Healing Hearts with Pets: Loss

Healing Hearts with Pets: Loss:      The week started out well and we were preparing for the wonderful 4th of July. I had been running around grabbing necessities that my...

Loss

     The week started out well and we were preparing for the wonderful 4th of July. I had been running around grabbing necessities that my husband needed to make our family a wonderful Bbq,hot dogs,chicken and fixing for the sides. We cooked and listened for fireworks it was wonderful day. The day after I checked email as usual and received a letter from a long time client the title was" Home needed for two cats". At first  I thought they had found two stray cats but after reading more I discovered they needed a home for their own two cats and were moving due to job loss. I was horrified for them as these are people who had steady income and seemed to be unaffected by this horrendous economy.
I cried for them as my clients become good friends and they become a part of my family. I shared the news with my husband and we made plans to visit them before they have to leave. Later that evening I received a call from a wonderful client and friend telling me they had to put their beloved dog who was 15 1/2 years old to sleep. I felt like this was another blow to someone I care about deeply. Not to mention the fact that Toto was a dear sweet little dog her spirit was like no other I had known. I become so attached to many of my clients animals they imprint in my heart almost immediately their little and big paws touch me and become my pets too. My heart began to sink and I started wondering what all this was about. I wrote a note of sorrow to my sweet clients and proceeded to get on with work. I then found out another client lost her dog of three years that very same day he was rescued from the streets by her and she fell in love with him.
This week was a week of sorrows,today we found out an uncle of my husband's had passed away, I felt bad as my husband's father had passed away this past February and it has been a struggle on him. I know God has a hand in all of this He has reasons for calling us home and I believe he has reasons for calling our pets home as well.
 My comfort in all of this is knowing that my clients who lost their job has a home to go to in another state and are set up to retire early so they will be safe; as for the little souls who left this week,well, I know we will see them again someday.

Happy Dogs

    Do you love sitting with your pets and watching them act silly or crazy? My dog runs around like a wild woman after being bathed and shaved. She must like feeling free like a naked person running out of the shower! I love seeing pets and their personalities shine and being who they are. We so often pamper and teach our dogs to be  more like us by putting on clothes that actually my dog hates!  or talking to them as if they were a 2 year old child "oh would you like some more puppy wuppy?" I know I am guilty too I love my dog as much as if she were one of my children. I have now offered Mocha a digging place in my yard to get a chance at being a Jack Russell or let her out to chase an occasional squirrel as the Jack Russell was bred to hunt. Is it natural to want  to carry our small breeds around in a purse ? The answer is "yes" but is it necessarily good for our Dogs ? One theory is if we are going to pretend the average dog is a person than you better be able to handle the behaviors that goes with it. Some small breed dogs become nervous and very insecure often resulting in shaking,biting and just plain naughtiness. They become over protective of their owners and unsocial. This can also shave years off a dogs life because they spend most of it being nervous and fearful and can result in early dog cancer and or other major canine illnesses.
 As a pet lover  and Pet Sitter I have started helping more of my clients to play more like a dog and less like a human!