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unowhoandwhy
Middleofnowhere, NH
MH
Posts:1796
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| 02/25/2010 7:04 AM |
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Very sorry for your loss. Daniel & Layla send paws & kisses.  |
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Daniel Yankee Flyer - 8/2002
Lady Layla - 1/2006 |
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Gatormom
St Paul, MN
MH
Posts:193
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| 02/25/2010 10:20 AM |
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I want to thank everyone for their kind words, thoughts and prayers. They have been a blessing to my husband and me these past few days. It means more to us than mere words can express. How lucky we are to have this forum of fellow dog lovers and GSP enthuasists. You have been a godsend.
The past few days have been mixed with tears, laughter and many, many fond memories of our long and happy times with Kaiser.
We were very lucky to have had Kaiser pass away at home. I work nights, and as is my usual custom, I let the dogs out. On the nights that I work, my husband sleeps on the sofa in the family room. My husband was asleep, and Kaiser was laying on the floor next to him, and Gator was a few feet away in his kennel. As bitter sweet as it was, I had always hoped that Kaiser would just pass away in his sleep. That's my Kaiser, aways obedient and willing to please.
My brother, who lives across the street, and was a big part of Kaiser's life was able to say goodbye, too. Kaiser is being creamated, and we will receive his ashes in about a week. Previous cats are buried in our backyard, but we hope to be moving from the frozen tundra (Minnesota) to the land of sunshine (Florida) in the not so distant future, so we'll take his ashes with us to our new home.
3 years ago, we acquired Gator, in part for Kaiser's replacement dog. Kaiser did an excellent job of training Gator into the fine art of being a dog, all the fine points that we as humans just couldn't do. We believe that having Gator extended Kaiser's life, and that when he knew his job was done, that he had mentored his replacemet, Kaiser was ready to leave us. About a year ago, Kaiser quit walking up the steps, and he made the family room his place. If he woke up, he'd come to the stairs and whine for us. He lost his desire to go for car rides. He no longer ran to the fence to bark at the mailman, or for the trash truck at on garbage day. Around Christmastime, he started to potty inside, something he had never, ever done. In his own way, he was preparing us for the inevitable.
My head knows that it as his time, and says that we were so very fortunate to have had Kaiser in our lives for such a long time. We are better people for knowing and loving him. He was easy to love, he was bigger and heavier than most shorthairs, but he was so gentle and kind. We have such special memories of him. My heart, however, isn't quite with the program. When I walk into the family room, I expect him to be on the sofa, where he spent most of the past year or so.
Over the past 3 years, we have become accustomed to having 2 dogs. So the question is, will we be getting another? My husband says, wait a year. At this point in time, I think that we will see how Gator adjusts to being an only dog. He seems to be adjusting well, he's more clingy than normal. At this point, we are not actively seeking another, but never say never. I have been having a recurring dream, where a female stray comes into our lives. She has a solid liver head, a mostly white body with some liver ticking. There will be a day when we can open our hearts to another, maybe this time a rescue. I'd be the first to suggest to someone who has just lost a dog to get another right way, but we're just not ready yet. It's been a hectic past few years, first getting Gator through puppyhood, then my husband had open heart surgery with many complications and a long and continuing rehab, and the past year or so with Kaiser's aging.
To ArmyMa: Sending our sincere sympathy to you on the loss of your beloved horse. I am somewhat comforted to think that Kaiser and your horse made the journey to the Rainbow Bridge together. We have family in Newport News, and over the years have vacationed in Virginia Beach
To others who have recently suffered the loss of their pets (Rose and Chelsea to name a few), We are truly sorry for your loss. However, I am also comforted to think that they have paved the way, and have welcomed Kaiser and will keep him company at the Rainbow Bridge.
Ah, Grief and mourning, the price that we pay to have had these wondeful creatures in our lives. |
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Barbara
Kaiser (1996-2010)
Gator
I am simply thankful that least dogs exist, and I'm humbly aware of how much less a person I'd be - how less human, if they did not exist - Rick Bass |
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vnrose53
MH
Posts:321
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| 02/25/2010 10:45 AM |
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Gatormom, let me add my sympathy as well.
I know exactly what you meant when you said that Kaiser was always eager to please and maybe that's why he made it easy for you by just slipping away. When I had my sainted Peppy put to sleep several years ago, I went with her "to comfort her." Although the vet warned me of possibly upsetting parts of the euthanasia, she too passed gently with just a twitch of the nose--and I thought that she was making it easy for ME!
Shoot, I'm teary eyed thinking of her. Its good you have Gator but the hole left by Kaiser will take a while to heal. |
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Navilla
Lawrenceburg, IN
MH
Posts:959
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| 02/26/2010 1:39 AM |
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| Hugs to you.... |
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Caryl, Dave, Baby Logan, and Osiris
Lawrenceburg, Indiana
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Navilla
Lawrenceburg, IN
MH
Posts:959
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| 02/26/2010 1:39 AM |
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| Hugs to you.... |
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Caryl, Dave, Baby Logan, and Osiris
Lawrenceburg, Indiana
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MJones
Mars PA
MH
Posts:128
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Sarox
JH
Posts:21
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| 02/26/2010 10:01 PM |
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im sorry for your loss
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Gatormom
St Paul, MN
MH
Posts:193
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| 03/02/2010 9:23 AM |
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It's been a week now, and we're doing ok, going through the grief process. But last night, while flipping through the channels, we came upon the last hour of Marley and Me. As it was coming to an end, I said "maybe we shouldn't be watching this", but neither of us changed the channel. Oh, there were tears, but I think it was theraputic for us.
This maybe somewhat morbid, but we are expecting to get Kaiser's remains next week, it will be good to get Kaiser back home where he belongs. I have been looking at cremation urns on the net. I didn't know this, but 1 lb equates to 1 square inch of remains, so some of the pet urns are geared to smaller dogs. There are some polyresin garden stones, that have an opening for the remains, and I initially liked that, but then realized that Gator may just use it as a peeing post. So much for that idea. There is a porcelan urn with a picture of a GSP and the Rainbow Bridge poem on it that I am leaning towards. There is a business not far from here in Forest Lake, MN that makes a stepping stone that contains the ashes. I like that idea too.
That said, I'm open to ideas for urns, and ideas for ashes. What we're thinking now is to keep most of the ashes in the urn. When spring eventually comes, and the gardens start growing, we will have a private family ceremony, and spread some of his ashes in the garden where our dearly departed cats are. Somewhere on this site, someone mentioned that their husband has ashes from his former dogs and plans to be buried with them. |
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Barbara
Kaiser (1996-2010)
Gator
I am simply thankful that least dogs exist, and I'm humbly aware of how much less a person I'd be - how less human, if they did not exist - Rick Bass |
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