Our 4 and 1/2 year old golden retriever died peacefully yesterday morning in the vets office. Cancer is terrible, and awful to watch. I am completely raw in emotion. I have the best friends in the world. In a relay for life walk they lit a bag for her last night.

Her passing is so new I can't explain myself. It's just so painful right now.

Thank you for any support you can offer in this time of grief. Somehow talking to others that love their pets to the depths I do is helpful. That is the purpose of this forum.

Lucy lives on.

Hi, michteach, please permit me to offer you my sincerest sympathies in the physical loss of your beloved Lucy. As you know, losing a companion is never easy regardless of the circumstances or how long we are blessed with the privilege of their company. Yesterday you made one of the most painful decisions you will ever have to make - - putting your needs and wants aside so that your beloved Lucy could be released from her painful physical body and restored to her former youthfulness in the company of the angels. There is no greater love than this, michteach - - and your beloved Lucy is eternally grateful to you for your unselfish eternal love.

Please know we are here for you along with your many friends who gave you a wonderful tribute to your beloved Lucy in lighting a candle for her during the relay for life. I also know from first hand experience that when our hearts are entrenched with deep grief there are no adequate words in any language than soothe the seering pain of sorrow. Still I hope the words I share with you will be able to offer you some measure of comfort, support, encouragement, and hope as you now travel your grief adjustment journey.

Thank you so very much for sharing your beloved Lucy with us, michteach. Please know you are in my thoughts and prayers, and please let us know how you're doing.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Dear Michteach

I am so sorry for your loss. Your dear Lucy was so young... just like my Pixie who we think was about 5. My heart goes out to you as I know just how painful this is for you. Please know that you are not alone, and this website has helped me over the last few years every time I have lost a beloved fur baby. We all know the pain and heartache , but we do know that time heals and we can think of our beloved fur babies and smile again....it takes time but it does come ... 9 weeks for us now, since Pixie left us so suddenly with heart failure. Now I am thinking of her and starting to smile again at all the wonderful times we shared. I'm sending a big hug and please remember that your beloved Lucy would not want you to be sad.... bless her.

Thinking of you

Love and hugs

Jan and my angels, Tasha, Noushka and Pixie xx

Thank you for your condolences. My husband and I are learning to live without the physical presence of Lucy. It hasn't been a week yet. I think our journey without her is new, fresh, painful, and we are still adjusting.

We adopted a cocker spaniel named Charley when Lucy first presented symptoms but had not been diagnosed. Taking care of him has been helpful. He is mourning also, and holding him brings me comfort.

My husband and I are grieving differently, but are able to talk about what happened. Her death was traumatic for me because the swelling in her head caused her to be deformed. I keep trying to picture her sweet face when she was healthy. I am working at my own vision of her because I'm not able to look at pictures yet.

I find it helpful to listen to others about their own experiences when losing a pet.

Hi, michteach, thank you so much for sharing with us how you and your husband, and your precious Charley, are doing. I know from first hand experience how comforting it is to have a precious companion to hold as your heart is adjusting to a physical loss of a loved one - - whoever the life form. As you are already discovering, comforting your precious Charley will also bring comfort to you - - to each other.

Clinical studies and professionals recognize that individual people grieve differently - - men, women, children, spouses, parents, friends - -. Although you and your husband are traveling different paths to cope with your individual grief journeys, it is good that you can talk to each other about your beloved Lucy and share your memories and sorrows together. And, of course, each of us are here for you for as long and as often as you need us.

Thank you so very much for honoring us by sharing your beloved Lucy with us, michteach. I hope today is treating you, your husband, and your precious Charley kindly, and that you will have a peaceful evening blessed with your beloved Lucy's sweet Living Spirit to comfort you. Please know you, your husband, and your precious Charley are in my thougths and prayers, and please let us know how you're doing.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Oh Michteach, please accept my sympathies. I know how hard the first week is. That raw feeling in the chest. Once that passes it is possible to deal with thoughts and feelings.

I put my cat Shelby to sleep July 5, and we should both remember that they are very lucky not to have to go through a long drawn out suffering. It may not be much comfort to us, but it is to them.

I don't know what else to say, but we are here for you.

Michteach,

I'm so sorry for your loss of Lucy. You and I are in the same place right now. I said goodbye to my two cats, Joe and Steve, a week ago today. Joe (age 20) had cancer and Steve (age 15) had kidney failure. I'm so sorry about the pain you've been going through. I cry everyday and although I know I made the right decision to let them go, it doesn't make it any easier. So, I grieve along side you at this time.

I'm so happy to have this forum with so many supportive people. We will all get through this in time.

CritzyJ

Hi michteach. My condolences to you for the loss of your beloved Lucy, especially at such a young age and by cancer. We lost our wonderful bulldog, Jake, to cancer a little over a year ago in spite of our best efforts to save him. It was, indeed, painful to watch my fine strong boy weaken to the point he could no longer stand. Like you, I was crushed. I miss him every day and the pain is still there, but it's quite not so sharp now. I hope to meet him again someday at the Rainbow Bridge, and hope that you and Lucy meet there, too.

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Once again, thank you so much for all of your comforting words. My husband and I continue on this journey the best we can. Some days are better than others. I've been able to look at Lucy's pictures again and have made it out to her grave in the backyard. That is a lot of progress for me.

We've started taking about another looking for another golden retriever. It will be awhile before we start looking, but we both have acknowledged that we love the breed and miss the physical presence of a larger dog. Despite our grief and the fact that cancer is common in this breed, we still have lots of love to give a Golden. We will know when that time is right.

Spending time holding my other dog Charley helps with the grieving process. I've started to spend more time grooming him which really helps because I groomed Lucy her entire life.

I am confident that I will meet my both of my dogs, Holly and Lucy, again. They are waiting for me on that bridge and will take up company again with me. It will be quite the reunion I'm sure.

This community is helping me in so many ways, and I am so grateful for all of your support!