A day in the life of a Dog: What can I say...

I’m gone for a month & apparently no one can bear to be without me. (Hey, I had to start on an amusing statement before the waterworks come.)

Unfortunately on Tuesday April 11^th, 2017 we said goodbye to one of our old timers (no not Joe, he’s still around, I swear he’s just in the yard with the dogs). Hank P. passed away. He leaves behind his companion Francis aka Frankie, his adoring family (seriously who makes t-shirts with their dogs on them- I love it & I would too), all his doggie friends at Preferred Pet Care, all of his two legged human friends at Preferred Pet Care, and basically everyone who had the pleasure of meeting Hank. This year we have had to say goodbye to many of our original crew dogs from our old West Orange location, many of these dogs we have known for over a decade!

At the start of the year we said goodbye to our old lady husky mix Lizzie. Lizzie B unfortunately lost her brother, Benny, the year before. Lizzie & Benny were staples at our old facility. She was such a sweet gal. Then in February another old timer Putter S. passed over the rainbow bridge, I think Matt is still crying over Putter’s passing. Putter was a springy old pup and everyone had nothing but good things to say about Put-Put. We also recently received news of the passing of Susy F, a small Dalmatian/pointer mix. Thank goodness for Susy F. being adopted by her mother who is a nurse, since Susy had oodles of medications. Susy unfortunately suffered from bad allergies and a liver condition. Lastly we received news that one of our big cream golden doodles, Louie A passed away. Louie A was a frequent daycare pup, and though he was getting up there in age he still enjoyed seeing his friends.

One of the worst things about having a pet (unless you get an exotic bird or tortoise) is that compared to people they have such short life spans. But even so, after having all those memories and experiences with them would you really trade it all just so you wouldn’t have to experience the heartache of losing them? I certainly wouldn’t. I’ve been with Preferred Pet Care for going on 9 years and unfortunately during that time I’ve had the joy of meeting TONS of dogs, but unfortunately I’ve also had to say goodbye to many of them too. Sometimes it’s rather sudden and other times it’s expected, however, it’s never easy hearing about one of them passing away. We develop a relationship with all of these dogs; we talk about them as if they were our own. Every time I speak to a new customer, especially one who is a nervous nelly about leaving their pup for the first time, I always try to reassure them that it’s really like leaving your pup with someone who will treat them like their own dog. Because at the end of the day, all the dogs that come to Preferred Pet Care become our family. I’m at home basically on bedrest & I’m about to be that dog owner who calls to check in on their dog (seriously we don’t mind it one bit). However 1- I don’t even know for sure if the dog is boarding or there for daycare, and 2- in actuality I’m not the dog owner. But you know what, I miss them, like I’ve said time and time again, they’re a part of our family.

So to end this blog I figured everyone needed a little cry today, so here it is… I’m sure some of you have seen this online at some point or another but this story truly does encompass the truth about dogs- now bring on the waterworks…

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish wolfhound named Belker. The dog’s owners, Ron, his wife, Lisa, and their little boy, Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.

I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn’t do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.

As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker’s family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.

The little boy seemed to accept Belker’s transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker’s death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives.

Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, “I know why.”

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I’d never heard a more comforting explanation. He said, “People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life – like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?”

The six-year-old continued, “Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don’t have to stay as long.”