Thanks to anyone who reads this in advance.

My sweet greyhound, Nana, died today. She was a rescue from a racing kennel. She was the most loving, wonderful, sweet, happy doggie. She was almost five years old. She died from heat stroke in a car (not mine, but I will not go into detail). I don't have and don't know if I will have children. To me she was like a child. But then, she was also like a best friend, and she made our couple into a family.

With the suddenness of her death and how short we had her, it feels so unfair. Also that the death was preventable. It's hard to come to an understanding of how this could be. I don't feel that I'm someone who has had good fortune in life, and this just feels like such a horrible blow, there is no reason or fairness. It's hard not to feel angry, or at least to let myself.

Although we had her less than a year, we loved her dearly and spoiled her every day. She had a good life with us. I guess that's all we have to hold on to for now.

I miss her bitterly already. I wish I could watch her lie on her back on the couch. I hope someday I can look at the hundreds of pictures we took of her and laugh, even if I do cry as well. I thought we would have her for a decade or more. I don't know how to tell everyone I know about this, I also feel ashamed of what happened to her even if I wasn't there. If only I had somehow known. I fear that people will look down on me for letting this happen to her.

I was planning to move to a house with a big yard from our apartment (already signed the lease). Now we're going to get there and have a big yard with no purpose. Maybe someday we can rescue another greyhound and give them a good life. But for now I just wish there was something I could do to bring her back, I would do anything.

Last night she was the most affectionate I had ever seen her, she rested her head on my lap while I stroked her neck. Seeing her warm to us from her initial timidness was such a joy, like seeing what a strong force love is even among animals. I have that to hold on to, knowing that she knew I loved her, because I told her constantly.

Getting the call at work today was indeed a "lightning strike". How do you get over something so sudden and unexpected. how do you get over your anger when you yourself spend every day being so careful, and feel this could have been prevented...

I love you sweet Nana.

Dea, Dear Nana's Mommy,

Please accept my deepest sympathy on the sudden, unexpected and needless passing of your beloved Nana - a wonderful rescue Greyhound. I turly am so very sorry for your loss and te exact words, well, there are no exact words to express my sorrow at your sorrow. The one way I can relate to your situation is that my Trevor passed away last July after we'd had him just over 2 years and he was a rescue C-o-c-k-e-r Spaniel. Today is his 10 month Angel-versary.

Back to you and your husband. This is going to be the worst time in your entire life. Grief, unexpected or expected and the loss of your most loved animal companion is the most paralyzing hurt that I know of. I know that you are just in the very beginnning stages of this journey that will take you up and down, up and down over the next days, week and months. Nana sounds like the perfect rescue Greyhound who adapted to "normal" life very well because of you. Please be assured in this little note that Nana, not only loved you the entire time, but continue to love you this very minute. The body may sucuumb, but the Spirit does not and ives forever. In fact, Nana's Spirit is with you right now, beside you heartbeat for heartbeat. You cannot see her and you may not be able to "feel" her yet, but she has not left you in the most important way there is. I believe that once our companions cross over the Rainbow Bridge, they come to a place to stay thatI call Heaven. They are not "stuck" there because a Spirit is never stuck and can be in more than one place at a time. So, while Nana is with and right next to you, she is also in this Heaven meeting all the animal Spirits who have come before her. She is so welcome and has already met my Trevor and so many others who you can call on for help as well.

I also want you to know that I am here, as is everyone on this site, for YOU 24/7. WE listen, cry with you, sigh with you and hold you up when you just simply cannot. I must apologize for the short length of this note, but I wanted to write to you as soon as I saw your post. I will be back. I write a note to Trevor every night so will be checking in with you, too.

Again, I am so very sorry for your incredible loss and am thinking of you and praying for you every minute!

Love,
Bobbie (& Trevor)

Thank you Bobbie.

Dear Grievingtoday,

I am so sorry for the loss of your sweet, precious Nana. There's not much I can add to Bobbie's kind and comforting words, but I want you to know how sorry I am. Today is the 15th month of my Mickey passing.

You will be in my thoughts and prayers.....((((HUGS)))

LoveMyMickey

Hi, grievingtoday, please permit me to add my sincerest sympathies in the physical loss of your beloved Nana. Losing a companion is never easy regardless of the circumstances or how long we are blessed with the privilege of their company. Losing a companion suddenly and tragically intensifies our sorrow.

Please permit me to add some words that I hope will be of comfort and encouragement to you in this time of deep sorrow. This grief journey is one of adjustment to the physical absence of your beloved Nana. There is NO WAY you will ever "get over" this painful void that is now in your heart and life - - for the words "get over" "move on" "closure", etc.., imply "forgetting" - - and there is no way in heaven or on earth that you will ever be able to forget your beloved Nana. This grief journey is one of re-inventing our lives with a "new normal" that no longer includes the physical presence of our beloved companions, and this is a very painful adjustment to make both emotionally and physically. It does not happen overnight, in a day, a week, a month, or even 6 months. It is a journey that can only be traveled one day at a time, sometimes one moment at a time, in your own way and in your own time.

There are many different emotions that accompany this grief journey all of which can overwhelm us all at one time, and two of which are guilt which is one of the hardest of the emotions to reconcile - - and anger. Please let me try to set your mind at ease that there are no judgments made here. Each of us here do understand what you are going through, and we are here for you for as long and as often as you need us. This is a safe place for you to express what is in your heart and on your mind -- without fear of rejection or blame. It is important that you find ways that are healthy for you to express your feelings - - sharing them with us, keeping a journal, talking to a trusted friend / family member, etc.. The stress of grieving does take a toll on us emotionally and physically.

I can so relate to your feelings of disappointment about your new home - - a place that was supposed to be a happy new chapter in your life now seems filled with sorrow and emptiness. Please know that your beloved Nana's sweet Living Spirit is forever with you wherever you go and whatever you do - - including your new home. If I may share something with you, perhaps it will help give you some encouragement: When my companions at the time and I moved into our new little home in the country the basement was not finished. The plan was to finish it so that my companions and I could set it up as our primary living space and have the upstairs always ready for visitors and family members - - who are not always furchild friendly. My companions were quite elderly when we moved from the city, but I thought we would have some good quality time together, longer than what acutally happened. My kitty companion joined the angels less than a year after moving into our country home. My canine companion's health was steadily declining. I went ahead and began the process of planning and contracting to have the basement finished off hoping that it could be done while my Samson could enjoy it. Unfortunately, half way through the project my Samson's health severely declined, and within a year he joined his feline sister in eternal joy. I was devastated. I did not want to continue finishing off the basement. I did not even want to live in this little house anymore. The primary purpose for moving here was for the safety of my companions, and now they were gone. The good news is that when my beloved Samson entered the gates to heaven's perfect garden his first words to our Heavenly Father Creator were "You've got to do something - - You can't leave her all alone." And so began the process where both my beloved Samson and our Heavenly Father Creator brought new companions into my heart and this little home in the country. Eight months after my beloved Samson joined the angels a handsome Black Lab named Oslo joined me, and the basement living quarters was eventually finished off. We thoroughly ENJOYED our daily life together. Two years later my number one kitty son Eli joined the household, and 3 years later my precious Noah and his beautiful sibling baby sister Abbygayle completed our family. Now it is just my precious Noah and me enjoying the beauty and serenity of our little home in the country and the blessing of our basement living quarters. My Noah is 9 years old now, and I know eventually it will be just me here. But I am living in a home that is filled with much love - - that is with me wherever I go and whatever I do.

The purpose of my sharing my experience with you is an attempt to try to reassure you that your beloved Nana's sweet Living Spirit will be with you in your new home, grievingtoday. When you look out into your yard you can say with a happy heart, "Nana, this home is for you - - enjoy, my love. And when the time is right I know you will guide another precious life into my heart who will enjoy sharing this home with you and me."

When we embrace our companions into our hearts we do so with the hope of sharing a long, happy, and healthy earthly journey, and so we should. If we had the foreknowledge of the circumstances that will physically separate us our hearts would be focused on the future sorrow instead of embracing the joy of having their precious physical presence with us. I promise you, grievingtoday, that someday when you least expect it your will find yourself thinking of your beloved Nana and you will find yourself smiling once again - - truly smiling - - and then you will feel your heart fill with the warmth of your many treasured memories that you and your beloved Nana share. For love is eternal, grievingtoday - - it is not limited to the physical laws of time and space. Your beloved Nana's sweet Living Spirit is forever a part of you - - she is always and forever a heartbeat close to you.

I know there are no adequate words in any language that can soothe the seering pain of loss that is in your heart. I can only hope that the words I share with you will offer you some measure of comfort, encouragement, support, and hope as you travel your grief journey.

Thank you so much for sharing your beloved Nana with us, grievingtoday. Perhaps sometime you will feel up to sharing a picture(s) of her with us - - but only when / if you want to. Please know you are in my thoughts and prayers, grievingtoday, and that I look forward to knowing how you're doing.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Dear grievingtoday

I am so sorry for your loss. A loss is the hardest thing someone can go through especially when it is unexpected or should not have happened. I can see you loved your baby so much and even though you only had him under a year I am sure he felt for the first time since being in a rescue home that he was truly loved.

I hope you are being treated kindly today.

xxForeverxx

Dear Grieving Today

My heart cries with you in the passing of sweet Miss Nana. No matter what happened to Miss Nana, please do NOT blame yourself for it. Just from you post about you and her, I can tell you were two parts of the same being, that you were destined for each other. You could never have foreseen this tragic event and you would have done anything you could to save Miss Nana's life. The only thing you gave Nana was perfect love. Who else can say that? Certainly not many people and certainly not someone who has not found his or her spirit-animal - her "missing piece". I think tender love has the hardest time with physical separation. You just want to feel their sweet old muzzle in your lap just one more time. And you will - someday when you're reunited in the Perfect World above. Nana's story has gone straight to my heart. It reminds me so much of my Gretta - also an energency rescue and the kindest chocolate lab who ever lived. Nana sounds like the kindest GREYHOUND who ever lived. Oozing sweetness from every pore. Being there, being still, being kind. Oh how I know the desperation of separation.

She's still there, you know, right beside you as always, cuz as Bobbie says, spirits never get stuck in one place. She's on her job as always - watching over you, quieting you heart, loving and being loved by you - just the same as it always was and always will be. It's a promise. Nana came from that world and has gone back to it - where she's having a perfect like - except for your not being there. She knows she will see you again one day - and that's part of what makes the Perfect World perfect.

No one here will EVER say "it's just a pet". We KNOW so much better. Welcome to the LS family. If only the price of admission weren't so steep - but then who would trade the divine experience of loving and being loved by one's one and only soul-mate?

Get through today as best you can, Grieving. These times are goin to be very hard and unpredictable. Someone here has described them as the roller coaster ride from Hades. But we're with you and so are all our fur babies.

For now ....
Gretta's mom