Your Pet Loss Stories

by Wendy
(Nova Scotia, Canada)

I have had many pets in my life and they have all been very special. I have, still do, consider my four legged loved ones as family. However, there are two that are gone now that I just can't seem to get over losing.

Many years ago I rescued a little one-year old male Shih Tzu (sorry about the spelling)/Peke mix and I named him Brodie. He had been badly abused and was in terrible shape.

When I first brought him home he hid under my kitchen table for days, too afraid to come out for fear of being kicked. All I could get him to eat was toast and then we graduated to wienners. Needless to say his vet was really not happy with that, but he was pleased we were able to get him to eat anything at that point.

I was never able to find a dog food he liked so I would boil chicken, debone it and mix it with rice. His vet suggested the rice. Brodie loved it and everyone I knew thought I was nuts. Leave the dog food in his dish, they would say, he will eventually eat it. Well, no he would not.

Anyway, he became a very special little boy and had many quirks that we had to learn to live with. He was deathly afraid of feet and if he felt threatened by them he would bite the person's foot. I made sure to let everyone know not to move their feet too quickly, like when we would be sitting at the table and Brodie was sleeping under it. Brodie did not like little wee children. Apparently his first family had a little 3-year old who was very mean to him, and contrary to many people's beliefs, Brodie never forgot.

We had Brodie for just about 10 years when I had to take him for his visit to the vets. I couldn't stand to see my little man suffer anymore so four days after Xmas, on my birthday, we visted the doctor. Because our vet knew how I was with him, he met us at the door of the vet clinic and carried Brodie away to his final home. I still have all of his favourite little stuffed animals that he loved to play with and the candy cane shaped rawhide treat he got for his last Xmas. I still miss him dearly.

Another of my very special friends, Feenix, a female Rottie left us a few years ago and I still miss her dearly also. My daughter-in-law bought me a Rottie candle, which is beautiful, as a tribute to our Feenix. She was amazing. We adopted her as a wee baby so nobody had the chance to hurt her. She was so smart. She was trained to hand signals and never had to be walked on a leash.

My children were teenagers when we got her and when they would get frustrated with her because she was so big and in the way, they would just tell her to MOVE. Well, my girl was trained with manners. The kids would complain that she was stupid and didn't listen. I would then show them the proper way to talk to her. I would walk up to her and in a normal voice say to her, "Feenix, move "please"!" The please being the operative word.

She was a gentle giant who loved everyone. She was absolutely wonderful around my grandchildren also. At one point we had three dogs: Feenix - the Rottie; Willow - the Shih tzu and, of course, Zeus - the Chihuahua. At meal time all of their bowls would be in a row and they would stand there together and eat. My youngest, who at the time was a toddler, quite a surprise I might add as my youngest before her was 23, would crawl under Feenix and place herself between Feenix's front legs and help herself to the kibble also. Feenix would not even try to stop her and didn't really like it when I came and took her baby away. LOL She was just wonderful.

I miss them terribly. The only solace I can give myself now is that they are no longer in pain and suffer no more. Feenix's candle still sits in a special place in my front room and Brodie's toys are in a little bowl along side of it.

I love you Brodie and Feenix. Mommy misses you.