Gracie

[cofiredep]

Gracie had a few health problems as she gotten older. On of the noticeable one was when she started to have seizures. She was on medicine to help control the seizures. At times she would have more then she normally would so we would take her to the vet. When she had a lot she wasn't able to use her back legs and would have to stay in at the vets for about a week. Well on October 18th she had a lot of seizures and to go to the vet. She recovered but need some assistance getting around. on October 26 she returned home. The about 5 days after being home her stomach had twisted on her. She was rushed to the vets and they had to do emergency surgery on her. She was fine for about a day. But on Sunday November 2, 2008 she had gotten and infection. The vets said that there was nothing else to do. My dad had her put to sleep that night. My dad waited to that Friday to tell me since I go to boarding school. I never wanted to get the phone call that Gracie died. It hurt me so much. I had promised her that i would always be there for her. And that I woulds see her again one more time. I feel like i let her down because I wasn't there. I wanted to be there so i could tell her that I loved her. But i guess she knew that already. We miss her very much and we always will. She was a great dog. She loved being around people and kids. She was a gentle dog. I miss Gracie I will never forget you. She had thought me so many things. Like how to love other animals and living things. I love you Gracie.

I am only 15 but I had gotten Gracie was I was four. She lived with my dad out in Colorado while I live in New York. When ever I talk to my dad i would always ask how she is. I loved her so much. She was my buddy. It made me sad when she couldn't move around all the much on some days. When ever i ate popcorn i could give her a handful when my dad wasn't looking. or like when I got a box of fruit loops i would pour half of the box into her bowl while i poured the other half in the bowl for me. One thing that i loved the most about her was when she protected me. a few years ago a dog was pulling me down this hill. Gracie didn't like it so she went up at barked at the dog and ran him off. After that she didn't like when I went near other dog or that same dog.

Over the summer I got to spend 2 months with her. When i worked outside she would fallow me. Since she was 10 months old she would fallow me every where, she never let me out of her sight. Even though it was hard for her to get up the stairs she would come up anyways. I would help her down in the morning.One time she was trying to fallow me but she slipped on the kitchen floor and couldn't get back up. I heard her whining so I went back in and saw her there. But before i got her up i wanted to see if she was whing for me to come back. So right as i turned the corner started whining again. so I went back and helped her up to the carpet.

One of the best trick of her was opening the screen door. I loved seeing her do that. Before she was put to sleep my dad said goodbye and she licked him on the had for the last time. Another thing he said to her was that Maria will miss you. And she had given him a few extra licks. She knew my name really good. When ever I would go to Colorado my dad would say to her before he went to the airport was that Maria is coming. He said that she would have the happy look in her eyes. And when i would get to the house she would come greet me at the door and jump on me and she never did that to anyone else but me. She was a great dog and I miss her very much.


Sorry that I had written a lot. i just wanted to share about my friend Gracie

[jake's mom]

Gracie sounds like she was just a wonderful dog. I am so sorry for your loss. I know how hard that is. I've been through it a few times and it never, ever gets any easier but the time that you get to spend with them makes up for the loss. You have your great memories and your experiences and it will help you when you decide you want to share your love with another dog. There are some really helpful poems on this site to help you. You'll cry like crazy but they do help. She looks like a short haired Bernese Mountain Dog - was she a Swiss Mountain Dog? We have a Bernese and he is just a wonderful boy, like a big teddy bear running around the house. He's only a year and a half. I always worry about the bloat that it sounds like Gracie got. Apparently its something that large chested dogs can get. Did the vet tell you anything about why she got it or how? Maybe what happened to Gracie can help me prevent it from happening to Jake. Any help you can give would be appreciated. Take care

[gary]

cofiredep.
You've got me in tears here reading this.
But that's okay, you talk as much as you want about Gracie.
We are listening, and thinking of you.




try to remember the laughing times.

[Doggymommy]

I am so sorry for your loss. Your story is so sad and yet the good times you remember with Gracie are wonderful. I am crying so hard for you right now it is really hard to write this, but I am determined to get through this, since I feel honored that you have shared your story and Gracie with me.

As Jake's mom said, we have all lost dogs over the years, it sounds like this is your first loss of a pet. Honey all I can tell you is that the overwhelming grief we feel when we lose one is there because of the overwhelming joy they brought to us.

Gracie looks like she was and still is a beautiful dog. I say "still is" because she is at Rainbow Bridge ( do you know about Rainbow Bridge?) and she is healthy, happy, young and having a wonderful time playing with all of our pets that were waiting to greet her. There was a time when I had doubts about the "Bridge" then I felt it myself and I will tell you something I have never told anyone that convinced me that the "Bridge" does exist. Last March my husband and I got a new puppy, he became very ill 3 weeks after we brought him home and we had to put him to sleep 3 weeks to the day that we got him. His name was Ajax and he was 4 months old. When I took him to the vet that morning, as I was holding him, just as he took his last breath, suddenly I felt my Dakota in the room ( I lost her at age 11, 3 years ago this December) Dakota snuggled up to Ajax and gave me a quick lick to let me know she was waiting for him and would take care and watch out for him. I am not much for spirituality, but I am telling you I felt that dog in the room and I stopped crying, because I knew Ajax was with Dakota and I knew as sure as I write this that she truly was at the "Bridge" and had come for the puppy.

There is a Rainbow Bridge and all of our past pets are waiting for us there.

You obviously love dogs and when the time is right another dog will enter your life and you will love him/her just as you love Gracie, for even though it hurts to lose them, it hurts more to not have one to love.

Thank you for sharing Gracie with me. I hope what I have written will help ease your pain in some small way.

In case you don't know about Rainbow Bridge I will post the story here for you

The Rainbow Bridge

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.
All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

Author unknown...


We are all here for you, so feel free to talk about Gracie and your feelings all you want, this is a great site filled with dog lovers from all over the world and we have big shoulders for you to lean on.

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

I am so sorry that you are hurting right now. As the others have said, you have honoured Gracie here, and like them, I too love to hear you talk so sweetly and knowingly about your dear friend. You are as special to her as she is to you, and she doesn't want you to be sad...she still loves you and is watching over you. She misses you too but knows she'll be with you again someday. I too am crying as I write this, because I know what it feels like and you should write about Gracie as often as you wish...we are all here and want to share Gracie's memory with you I'm sure your father is missing Gracie too so we are thinking of him as well. Hugs sweetie from Deborah

[caramel]

It's so sad to lose a loved one, like many others here I am having a hard time writing this through my tears. Gracie sounds just like the sort of friend we all need and love. Any time you want to talk we are here for you.

[cofiredep]

Today at breakfast I was telling my teachers how Gracie always made me laugh. When ever I go to Colorado I will think of the fun times I had with her. When I go to Colorado i will expect her to greet me at the car door and jump all over me and knock me over. Then she would fallow me every where I went. She was my shadow. I will miss that very much. I always wanted to get her a green collar. I am still going to for Christmas.

How do you cope with pet loss?
This is the first pet that was really close to me that i lost. i lost a few pets in the back but it really never bothered me as much.

[gary]

How do you cope with pet loss?
This is the first pet that was really close to me that i lost. i lost a few pets in the back but it really never bothered me as much.

I can only tell you how it was for me. when Simon my Labrador Boy Left.
It was the kind of pain that I had never experienced before in my life.
It left me feeling that i never again wanted another dog, but You know what.
over a period of time, it did get easier.
Time is a great healer, and one day you will feel that you can open your heart to another Dog.
It wont be disrespecting the memory of Gracie, as She wouldn't want you to feel Bad or upset.
So Smile at the memory of Gracie and remember the good times.
And give yourself time, as only you will know when the time is right.

[Sadie G]

I am also writing this through my tears. Gracie sounds like she was wonderful girl and a great companion. I am so sorry for your loss. In April we had to have our boy Boomer put to sleep after 15 wonderful years. We knew for a while that it was coming to the end, but it did not lessen the pain when the time actually came. He also started having seizures like your Gracie, but on the night he started having them, they were consistent - over and over. He couldn't stand and he could no longer focus his eyes. We took him to the 24 hour emergency vet hospital (it was 11:30 at night) and they said they could not do anything for him. I won't go into more detail, just that the vet was very kind in telling us why and we had to make the decision to go ahead and have him put to sleep. I stayed with him during the whole proceedure telling him what a good boy he was and that I loved him. He went very peacefully. I am sure it was the same with your Gracie, I know she is at peace now and no longer in pain, just like my Boomer. I am sure they are all playing together at the Rainbow Bridge, running and having a great time. That is how I keep picturing Boomer, out of pain, able to run and having a great time.

Here are a few things that helped me get through the loss. I always called him my third child, so the loss of him was and still is very hard. Some of these you may not be able to do being at boarding school, but it may spark some ideas to help you. I bought an in memory marker for our garden with his name on it, and planted special plants to bloom around it. I also made a shadowbox with pictures of him from puppy to old and gray and included his collar, leash, the pawprint card the vets office had sent me, his brush and a little bit of his fur. (He was a shedder so that was easy to find) I keep the shadow box in our computer room and for the longest time found comfort in just being able to look at it and cry. Its ok to cry, don't bottle that up inside. The last thing I did was collected all of the pictures I could find of him and made a photo album of just him. I included pictures of him with all of our family members because he was so much a part of the family.

I hope this helps you some, I understand exactly what you mean about Gracie being the hardest loss of all of your pets. We have lost a few pets in the past also, but there was something special about Boomer that made it so much harder to deal with the loss. I can tell you I will never forget him or stop missing him, but it does get easier with time. I talk about him still, it helps.

We have gotten a new puppy who is now almost 6 months old. She has helped make our house whole again and when the time is right for you, you will find that new special 4 legged friend. They will never, never replace Gracie, but they will open your heart to the love of a 4 legged friend again.

My heart goes out to you and I hope for the best for you. Take care and hopefully this helps just a little.

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

My heart breaks for you...we all know how you feel right now. GwdGma had some great suggestions to help ease your pain. Perhaps talking to your Dad about creating a memorial to Gracie will help you and him at the same time. Your Dad understands how much you hurt and miss Gracie, because he feels the same way too, and he loves you and wants to make it better for you. I promise Gracie will never be forgotten and you are not alone angel. I hope these suggestions help and do keep us posted. We all care about you and Gracie

[cofiredep]

thanks all for giving me so advice on how to cope with the loss of Gracie.
I just got done uploading photos of her on her page.

[jake's mom]

How do you cope with pet loss?
This is the first pet that was really close to me that i lost. i lost a few pets in the back but it really never bothered me as much.

I can only tell you how it was for me. when Simon my Labrador Boy Left.
It was the kind of pain that I had never experienced before in my life.
It left me feeling that i never again wanted another dog, but You know what.
over a period of time, it did get easier.
Time is a great healer, and one day you will feel that you can open your heart to another Dog.
It wont be disrespecting the memory of Gracie, as She wouldn't want you to feel Bad or upset.
So Smile at the memory of Gracie and remember the good times.
And give yourself time, as only you will know when the time is right.

One hundred percent behind what Gary said. No disrespecting of Gracie. She will always love you and, its guaranteed she's looking down on you wishing she could ease your pain. I know how I felt with my golden retriever, Hoochie. He was six years old and, one night, he went outside, chasing a rabbit, the next thing I knew, he was gone. He had an anyorism. I went into a depression but I also knew that that's not what Hoochie would have wanted for me. About 9 months later, that's when Jake came into my life. I love him sooo much. You will get through this. It just takes time. There is nothing else like the love of a dog in your life, please don't forget that. We are all here for you.

[caramel]

I keep a blanket from Chloes bed and a doona from Amos' bed, I haven't washed them so they still smell like my babies and
I snuggle into them when I'm really down. It does get easier with time, but there will always be a place in your heart that is Gracies.

[jake's mom]

We buried our Hoochie in the backyard and I made a garden for him. He always loved to help his mommy in the gardens. It took some time but I actually taught him which plants stayed and which ones (weeds) went. To this day, when I'm out in the gardens, his garden is the only one that has no weeds to be pulled. I figure he's still doing what he always did best, making his mommy smile.