3 thoughts on “Be Kind to Your Animal Friends 🐕 🐈”

1. lhakes12 May 3, 2025 / 11:36 am

   Thank you very much, John, for your condolences.

   And thank you for sharing your experiences about your beloved pet family members.

   I have heard from other friends and family members that they have gone through this experience with their pets as well. Apparently, it happens more than I was aware of.

   And, yes, I completely agree with you. Sometimes the most loving thing you can do is to let them go. ❤️ 🐕

   Lisa
2. NoFakeNews May 3, 2025 / 10:58 am

   I’m so sorry to hear about Shadow, Lisa. Any animal that lives with us becomes a family member, for sure.

   Sometimes, the best and kindest thing to do is to set something you love free. Although it’s hard to deal with separation and loss, these things are part of The Matrix’s experience, as you know.

   Shadow has an eternal journey, as do all avatars in the game, so as hard as it might be, I think you know what the right decision will be.

   I have had to make that decision several times before with family pets, and each time, I felt so horrible after going through it. But all things painful get better over time, and when you look at these events through less emotional eyes later on, the decision to put down a family pet will be seen as the right one.

   Hang in there and know that everything living here is returning or going on to its next assignment. 🙂

   John
3. lhakes12 May 3, 2025 / 9:11 am

   Yes, all pets teach you patience in some form or another. Cats scratch the furniture and woodwork, and dogs love to chew up things. However, they all have different personalities and each have their own special way of warming your heart. ❤️

   But, oh my, this topic breaks my heart right now, John! 💔

   I had mentioned a couple of months ago that we have a sickly dog. Our Keeshond dog, Shadow, is 13 years old and has suffered from seizures for nearly half his life. There have been numerous trips to the emergency vet in a nearby town, including one time in the middle of the night I drove him there. He has been on seizure medications for many years. We have put a lot of money into this pet.

   Also, additionally, he has developed chronic hip dysplasia in his later years.

   And things became even worse a couple of months ago. He has always been a very well trained dog with never any accidents. However, suddenly he began going in the house everyday. Both peeing and pooping.

   We nearly brought him to be put down. However, we stalled. It was just too hard! I changed his diet to hopefully help things, but it only helped a smidgen. I also bought nearly a dozen of these very large pads to put on the floor all over the house. They have helped a lot in saving our home. Also, it’s much easier to do laundry everyday than scrubbing carpeting. Although these pads tend to be tripping hazards.

   But we finally decided it was just too hard to keep going on like this. It’s also very difficult getting him outside. He falls, because he is fragile. And just the other day he had a seizure and fell down the basement stairs.

   Although I have been grateful that the weather has been a little warmer so that he’s been able to spend more time outside. We have very cold winters in Wisconsin. However, he doesn’t like summer when it will start to get hot either. He has a heavily furry coat. He likes the AC in the summertime. He’s a very beautiful dog!!

   But again, we can’t go on like this. Shadow is going through so much. And he never even barks anymore. That’s very unusual. It’s as though he’s lost his vocal cords, too.

   And our groomer has been having a very difficult time with him as well. He can’t stand for long. His gut sags. She wonders if he doesn’t have cancer. He has been on those deplorable meds for most of his life. He’s had to take them or he would die.

   Our groomer understands if it’s his time. She said that most dogs feel shame for going in the house and displeasing their owners. Because their instinct is to protect their owners, and defecation and urination in the house is giving away their location. As if protecting their own in the wild they want to do business away from their family. They don’t want to give away the scent. Anyway, she was just trying to make me feel better about this decision

   So, he has an appointment at our vet to go over the rainbow 🌈 this Wednesday, May 7th. Both my husband and I will be taking him, and can be with him in the room during his last moments. My older son will be getting out of work early so that he can watch over his brother with autism while we make this very sad trip.

   We’ve never done this with a pet before, and we are dreading it! You can still see Shadow’s sweet soul in his eyes! 😭

   Will we be brave enough to go through with it??

   It goes against everything we have done for him all of his life to save him, and keep him alive!

   Lisa