Rest in Peace:) Story of my dogs.

Rainbow Bridge

The Rainbow Bridge is the theme of a work of poetic prose written some time between 1980 and 1992, whose original creator is unknown. The theme is of an other-worldly place to which a pet goes upon its death, eventually to be reunited with its owner.
    • Gold Top Dog

    Rest in Peace:) Story of my dogs.

    I just wanted to take a minute to remember all my dogs that have been in my life, and have passed away... I have been missing them very much lately. To start, my first dog ever, Pepper, (a black lab/possible chow mix). She was so wonderful. My parents saved her right around the time I was born. She was very fun. She didn't like a lot of people though. She escaped the yard a lot, but always came back. :) She was very adventurous. We knew that her and our neighbor's dog, Sammy (Pyrenees), were playing a lot, they both got out of the yard a lot. But where we lived, it wasn't that bad. Almost everyone's dog did. It was like a giant dog park/neighborhood. But eventually, Pepper became pregnant. :) She gave birth to beautiful puppies. Sadly, one of them died at birth. Of the one's I can remember, there was Angel, Magellan, Cinder, Princess, Freddie, and a couple more that we gave away too soon to name. Later. we had given away Angel, (who is now named Mercedes), and Magellan. So, we kept the rest. :) All sisters. (Magellan was the only boy.) So, we had our 3 beautiful daughters of Pepper. When they were a few years old, Pepper had passed away, right in front of me. It was from old age, no medical problems. We were laying down outside by the stairs, and she wasn't acting right. She wouldn't move. I called my mom at work, and she just said to stay with her and watch her. I tried to tempt her to come up the stairs with some salami, and she wasn't interested in it at all. So, after a while, I finally got her to go up the stairs, but she was very weak. She laid down next to me, and I pet her, until I watched her drift to sleep... She lived about 13 years. We buried her in the yard. :) Rest in peace Pepper. :) So, now we just had the daughters, Cinder, Freddie, and Princess. Princess was always the dominant one, and her and Freddie didn't get along. Which made me sad. :( But, after a few years, we were forced to move into a new house. We had to keep the dogs at our other house for a few weeks because we had to build a fence. (No worries, we fed them and everything:) But when we finally got them to our new house, it was a sad time. :( It was around Christmas, and a few days after we moved there, my brother found Freddie, under the porch. :'( We to this day have no idea what happened. She was only around 4. Her stomach had been a bit inflated before, but no one really thought anything of it. Now that I'm older, I have a few suspicions that it could have been bloat, or on the other hand maybe she got bit by a rattlesnake or something... we don't know. We buried her in the yard. Rest in peace, Freddie-Bear. :) Then, we had Princess and Cinder. 2 years later, (4-25-12) to be exact, Cinder passed away from a horrible disease called pyometra. I cried so much that night. She was my best friend. I cry about her still. I miss her so much. 4-25-12
    • Gold Top Dog

    ((Hugs)) Megan.  All your furr babies that have passed are romping and playing in the "fence" free meadows over the bridge.  I was struck by a comment you made about Freddie and how now that you are older you have more knowledge.  We all progess this way.  I have lost many furr babies myself, it is hard but with each one they teach you more and with each one your heart is full with love.  I always tell everyone, I have had pets all my life but Shadow taught me how to be a good pet parent.  He was with us only 4 years but those 4 years completely changed the way my hubby and I felt about raising our furr babies.  You will continue to have more pets in your lifetime and they will all teach you something new and there will always be a place in your heart for each one.

    • Gold Top Dog
    Thank you. :) It means a lot. :) I know that Cinder really made me look at things differently... You're right... with every one I have learned something. :) Thank you.
    • Gold Top Dog

    lakalakadaka16
    Thank you. :) It means a lot. :) I know that Cinder really made me look at things differently... You're right... with every one I have learned something. :) Thank you.

     

    I know you want your own shelter someday -- and you've learned the hard way why people are always screaming "spay and  neuter".  Pyometra is the biggest killer of female dogs -- the risk increases exponentially every year they remain unspayed (most of the time even dogs that are left intact to show, ultimately are spayed/neutered because it decreases the health risks long term).    But it can happen any time from their first "season" to when they are really old.  (There are problems that can occur in unneutered males as well -- not just cancer.)

    We've learned a lot in the last 25-30 years about how to help dogs live longer -- things like getting dentals (clean teeth helps prevent heart problems in dogs just like in humans).

    But thinking back to all they've taught us -- it's a wonderful thing and it really honors those who have gone before!!