Sad Day

[rdy2rac with]

just wanted to share with you guys the loss that we have had. After a long and happy life of 10 years our beloved Winston McDuff III passed away in his sleep SAturday night. Fortunately for me Rob was the one who found him. He also was my hero for putting pupper in the bed of my truck so I could transport him to my parent's house for a proper burial in their yard (since I know they're never going to move with all those kids). We will be going back up there on the 4th for a bbq and are going to put a marker on his grave then. (My parent's buried him for me) The hard-ass bitch that I am when it came to my baby I couldn't even look at him, I only went down there after they were almost completely done & even then I just held onto a shovel (1 of the kids was swinging it a little too closely to the truck).

Here is the last picture taken of him which just happened to be taken at my birthday party.
http://www.r2rp.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/normal_DSC03632%7E0.JPG

So far the kids are taking it ok (I didn't tell them until we got back home & I had Rob with me, I knew I couldn't handle talking about it while I was driving). WE have explained that he was old & is in a better place now. They also know that we will get another puppy once we have had time to be sad.

Just wanted to share.

[Csara]

aww Katy, as soon as I saw the title of your post, I was afraid that is what you were going to say. :( I'm so so sorry! I know how much you loved him and what a big part of your family he was. It is nice (for lack of a better word - sorry) that he passed away in his sleep and didn't suffer though. He had such a happy life with you guys. You were an awesome mommy to him. Big (((((HUGS))))).

[RedBedHead]

(((Katy)))
I'm so sorry for your loss. I know how tough it is to lose furry family members. And I must commend you on giving yourselves time to mourn. Hang in there.

[rdy2rac with]

Thanks gals. We knew he was getting old & that the time would come all too soon. I am happy to know he is in a better place now & I KNOW the he felt the love that we gave (the smile in his last pic tells me that). Long ago Rob & I discussed that we would definetly get another bully after a grieving period when Duff's time came. Recently when we went to talk to the tattoo artist about my tattoo we looked through their samples on the wall & found a picture of a bulldog with wings standing in clouds. Once I saw it I told Rob when the time came that could be his first tattoo (he had mentioned that he had though about getting one also but didn't know what he would want) & if he didn't get it I would. This afternoon he mentioned that that memorial tattoo would make a good first one for him.

My mom had sent me a link to a bulldog breeder site a month or so ago & said she was going to buy us one. I told her we didn't want another one until a while after puppy had gone. When I went up to bury him my mom said that her offer still stands: when we are ready she will pay for us to get another bully. Just in case she doesn't wait for me to tell her we're ready (which is all too possible with her) she knows that we want one that looks completely different from Duffy. I want it obvious to the kids that we are not replacing Winston but simply getting another pup to share our love with.

[jana]

Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that, Katy. Hugs to you and your family.

[Sexy Strawberry]

Oh I'm so sorry... honestly I never went through the loss of a pet, but I can imagine how sad it is :(
Sometimes animals are much more loving than humans... I hope you feel better soon :heart:

[rdy2rac with]

Thanks gals. I got off the phone with my mom a little bit ago & a friend of hers has an employee who breeds & shows bulldogs. He has a 3 year old that he will sell for $100-200 (plus the cost to fix him) or if we want to get a puppy he is expecting a litter next March. I walked Rob out to go to work & he said what ever I want to do. I kinda want to wait for puppies but I don't know if I can wait THAT long.

Sometimes I still kind of expect to see Moose (1 of puppy's many nicknames) sleeping on the floor as I walk through the house.

[heather6773]

awww I'm sorry Katie!! Same as Csara I was afraid thats what this post was about.

[pikachu0519]

Katie, I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your baby. I can totally relate to your loss. We lost our cat Phoebe prematurely (she was only 8), for unknown reasons. She was ill, but not once were we told by vets that whatever was causing her illness could be fatal. So although she wasn't good for about two months, it was still a devasting shock when we went home and couldn't find her. Mike eventually found her in our hall closet. She had gone in there and curled up on the shoe rack to pass. I'm getting choked up just thinking about that part and it's going on two years now.

We still have pictures of her all over the place, there's one on my desk at work, and she's our screensaver at home, even though we now have two new sweet furbabies. We talk about her a lot, and still miss her like crazy. And even though we've moved, and have gotten used to having Sadie and Elsie with us for over a year now, I will sometimes forget and swear I hear her deep purrs in bed with us at night. Then I remember.

We buried Phoebe at my parent's house too. We're in the city, and I couldn't bear the thought of doing anything else with her. I needed her to go somewhere I knew she would always be.

When a pet is like family, losing them is like losing a human member of your family. You never get over the loss, it just gets a little bit easier to bear eventually. Big hugs to you.

[Turtleheadfred]

Katy I'm so sorry about your baby! There are no words to comfort you or make losing him any easier. But know that he's always with you... you're going to feel him around you - and you know that he loved you and that he knows how much all of you loved him... and that's what's important.

I know I'm late with this post - but I did want to tell you how sorry I am about his passing. It's just never easy - but we all love you and him. :itsok: