal and consider another pet, please adopt from a local shelter. Millions of abandoned yet healthy cats and dogs are waiting.

The photo below from January 2009 is me, Corky the Shelter Dog, shown held in my wire cage before being adopted and joining my forever family, and now my mission is to promote pet rescue.

The insert shows me cleaned up and groomed 9 months later, and much much happier.

The number of unwanted pets in animal shelters worldwide is alarming! Those that don’t become adopted like me are euthanized, and not all get a full week waiting period. Sometimes it’s just days! Those euthanized in the USA are estimated upwards of 6 million loving animals each year, so imagine how many pets are lost worldwide.

Unless you have the mindset to look into the facts behind those numbers, you cannot appreciate the risk to perfectly healthy pets.

As my website grows, the plan is to add more and more content about pet rescue efforts and little things people can do for animals, and not just cats and dogs. For now we are studying how to implement a database of adoptable pets, so our website visitors may search real time for a pet to adopt near where they live.

Stay tuned for progress updates on adding pet adoption search, and as we continue our mission to promote pet rescue.

November is Adopt a Senior Pet Month, and many older dogs available in shelters are overlooked or ignored by would be guardians just like humans placed in institutions. The advantage of age, wisdom, maturity, and self-discipline in older dogs (and people) should not be overlooked.

The wonderful pet shown here is April, my guardian’s former dog adopted at age 4, who passed over the rainbow bridge to doggy heaven at 14 before I became a member of this family. Portraits and memories of April make sure she is not forgotten for her gentle ways and the 10 years of loyal companionship.

April proved that old saying wrong about “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks” because she excelled in learning new hand signals and voice commands well into her senior years. Combining both in her training proved helpful for communicating as her hearing and other functions lost their edge. In some cases she was selectively hard of hearing to make a point which proves dogs DO have a sense of humor.

When ready to add a loyal companion to your home, visit the local shelter and take a moment to consider those older dogs or cats before rushing by to the next cute puppy or kitten. A housebroken and well mannered adult dog will have less trouble adjusting to your home and is less likely to chew up your valuables than a rambunctious puppy.

October is adopt a shelter pet month and the perfect time to feature some good doggy pals of mine from Twitter, Jake and Tycho. They’re mutts like me, and did a Public Service Announcement video on YouTube that deserves a look and a listen.

After watching the PSA video here, go to the Jake and Tycho website to view their short and funny dog videos (more than 300) for lotsa smiles. Woof woof!