# my dog passed away on friday aug 29



## mygirljerri (Sep 1, 2008)

I am mourning the loss of my dog I need to know if anyone knows how to cope, I can't sleep can't eat and can't stop crying


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## angelaw (Dec 14, 2001)

I had to put my Vishnu down on the 21st. I pretty much did nothing but cry the night before, on the way over, drive home, days later. I learned after losing Gaudi at a young age and unexpectedly to keep myself busy. I'm ok as long as I don't talk about him now. It's been a little over a week, but I'm staying busy. Giving extra to Duchess who was his buddy. I called my mother today and told her and started crying like a baby all over again, so if I don't talk I'm good. Otherwise, it's hard. 

It was really hard with Gaudi since hers was sudden. Vishnu I knew was coming, knew I had to do it, and knew every minute would completely s*ck. But I also knew it was in his best interest. He was tired, very tired. 

Ok, gotta stop now, water works are coming. If you need to pm me, feel free. We can commiserate. Sorry for your loss.


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## Shugmort (Aug 8, 2006)

I'm so sorry for your loss. I lost my Rascal very suddenly on May 1 and still feel the pain. Just remember the good times and that your pup knew he was loved and give yourself the time to mourn. It helps to talk about the loss and shed the tears to release your sorrow. I needed to talk about him to realize that he was in suffering and in pain and needed to be let go. 

You are in my thoughts, rest in peace dear pup (for no matter how old they are to me they are always my pup)


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## mygirljerri (Sep 1, 2008)

Jerri-Lee was 12 and very sick with alot of tumors and really bad arthritis. I had an appt for saturday and before I could take her, her shoulder and arm swelled up pretty bad. My vet told me to bring her right in and said one of her tumors was had grown and was blocking an artery in her shoulder,he thought it was time. I can't accept the fact that it was my decision yet, and the guilt is numbing. I miss her so much, my heart is broken.


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## katieliz (Mar 29, 2007)

i am so sorry. the only thing you can do is allow yourself to have the feelings you have and wait. you cannot stuff your feelings of grief down or ignore them. the larger the love the larger the grief. there are also therapists who deal specifically with the loss of our beloved pets. sometimes it helps to talk about your feelings, and a good therapist can move you through the grief stages more quickly than you can do it yourself sometimes. if that is not an option for you, there are also many compassionate people here, who have gone through similar losses, who will share their coping strategies with you. it seems to help alot of people to write what happened and a tribute to their dog's memory here. my husband and i feel that when we lose one it, "gives us the opportunity to know another", and perhaps when the loss is not quite so fresh, you can honor your dog's memory by saving the life of another, there are many in need. so much of this depends upon your personal situation and circumstances. take care, many blessings to you.


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## katieliz (Mar 29, 2007)

ps...no guilt. despite the difficulty of your decision it sounds as though it was the right one. twelve years is long in the life of a german shepherd dog.

bless your soul dear girl, jerri-lee. rest in peace.


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## mygirljerri (Sep 1, 2008)

Gonna try to rest now. Thanks to everyone. Will talk again soon.


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## LJsMom (Jan 6, 2008)

I lost my 13-year old Wooly Bear (husky) suddenly last January. I still cry - almost every day. Sometimes I think I see him cha-cha-ing around the house. It does get a little easier with each passing day, but no one - not even my Lady Jane, can fill the void in my heart that Wooly left.


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## CherryCola (Apr 24, 2006)

I'm so sorry for your loss. I know how much it hurts. It will get easier, but I know that at the moment it hurts more than anything. I was the same when my boy passed, I couldn't eat and I couldn't sleep and I made myself ill. My doctor recommended that I was sedated for a while. I know it seems a bit extreme, but it helped me relax for a bit at least.

I tried to distract myself most of the time really and had a really good cry which I feel was much better than keeping it all bottled up. Talking about it can help too! I also liked the idea of doing something to honor his memory, so I got started on making a photo album for him and I planted a tree in his memory too. 

You're in my thoughts


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## ellen366 (Nov 2, 2007)

imho, the loss of a pet, esp a dog is a lot like the loss of a human family member; our dogs are loved and very much family members; adjustment to death, including the decision to euthanize is a process involving anger, denial, disbelif, bargaining and finally acceptance; there is no easy way to go through it and each of us goes through this process in our own time; there is both progress and regression but in the end, we all come to accept the loss and its finality...albeit grudgingly

grieve, that's the best advice i can give; cry til there are no more tears; look back at photos and remember; feel the loss b/c it is a loss and a very significant one; time and the process will heal and you will move on; 

i can remember every single dog i've had since my first one when i was 5 yo; i can name them and visualize each and every one; i celebrate their lives w/my memories and never forgot one; and i truly believe that they are always w/ us; every time i take in a new dog, i see something from another dog...a look, a stance, a behavior; and i remember that dog who's awaiting me at the bridge, in heaven, wherever your beliefs lie

please accept my condolences and well wishes

ellen


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## Elmo's Mom (May 21, 2007)

I'm so incredibly sorry for your loss. I can't begin to imagine the pain you are going through. Know that Jerri-Lee is in a place where he is healthy and running free now. 

Try to remember the good memories. You will always have those. If you feel up to it, please tell us more about Jerri-Lee.


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## arycrest (Feb 28, 2006)

I'm so sorry for your loss. My condolences to you and all those who loved Jerri-Lee.








God speed Jerri-Lee

I wish I knew the best way to deal with the death of a much loved dog. It's really so difficult. When I have to have a dog put down, part of me knows I'm doing the right thing, yet part of me always questions if I did the right thing. Logically I know I was right, emotionally I always ask myself could I have done something else. Of course the answer is no, but the questions still nag at me.

I had to have my dear Ringer put down on Aug 24, a month before his 13th birthday. I was still trying to deal with his death when I had to put my 12-1/2 year old boy, Kelly, down on July 31. Both boys had numerous health issues and they no longer had a quality life. I've done a lot of crying and soul searching. I know I had to do what I had to do, but it wasn't easy.

I guess my advice is to accept what you had to do. As painful as it was for you, you did what was in Jerri-Lee's best interest. As a friend once told me, you took Jerri-Lee's pain and made it your own.

Take one day at a time. After Kelly died, I just sat around crying and was extremely depressed. I knew I had to do something so I took Mac and Honey over to Cedar Key for a long weekend (I put Bruiser and Slider in a kennel). I also enrolled in an online class - just to force myself to do something that has a goal, deadlines, and takes concentration. This has also helped. I've gone out with friends and accepted invitations I would normally have said NO to.

Take care and remember, you have a lot of support here from people here on the board.


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## Lakeguy929 (Jan 4, 2008)

My sincere condolences for your loss.


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## arycrest (Feb 28, 2006)

> Originally Posted By: Arycrest...
> I had to have my dear Ringer put down on Aug 24, a month before his 13th birthday.


A minor correction. Ringer went to the Bridge on May 24.


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## dOg (Jan 23, 2006)

Know we are all thinking of you. All of us have either been there or will be. It never is easy, they teach us so much, and then they teach us
how to die. While it hardly seems fair, it simply is the cycle of life.

How to cope, indeed. When you realize all you were taught, and can stop crying long enough to have a decent night's sleep and an ok day, chances are good you will want to get back on that bike and take another ride. 

How you come to do that is up to you, when you do that is up to you. But somewhere out there, some dog is waiting to learn all the good stuff you know because you've been to that school of canine companionship.


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## Castlemaid (Jun 29, 2006)

Don't feel bad for feeling bad - if that makes any sense. Give yourself permission to grieve in whichever way you feel best. 
You had little time to prepare yourself mentally for the decision to let him go. As time goes by, you will find that in your heart, the realization that you made the right decision will bloom. 

It took me 9 months after my first dog passed to feel ready to get another one. For some people, they feel ready after one month, others, 9 years - there is no right or wrong, just what you personally feel you are ready for. 

For two years, everytime I thought about my first dog, I would get all teary eyed and choked up. But I always remembered the love and goodness he brought into my life, and will forever be grateful for him. What a great life he led. His mission in this life was over, and he made way for another friend to teach me whatever new lessons I needed to learn.


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## sd3567 (May 16, 2005)

I am so sorry for your loss. Time does heal things, cherish your memories. It's alright to cry, losing a best friend is very hard.


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## Deuce'sMom (Jul 4, 2008)

My heart goes out to you. There's no prescription for dealing with the loss of such a great friend and part of your everyday life, but time will help to ease the pain. 

Donna


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## Sean Rescue Mom (Jan 24, 2004)

My deepest sympathies to you and your family. Dogs seem to leave us when we're most vulnerable. RIP sweet girl.


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## Ilovealldogs (Nov 17, 2006)

I am so sorry for your loss. Many of us have experienced the same grief and I am myself as my dog is dying of cancer. I feel helpless because she is too full of cancer for chemo or radiation to do any good. Don't feel guilty because I am sure you gave your dog the love and attention it deserved for all of those years. Someone once told me that the death is one day compared to all of the many good days you had with your dog. (She told me to not focus on that particular day, but instead remember all of the great times we had together.) Believe me, I am sure that is a lot easier said than done, but it does make sense. When I was a kid, I had an Irish Setter and she was my best friend as I was an only child. I was completely devastated when she died. I convinced my parents months later to adopt another one and they agreed. That was the only thing that helped me through the grieving process because instead of sadness I felt the joy or raising and training a new dog- one that had yet to experience all of the things my previous dog had. The new puppy did not replace my dog, but added to my happiness. Losing a beloved pet is never easy, but we must focus on how fulfilled our lives are when they are with us.


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## WiscTiger (Sep 25, 2002)

michelle36, the pain you are going through right now is because you loved Jerri-Lee so much.

You shouldn't feel guilty. You released Jerri-Lee from his pain and let him go with with the grace and dignity that was befitting one of our loyal breed.

The pain unfortunately is a part of loving these great dogs. 

I am not super religious, but I think that God only loans us these great dogs. He designed it so they didn't live as long as us, so that when our heart is healed we can share out love with another great GSD.

The pain you are felling is because you loved Jerri-Lee.

Run free with no pain Jerri-Lee.
















Val


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## mygirljerri (Sep 1, 2008)

Just returned from the vet. To set up cremation for Jerri-Lee. I miss her so much and I feel like I have been punched in the stomach. I just want her to be laying by my feet as always, just enough that at least some part of me had to be touching her. Or if my foot got to close to her mouth she had to lick. always licking.Floor, chair, self, wall, whatever.


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## kutzro357 (Jan 15, 2002)

...Grieve not, nor speak of me with tears,but laugh and talk of me as if I were beside you...
I loved you so-`twas Heaven here with you.
--------------------------------------------------

Lend Me a Pup

I will lend to you for awhile,a German Shepherd pup, God said,
For you to love him while he lives and mourn for him when he's dead.
Maybe for twelve or fourteen years, or maybe two or three
But will you, 'till I call him back, take care of him for me.

He'll bring his charms to gladden you and (should his stay be brief)
you'll always have his memories as solace for your grief.
I cannot promise he will stay, since all from earth return
But there are lessons taught below I want this pup to learn.

I've looked the whole world over in search of teachers true
And from the folk that crowd's life's land I have chosen you.
Now will you give him all your love Nor think the labor vain,
Nor hate me when I come to take my GSD back again.

I fancied that I heard them say "Dear Lord Thy Will be Done,"
For all the joys this GSD will bring, the risk of grief we'll run.
We'll shelter him with tenderness we'll love him while we may
And for the happiness we've known forever grateful stay.

But should you call him back much sooner than we've planned,
We'll brave the bitter grief that comes, and try to understand.
If, by our love, we've managed, your wishes to achieve
In memory of him we loved, to help us while we grieve,
When our faithful bundle departs this world of strife,
We'll have yet another GSD and love him all his life.

-author unknown


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## bullet395 (Jun 18, 2007)

I just read your thread and I am incredibly sorry that you lost Jerri-Lee. Coping is very difficult, but it does get better each day. I coped by crying for a week, and by sitting at his grave. I have pictures of him everywhere, and the first week of coming home afterwork without him there was not easy. But having two other GSD's in the house helped me. I can promise you that one day you will wake up and think of her and a instead of being sad you will have a happy memory of her and smile.


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## mygirljerri (Sep 1, 2008)

Posting a picture of her has helped, that I can see her. Sometimes I feel that she will be blocking the hallway when I am getting ready for work, then the heartache comes from the empty place where she should be. That is how I feel, empty. My 6 yr old is having a hard time, she doesn't want me to leave the room to shower because Jerri was always her company. All the pictures she draws of Jerri now have little angel wings on her. Well, anyway, Gonna try to sleep now thanks again to everyone.


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## rjvamp (Aug 23, 2008)

My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. I wish for you peace in the midst of this storm.

Robert


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## Sherush (Jan 12, 2008)

I lost Jed July 30th, 2007 and if I think about it I still cry, I kept myself busy and loved up every dog I could find and then got Jesse on January 3rd and he helped a lot. I am so sorry for your loss


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## DML54 (Feb 1, 2006)

So sorry to hear of the loss of Jerri-Lee. We had to put Rocky down just six day after his 3rd birthday. He died in our arms on
July 17, 2008. We have owned five German Shepherds and it
wasn't easy with any of them. I still think that I hear Rocky
coming down the hall at night. Each day gets a little better.
Give it time. I know what you are going through. Try to stay
busy! Rest in Peace Jerri-Lee!


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## romeosmom (Mar 27, 2008)

Sorry for your loss Michelle! ((hugs))


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## bullet395 (Jun 18, 2007)

Hi, just checking on you. I hope you are getting by OK. I know it is painful, but try to remember that her only goal was to bring you happiness. I wrote a story that is under the "poems" thread on this site. I hope that you will take a moment to read it, it may help you understand your loss a little more.


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## DnP (Jul 10, 2008)

Michelle...just read your posts and I am so sorry for your loss. Like others who have posted on this thread, I too had to put a dog to sleep. Dakota was 3 months shy of his 14th birthday... He had DM and was to the point where I knew it was time to make the HARDEST decision you will ever make regarding your dog. I felt fortunate to be holding him when he left to cross the bridge, but it's something I relive every time I think about it. In your head, you know you did the right thing, but in your heart, you don't. How can you when your heart feels so broken?

We all grieve differently and please let yourself grieve! Let it out. I found myself crying uncontrollably whenever I thought of Dakota for the first few months. Night, day, didn't matter. I'm single and I always said I lived alone, but until Dakota was gone, I never truly lived alone. It's tough losing a cherished loved one.

The hurt is severe now, and it may be that way for a while. Talk to folks about Jerri-Lee...remember the little things and the big things that make you smile. Look at pictures....cry, cry, cry. If you find you aren't getting anywhere in your grief, seriously look at talking to someone...there are tons of groups to help with losing a pet. 

You are in my thoughts and prayers.


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## elsie (Aug 22, 2001)

only someone that has lost a pet knows the real pain we feel when we lose one. we love our animals so much, we feel we can't go on when they leave us. unfortunately, it's the price we all have to pay for the undescribable wonders their presence brings to us. i hope your tears of sorrow will be replaced with smiles, and her spirit lives on in your heart always. please know we all mourn with you.


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## mygirljerri (Sep 1, 2008)

Still crying, I had a dream about Jerri, first one since she passed. For some reason we found her in a shelter but instead of all the tumors and arthritis she was so healthy and I remember in the dream being so happy we found her and that she was ok. I hugged her so hard I did not want to let go again. I miss her so much. When I woke that is when the hurt started again. Bad day at work, bad night. I Love You, Jerri.


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## Strongheart (May 2, 2007)

she is ok and showed up to tell you so. soon you will probably have dreams of her living with another family because she's not really dead, she just had to go do some work somewhere else for a while. when you need her, she will come back to you later, i have seen this happen over and over, even with 25 years passing...the downward cycle (death) is very painful but the cycle itself is what gives comfort and means we can be with them again.

they do come to us in dreams and you're lucky she showed up so soon to tell you she's ok. she may also be trying to tell you that a puppy at a shelter needs you now or that she is there, perhaps a pound puppy just born. 

anyway, my sympathies on your loss. there is nothing like losing these loved ones.


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## Guest (Sep 20, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: michelle36Still crying, I had a dream about Jerri, first one since she passed. For some reason we found her in a shelter but instead of all the tumors and arthritis she was so healthy and I remember in the dream being so happy we found her and that she was ok. I hugged her so hard I did not want to let go again. I miss her so much. When I woke that is when the hurt started again. Bad day at work, bad night. I Love You, Jerri.


They say that a dream is a wish. I can understand that wish very well indeed. 

No, no guilt. You did everything you could for her and you released her from suffering. For that you deserve high praise and not condemnation. She gave you all the love in the world and you gave it right back to her. That's more than many see and you and she were surely blessed. She has not left you. She exists for now in your heart and waits for you at the rainbow bridge. I wish you well. You deserve peace of mind just as Jerri Lee deserved peace from suffering.


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