On January 7, a dog I was watching for a friend attacked my Gi-Gi. Gi-Gi lived for 9 days, until the 15th of January when she lost her battle.

The vet said it was miraculous she survived the attack. She was bitten a minimum of twenty times and had over one hundred stitches. She put up a courageous battle to live but pneumonia and an embolism finally got her.

I feel as if I let her down as she was in her own yard, which is fenced and I could not protect her at her own home.

Gi-Gi was a medium, blond, poodle and the sweetest natured girl. She never was an aggressive dog.

The images of poor Gi-Gi after the attack and when she came home with over a hundred stitches. Then getting pneumonia. I can not get them out of my mind.

I feel so horrible. I have this nauseating feeling in my stomach.

Gi-Gi did not deserve what happened to her. She never was an aggressive girl, just so sweet and gentle. I am having a hard time dealing with this. I can not help feeling this way.

August 19, 1995 - January 15, 2004

Gi-Gi a gentle, sweet, and true lady. She was one of my life's loves.

*If missing the pain meant missing the dance I will endure the pain for I would not have missed that dance*

Peace,

Alan

Oh, Alan,

What a beautiful girl! I am so sorry to hear of your loss.

Please don’t torment yourself with “what ifs”! How could you have known what would happen? You DID protect her as best you could for as long as you could. I think that no matter how our babies pass, we are apt to second-guess ourselves into feeling much personal guilt about cir%%stances over which we have no control.

My Trixie dies on January 5th. It seems like I have been without her for much longer. But every day it gets a little better. I am extremely lucky to have many friends who understand how much Trixie meant to me and how much pets can mean to people, in general. Everyone treated her death like the true death in the family that it was and I never got an “only a pet” attitude from anyone. I hope that in the days ahead you can surround yourself with people who appreciate and understand what you are going through. It helps! Of course, you always have the folks here for that, as well.

Peace to you,

Kai

Dear Kai,

Thank you for your kind words.

I have Gi-Gi's ashes home, having picked them up January 19th. The vet's office had gotten a special urn for her. It is yellow with flowers on it. A special urn for a special lady.

You are so right about the "What ifs" but it is so hard to get past. Poor Gi-Gi was in her own fenced yard and this happened to her.

I do know she is in good company now as she waits for me.

Alan

Dear Alan:
I hope you received my post.... I'm Denise, "Ernestine's" mom.
I finally figured out how to "reply" to a post; I was always clicking on "New Topic".
Maybe I sent it to you in a personal message, I'm not sure.... Your "Gi-Gi" was a very beautiful, darling girl & she put up a valiant fight to stay.... I feel as sad as you do; thinking of our girls, and Dear God, it hurts....
But, they are "over the rainbow", not suffering anymore, and waiting for us to go and get them when our time comes, for all eternity. Right now, they're in Heaven playing with all the other little babies that have passed on before, and enjoying each other with no pain.... I know that our beloved little babies knew that we loved them. Each and every one of them.....
It's been about 51 hours since the vet had to put Ernestine to sleep; I don't know why I'm going by hours, but, why not?? I wish I could have held her very close to me just one more time.............
I've been writing and (it seems), rambling on for a couple of hours in here; my tears aren't flooding they way they were....they've probably slowed down for the last 15 minutes. I have always found it very therapeutic to "write" in a "journal". But, writing letters/notes, etc., to others who understand & can respond, relate, comfort & in return, allow comfort.... is much more helpful........ Take Care & have beautiful thoughts today Alan.... I'm going to try to as well.
And, as far as "The Dance" song goes, "I, as well, would never have missed one second of Ernestine's beautiful life...."Our Dance"....I would rather be grieving so painfully for my little girl, than if I had gone 1st and knew she was in pain looking for me....
Peace to you , Denise

Hi Alan,
Yes it is so hard to get over the if only and what ifs but eventually we do.

You just have to take each day as it comes, some will be a little easier and then another you will feel like your right back at square one again, but eventually we forgive ourselves and we forgive (dare I say it) God and maybe somewhere deep inside us there’s an understanding of why we go through this.
I believe that I am a better person after this last year, maybe some wouldn’t agree but I am definitely stronger yet more compassionate and I allow myself space to cry instead of trying to stop the tears.
Gigi is very beautiful and lucky to have had such a wonderful caring friend for her life’s journey.

Love Sue

Dear Alan,

I am so sorry for your loss of Gi-gi. She's a beautiful girl and didn't deserve what happened to her. Those last images, I think (and pray) do fade. You have 1000s of other images, and I think eventually those last ones grow dimmer and the good ones grow stronger....

This is probably crass of me, but I do hope that the owners of the dog you were watching at least paid (or helped pay) Gi-gi's vet bills for the stitches and the pneumonia. I know there is no comfort in it if they did, I know that all you want is Gi Gi back... but I still hope they helped pay for it...

Anyway, I know it hurts and you feel crazy with the pain. The pain does get easier to manage with time.

Love,
Jennifer

Dear Jennifer,

The people who owned the dog who attacked Gi-Gi have sent me a letter expressing their sorrow but nothing more. They have not seen me, I do not think they want to face me. The vet bill, which is fairly big is being paid by me. The parents of the owners, who by the way took the dog back after the attack, have said they will pay if the owners do not. I know I am untimetly responcible for the bill, so I am paying it.

On another note I really do not know what they should do with their dog. She is a known aggressive dog now and if she should attack another dog or child they will have a huge liabilty problem.

None of this though will bring back my Gi-Gi.

Thanks for you thoughts and words.

Peace,

Alan

Well I don’t know about in America or whichever other country you may come from, but in England I'm pretty sure that the law states that if a dog bites once it must wear a muzzle in public and if it bits again it must be destroyed.
I don’t know how this fares with biting another animal but it is so if a human is bitten.

As you say none of this will bring back your beautiful Gi Gi, you have to live through your grief now and slowly, day by day, let the past rest in peace.

Love Sue

Sue,

I live in Virginia, USA and the law is much like what you describe. If the dog has bitten and/or killed the owner must ensure it does not do it again.

They become liable and the dog can be destroyed.

Peace,
Alan