I am so sorry. little girl, I have to start letting go. It has just been a month since I first threw the first spadeful of dirt on your shroud, which I made out of your favorite blanket.

I will never forget you. You came along in a time when I doubted my ability to love anyone or anything other than myself. I had two boys, and my third son had not long been born. It may have been that I felt shut out, or it may just have been that I felt that I wasn't receiving enough love. Whatever, you changed that in an instant!

From the moment when you, at four weeks of age, when the other pups were still crawling around blindly, helplessly, stood up in your box and LOOKED at me, I was helplessly in love. I have never looked any creature in the eyes and felt such an instant connection. It was a conection which lasted until that last morning, when I had to finally let you go, when I had to watch the light dim in those loving eyes, feel your tiny heart beat for the last time.

I have to go on, Bitsy. I have duties as a father, a husband, and owner of other pets. I don't know why this week has been so hard, but it has. It may have been from seeing the raindrops fall on your grave...you SO hated a bath...it may have been the dream where you were walking and dancing again, I don't know. What I DO know is that you hated Daddy being upset. I know that you would not like seeing me crying all of the time. So, little girl, I have to start letting go of the pain, but I know that you will understand that I will never let go of you!

Daddy

a photo sulking after you had a bath!

gr8 pic

Letting go of the pain doesn't mean you don't care, it means you are processing all this stuff & intergrating it in to you life as it is now.
Words can be so easy for others.
I loved your words about the rain.....water is always cleansing & life giving.......a symbolic reassurance that your beloved Bitsy is ok & wants you to not feel so much pain.
Peace Be With You
elaine

Such a darling pic of Bitsy. Letting go by no means ever forgetting all the joys Bitsy brought into your life and heart. The memories you and she made together during your lives together will always be in your heart...........a bond so strong that can never be broken. That special connection you have with Bitsy continues every bit as strong between this world and the next.

When death occurs, only the body persihes. Loving spirits stay alive and soar in the Heavens. Letting go of the pain, at least for me, opened another door. There I found acceptance, inspiration, and a will to survive and live in a different way. I'll never get over my sweet Goliath's death.....However, in time I became able to learn to live with it. It's been 21 months since Goliath passed away in my arms so suddenly and not a day goes by that I don't think about him many many times over.

Sending you hugs of comfort from my heart to yours,
Beth

what they said.

letting go means letting go of the pain, but never the love. love is forever.

Thank you, Beth. My upbringing did not leave me to believe that "dogs go to heaven". When Bitsy died, I had NO doubt that her spirit has gone elsewhere to greet me later. I mourn for her passing in this world, but look forward to seeing her in some other plane of existence. Let me spell it out for the narrow-minded people who do not believe that animals have no souls...man, by definition of knowing "good" from "evil" and CHOOSING to do evil, is a flawed creature! Dog's, however, only do whatever their masters desire, whether "good" or "evil", according to their Master's nature. If an animal so pure in it's desire to serve it's master as a dog cannot make it into Heaven, then I have no chance, nor even a desire to make it into Heaven! To simplify it even further...if Bitsy ain't there, I don't wanna go!

Thank you, Gailie. I think that the reason that Bitsy meant so much to me is that she taught me how to love. I am a southern male...I'm not supposed to get emotional, unless it is over an Ole Miss football game! But, from the very first instant I saw her, I was in love. She was so small, she was so helpless, but she appealed to my own nature! I was always smaller than everyone, so I had to fight harder that anyone to survive! As the runt of the litter, she fought the same battle I did! I have never had any creature be so dependent on me as Bitsy was. Even though I had three boys, their mamma was the person that they depended on. Bitsy, however, was mine from start to finish. That is what made it SO hard to have her put down. Daddy had to make the decision for her. Even though I know intellectually that it was the "right" decision, there will alway be that kernel of guilt. For any one else who might read this post who may be in the same position of having to decide whether not to have your loved one put down...it is fast and painless...thank God, for in the last few seconds before Bitsy breathed her last, the selfish side of me screamed against it!

LOVE your pets, even if it means having to decide to let them go! As much as I hurt over Bitsy, I think that her death gives me the empathy of telling others that euthanasia is so much better than letting your pet suffer!

Andy

Not always. The will to live is strong even in the very ill. This is not made common knowledge for obvious reasons. but sometimes repeated injections have had to be used. That's why some clinics won't allow the owner to be present in cases of euthanasia. It depends on the animal.how sick it is, and how strong the will to live is.


As for letting go. It also depends on not only the pet but the pet owner. What the wishes of each are. The Universe
honours the wishes of both.

Dr. Goldstein has had a holistic veterinary practise in New York for over forty years and says that his pets have repeatedly reincarnated back to him. He talks about each instance in his book The Nature of Animal Healing, pages 297-298(starting at the fifth paragraph), 310-312(starting at the second paragraph down at the bottom of the page), and 314-317( starting at the new paragraph at the bottom of the page). He says not only has it happened for him but it has also happened for numerous clients. He wrote something to the effect that when one of his clients comes up to him with a certain look in their eye he just knows what they're going to say- that their pet reincarnated back to them. He actually was very well heeled in the medical system and was very skeptical that such things could happen until it happened repeatedly to him and his wife, then to his clients.

This also makes for some very easy and informative listening:


http://www.blogtalkradio.com/BrentAtwater/...et-reincarnated



Brent Atwater is a credible medical intuitive for both people and animals. As well, she has
various other talents and gifts. If you go to this link and scroll down, she tells about
the reincarnation of her dog back to her. She also talks about it on two blogradio
shows found on that same link. Go to to the link, to the centre right is a blue box. Wait until
the box fills with rectangular strips that list her programs.

There are two programs:

Q & A's Pet Past Lives and Pet Reincarnation

Pet Past Lives and Pet Reincarnation (which is right below)


Click on the one you want. Click on Play. Wait for it to buffer and listen to the program.

Note: if the program won't load. Enter Brent Atwater in the Search box on the site, her links will
come up, find the above links and click on them.

Dusty Moonrise,
Thank you for your words "LOVE your pets, even if it means having to decide to let them go!" that is just so true. That's how I felt too bout hving to decide it was time for my Buddy to go peacefully.......Thank you for sharing your feelings bout your little Bitsy I felt the same way bout my Buddy, he was mine, I hve 3 kids to look after but he was special.......
I love the pic of your Bitsy, it's adorable.
Our fur companions give us sooo much more than we realise @ times don't they?
go gently
elaine

pets will certainly teach us what it's like to love something. the things we do for them... pure love.

it's a shame that guys in general think it's wrong to be emotional and share their feelings. i'm glad i'm raising my son to be different than that. to share his feelings.

one more thing... putting a pet to sleep is one of the most loving things we can do. we give them freedom from their suffering... we let go of something we deeply love.