HooversMom

I am so, so sorry. My tears and sympathies are with you. May Checkers send you many happy memories to keep you until you all meet again at the Bridge.

Oh, no. How horrible. Run free sweet babies. I wish we humans had better ways to keep you all safe.

It can be hard to be positive at such a time, and there are moments when I miss her so much I can't even breathe. But you know, she brought so much good into my life I can't help but feel that, too. I have to keep reminding myself that I'll see her again. It really helps to write about the happy times, because it brings them back and pushes the pain out of the picture. Many hugs to you

I think about this kind of thing all the time. We just can't save them all, but we can ache for them, pray for them, think about them. It's all we can do. Bless your heart for caring. Kitty is fine now, and I am sure she knows you cared.

Isn't it amazing how these sweet angels can touch our hearts so deeply in such a short time? Think of it this way, she was with you in body for only three days, but she is with you in spirit forever. Godspeed, pretty girl Victoria.

This picture was taken in May of this year. What a beautiful little angel you were, sweet girl!

Miss Sissy, it's only been three days since you left us to move on to your next adventure. There have been many tears, but they are becoming happy ones as I remember what a blessing you were in our lives. I will always remember the little miracle that occurred on your last night with us. I'll never forget how, when you were just rescued and so insecure, you hated the sound when the heater went on. You used to get all your stuffy toys and rescue them from the noise, lining them all up safely on the back of the couch. I knew you were giving me a sign when, as you and Blue lay together on the floor, he suddenly got up and got your favorite lamby toy and placed it carefully on the back of the couch. I knew you were passing your legacy on to your adopted son and making sure he knew all about you. Your sunbeam falls across the couch this morning, and you're not in it. That should make me sad, but all I can do is smile. Hoover and Blue are there, basking in the warmth you loved so much. Life goes on, my sweet heart girl, and you are still very much a part of it. Enjoy Heaven, but don't forget to visit once in a while. (Pictures: Sissy at the time of her rescue, and three months later)

Thank you all for your kind words and loving thoughts. It has been very difficult, but the horrible memories are already beginning to fade and be replaced by good ones, thanks to you. It is so comforting to read a funny post and be reminded of some silly thing Miss Sissy did to make us smile. Big fat hugs and many blessings to you all, and we wish you "drive-by" angel kisses from Sissy. I am sure the grieving tears will soon be replaced by happy ones.

Run free and whole forever, brave boy.

Someone on the Prayers for Pets list sent this to me today, and I just had to share. How lovely is this????? I hope it will bring as much comfort to others as it has brought to me. With Sympathy We who choose to surround ourselves with lives even more temporary than our own live within a fragile circle easily and often breached. Unable to accept its awful gaps we still would live no other way. We cherish memory as the only certain immortality never fully understanding the necessary plan.

Oh, sweetie, I'm just where you are. It is the worst pain imaginable losing our "heart children." Miss Sissy was "The One" for me -- just as Harley was for you. God bless you...my tears are with you. There is a brand new, huge raw hole in my heart that only Miss Sissy could fill, and I know it was right to let her go to Heaven, but it hurts like hell. I don't think we ever "get over" it, but I do know the pain can give way and happy memories begin filling up the hole. Many, many, many hugs for you.

Please don't doubt your decision. You gave her the most loving, beautiful gift one can give. You allowed her to cross over with dignity, peace, and limitless love. She will be with you forever and always.

Oh, Laurie, we are so sorry. Godspeed, sweet Beatrice. Maybe you and Miss Sissy can figure out how Heaven works together and snag the best couches. Rest well and peacefully, beautiful angel.

Dear friends, Sissy traveled peacefully to the Bridge this morning once we knew there was no way to give her more quality time. We will miss her terribly, but I have always known she was not really a dog, but a powerful angel just borrowing a dog's body. Bless her heart, she held on as long as she could, wanting to continue taking care of us until she could no longer fight the cancer. It is a miracle she lived with mast cell cancer for five years, and we were grateful she felt we were worth hanging on for. All but her last few weeks were pain-free, and for this we thank God. We are sorry that she couldn't hold on until John got home, but he talked to her on the phone and we are sure she understands that his heart and soul were here with her when she crossed over. Thank you, Miss Sissy, for taking care of all of us. Thank you for raising Hoover and the foster puppies, and thank you for showing Hoover how to raise Blue when you were sick and couldn't do it yourself as you wanted to. Thank you for being such a great companion to Lacy and putting up with her old-lady crankiness with such good humor. Thank you for hogging the bed, stealing our food, making us laugh, and holding down the couch so it couldn't run away. We will always be amazed that so much love could be contained in such a little striped body. Please say a little prayer for us, the ones this beautiful little creature left behind on her Journey. Especially pray for sweet Hoover, whom Sissy raised as her own, and for dear old Lacy who was her constant companion and will be so again when her time comes (not anytime soon, we hope!) Pray for John, who had the heartbreaking bad luck to be away from us at this time. I know he feels helpless, but there was a reason that God needed me to handle this alone. I know it has already made me stronger. Rest well, princess. Run free, healthy and whole forever in the company of God and those who crossed before you. We know you'll continue to take care of all of us. We hope you'll visit us often -- we'll be watching for the signs. Don't forget to visit all the people who have hoped and cried with us during this time, and give them one of your "drive-by" kisses. Thank all of you SO MUCH for being here and caring. Please don't feel badly for me -- I am blessed and at peace that my angel has no more pain and is waiting for me at the Bridge. Rest well, Esperanza, little angel whose name means "hope" -- you brought so much of it to so many. ESPERANZA (Miss Sissy) 1997-2005 Carrie & Family

Oh, dear...I'm so sorry to hear that Julio has cancer We made the same decision for Sissy. It was recommended that she have radiation after her mast cell tumor was removed. This would mean traveling hundreds of miles away to a clinic that had the equipment, leaving her there for weeks, and giving her general anesthesia several times a week. Sissy doesn't do well in strange places, hates being away from her people, despises long car rides, and has a hard time recovering from anesthesia. It might have given her more time and there was even a tiny chance it would kill all the cancer, but it wouldn't be worth it for her. We easily could have lost her from the stress, so we chose chemo instead. It isn't working as well as we'd like, and of course I've kicked myself a thousand times for not doing "the best thing," but it just didn't seem like "the best thing" for Sissy. If it were a different dog, we'd probably make a different choice. I pray every day to make the right decisions for each individual case...it's all we can do, y'know? Sigh. Sometimes the best I can do isn't enough, and it breaks my heart. But life will go on one way or another, and if the best we can do is provide love and comfort, then we'll all be OK. Prayers and good thoughts for Julio... Hooversmom

No one dies of inconvenience on my watch... nor would they die from lack of finances. If expensive treatment would give any of my babies more quality time, then cable TV, dinners out, vacations, and other little luxuries would just have to wait. As a religious person, I tend to believe that God will provide, and so far it's been true for us. I put a second mortgage on my house to pay for treatment when my horse got sick (even better that my ex whined and screamed, insisting he HAD to get the house in the divorce, and he got stuck with a big chunk of that cost ) and I wouldn't hesitate to borrow money again. I don't mean to appear "holier than thou"... I know many others aren't as fortunate as we are to have relatively secure financial situations and therefore more options. You can only do the best you can do at any given time, and I'd NEVER judge someone for doing their best. It does bug me, however, when I get a student in my class who insists his family can't afford to buy him pencils and a notebook, only to have him turn around and talk about their big-screen TV, multiple cell phones and video game systems. I may be just another nutty animal lover, but I think lives ought to come before "stuff" no matter what. We're looking at this right now with Miss Sissy and her cancer. As long as the treatments are keeping her comfortable and she wants to continue fighting her disease, we'll find a way. It's a quality of life issue, really. I would never keep her here just because it is hard for me to let her go. It's her call, and will be so for any of my critters. I wish humans had the option of euthanasia when all hope is gone and nothing remains but pain....but then that's a whole new can of ugly little worms, isn't it? I won't go there.

Godspeed, sweet Bela, and be sure to send your earthly family some wonderful memories of you.

Our symapthies and prayers are with you and your family. We wish you many happy memories.

Godspeed Mr. Bill, and we know you'll be serving your Creator as loyally as you served Father John. I see you've already sent Father John a new companion -- bless your sweet heart!

Sending many positive vibes and puppy kisses

Kimmie!!!!!!!!!! What a great girl you were!

Rest well, bright new angel. You've earned it. Hoovers Family

THE WEIRDEST THING JUST HAPPENED!!!! As I was posting my reply about telling Miss Sissy that Matt would help her fight her cancer, SHE CAME UP AND LICKED THE COMPUTER SCREEN!!! She has never shown the slightest interest in it before. Wow... Thanks for coming to visit, beautiful boy!!! Hooversmom (remembering that miracles DO happen all the time if we know where to look for them)

What a lovely story! I swear Miss Sissy started feeling better after I told her there was a very special new angel up in Heaven that was going to help show her how to fight her cancer. After my experience losing my horse last year, I KNOW where they go (maybe I'm nuts, but I can feel him sometimes, just filling up the air all around me with the same energy he had when he was in his body), and I KNOW they are looking out for us and we will see them all again. Blessings to you and sweet angel Matt, Hooversmom

All I can say is this: I've been where you are, and it DOES get better. That doesn't mean we forget, it doesn't mean it doesn't ever hurt again, it doesn't mean the "what if's" and "I should haves" won't torment you from time to time. But it does get better. Gradually the happy memories begin to filter in through the gloom and make you smile. Sometimes you'll feel a little tingle like you felt when they were beside you. They can and do send signs that they've only left us in body. It helps me to remember that bodies wear out with time. Souls don't. Time on earth may be short, but memory is very, very long. Watch for the signs, welcome the tears, celebrate the good times. It does get better. My tears and sympathy are with you. Feel free to PM me if you want to rant, cry, or just have someone to talk to who's been there. God bless, Hooversmom