Hey guys, I know there are a lot of dog lovers and I just wanted to share a bit about our heart breaking weekend. My best friend, Buddy, passed away just 6 weeks shy of his 13th birthday.
Friday night I accidentally left our back door open and heard our wiener dog down the road barking, so I ran outside to chase him. Our pit puppy was digging in the trash and Buddy sorrowfully wandered out from the dark forest with his head held down. I thought he got into the trash can too as he has a very shameful look when does something wrong, but he just looked very depressed and was coughing up lots of clear fluid. I stopped scolding him when I realized something was wrong and preyed that we'd wake up in the morning to a lively old poochy again. There was no scent of garbage on him and his head wouldn't lift off the floor even for some late night kibble.
Unfortunately when we woke up his condition deteriorated. He finally got up from his dog bed only to collapse against the hallway trying to get to his water dish. I lifted him back to his bed and we had attempted to stand him up for breakfast but he was glued to the floor. My heart was sinking. I fought back tears and thoughts creeping into my mind that things were taking a turn for the worst. He wouldn't eat kibble and wouldn't even touch a steak we tearfully cooked for him.
We were planning a family dinner at my mothers and figured we should really take Buddy as his life seemed to be slipping away at a fast pace. I drove slowly and my exchange students kept a watchful eye, but he became incontinent just before pulling into the driveway and the tears were even harder to hold back. We carefully lifted him out of the vehicle, cleaned him up and his legs quivered as he lost control of his bladder as well. When we brought him inside there was a lot of silence for minutes as my mom skimmed through the phone book to check for an emergency pet hospital to take him to. We knew it wasn't for a check up and that it would be to let our canine family member leave this life in peace. I went to the washroom to get some toilet paper and passed my aunt who couldn't stay in the kitchen anymore with the family when I came back. I couldn't fight and hold back my tears once I returned to the sight of my stepdad, a 230lb Canadian mountain man, petting Buddy with tears streaming down his face while trying to console him. That was the breaking point, seeing a man so physically strong reduced to tears as his family member, not a "pet", slipped away helplessly.
It was a bitter sweet situation that we had happened to have organized a big family dinner this weekend because all of my immediate family, save for my youngest brother, was able to make it to the veterinary hospital to be with Buddy as we euthanized him. The vet concluded that cancerous tumors and/or cysts had broken around his organs causing internal bleeding which had spread to his lungs causing a shortness of breath. They had quickly prepared an intravenous catheter to deliver pain medication as well as a room where we could say our goodbyes and comfort him as he passed on. When we gave the go-ahead, it was no more than 10 seconds before he was gone. I know that for some it would seem as though it's nothing more than an animal that we sheltered for our convoluted reasons and that it's irrational to grow so attached to an animal - for dog lovers there are no words to explain just how completely wrong that is. Buddy passed away peacefully at 6:10pm, March 24, 2012.
To pay respect, grieve, and to abstain from negativity I will be taking a leave from posting on Getbig. I don't mean to be a drama queen, but I don't want to pollute my mind with bullshit for a little while. It will be somewhat of a mental cleanse. I'll be back somewhere down the road if anyone cares. I'd like to share a few quick photos that bring a smile to my face as well. I'm pulling a hard drive out from an old computer to make sure I've retrieved every last image of him I could find. We thankfully have thousands of pictures of him, but they can only provide a marginal amount of comfort as he was the best dog and one of the best living beings I have ever loved. Best wishes to everyone here, even phaggots like Goodrum, but especially to those who are dog lovers as well. You guys understand how unimaginably special these creatures are. I still have two which I love with all my heart, and I can sense that they're aware of Buddy's passing as well. Dogs are very special creatures and I empathize with anyone who's had to endure the passing of their dog. If I ever truly become a man, it will have been through emulating the insurmountable compassion and love that Buddy showed to everyone he had met.
tl;dr version:
- dog died this weekend
- heart is absolutely fucking crushed
P.S. Mods, please don't move this thread. I threw down a front double bi's and a most muscular after taking a shower this morning and looked like a bag of smashed assholes. Now this thread is bodybuilding related. Cheers.