Go quietly into that long dark night...
By ElicBxn
@ElicBxn (64169)
United States
June 23, 2010 9:57pm CST
My sister called today and told me that she lost her old dog yesterday.
Now, this was her second big dog, and he wasn't as big as the first one, but he was part black lab.
He was also my favorite of all her dogs.
Rascal showed up as a puppy at her office in Knoxville, TN. She had wanted a black lab and she had only a short time before lost her beloved mix breed big yellow dog who had been rescued from the side of a freeway in Dallas.
Rascal was very sweet, he wasn't a real big dog, probably on the small side of big dog, but he was in all other ways a real lab. He was smart, well behaved and took lessons like a champ.
He was such a switch from her crazy cocker, k.d. She was just nutz, but at least she was small, unlike my sister's previous cocker, who was a big gold cocker, Joey.
So, even tho I only met Rascal a handful of times, I know he was a really good dog and I can mourn his passing. I do know that he has joined his pals at the Bridge, k.d. and Annie and get introduced to Buddy and Joey.
So sad, tho, I know my sister is heart broken, but she's been watching him age and turn from an all black dog to a white faced black dog.
For lab, he really defied expectations by living nearly 15 yrs.
I do know that he's probably also greeting Dusty, my sister's cat who taught him to respect cats, she was nearly 20 when she crossed to the Bridge. Pretty good for a cat who's life expectancy was about 2 hours when I rescued her off a busy street in Austin Texas in 1978...
9 people like this
13 responses
@alaskanray (4636)
• United States
24 Jun 10
Most of our beloved pets come and go in our lives and leave big holes when they leave. I've had some that stand out in my memories more than others but those are the ones I truly believe I'll see again in heaven...because it wouldn't be heaven without my beloved pets.
2 people like this
@Maggiepie (7816)
• United States
24 Jun 10
ALASKAN: In my faith (Easter Orthodox Catholic), animals have souls--not like ours, as they don't go against the will of God--but souls, none-the-less. Our churches have annual blessings of animals (as do the Romans), & we even have special prayers for animals in general. Several of mine are buried in our old church's monastery yard, as are Elic's. There is a little service at the burial site. It's very moving.
I just hope I rate, through God's grace, a place in Heaven, where we can talk to them & they to us, as we all did in Eden. I, too, will have a loooong chat with every animal I've ever known. (I confess I'm a tad nervous as to what many dinners of mine will have to say...
Anyway, I'm sure your Samuel & Toby have already met & had reams to say to one another! 
Maggiepie
In her undergraduate thesis at Princeton, Kagan lamented the decline of socialism in the country as "sad" for those who still hope to "change America."
Anyway, I'm sure your Samuel & Toby have already met & had reams to say to one another!
Maggiepie
In her undergraduate thesis at Princeton, Kagan lamented the decline of socialism in the country as "sad" for those who still hope to "change America."1 person likes this
@alaskanray (4636)
• United States
24 Jun 10
I like the way you think. I envision in heaven being able to communicate completely with the animals, too, and can hardly wait to be able to hear them "talk" to me. We'll have so much to say!
When I had to put my beloved cat Samul down, I told him to find my cat Toby who was my other favorite of all my pets and tell him I still miss him. I know for those who do not believe that sounds naive and childish but I really believe that Toby and Samul will be there for me when it's my time to go. 
2 people like this
@ellie333 (21016)
•
24 Jun 10
Hi Elic, sad to hear aboutyoursisters loss bless, you describe him so well, myown black lab went from a young all black into an ageing old man with a grey face and can picture him up their too now playing with all her lost beloved pets. Huggles. Ellie:D
2 people like this
@Hatley (163772)
• Garden Grove, California
24 Jun 10
hi ElicBxn thats really sad and I do feel for her, its horrid to lose'a beloved pet.It seems sometimes like the more loveable a pet dog is the more apt you are to lose it for whatever reason. But at least he will be at the Rainbow bridge and meet friends of his so that may soften things a little for your sister. I still miss my dog Pat that my mom took it upon herself to have put away for not real reason except she wanted a little dog like a Pekingese. I just hope perhaps one day we will meet again. good luck and God bless.
2 people like this
@ElicBxn (64169)
• United States
24 Jun 10
Thanks Hatley, I do feel for my sister, but at least she doesn't have to worry about him since she's coming to Texas next week. I know she worried about him over Christmas and when she came in the spring.
At least he never got some of the health problems that Joey (cancer) and Buddy (lots of problems) did.
1 person likes this
@paula27661 (15811)
• Australia
24 Jun 10
I am sorry for your sister...Labs are the most beautiful dogs and so intelligent! I do wish our feline and canine friends had longer life expectancies! I lost my thirteen year old cat last year and now I look at my twelve year old dog and wander how long I will have her for. It is so painful, they don’t live long enough!
2 people like this
@ElicBxn (64169)
• United States
24 Jun 10
Very true. the cat I lost last week, while we had only had him about 7 years, was 13 when he passed. We look at Sassy who is 19 and know that as long as she's feisty, she will be fighting to live, she's a survivor and has the spunk of a much younger cat.
2 people like this
@scififan43 (2434)
• United States
27 Jun 10
I am sorry to hear about your sister dog. I hope she can find joy in another family pet.
@cerebellum (3863)
• United States
24 Jun 10
I am sorry for your sister's loss. It is always hard to lose a beloved pet. I had a black cat once and as he aged he went gray and white in places. I knew it was only a matter of time but it was still hard.
It sounds like your sister is like you and takes in all the strays. At least he had a good life with her and now he is with all his animal friends.
@cerebellum (3863)
• United States
24 Jun 10
I don't care for dogs. I like cats much better. With dogs it's kind of like kids, they are okay if they are someone else's and you can go home. I respect anyone that does like them and keeps taking them in.
1 person likes this
@jillmalitz (5131)
• United States
24 Jun 10
I lost my older dog in April. She was almost 14. I still am sad but she went quietly surrounded by me, my husband and the other two dogs. She knew she was loved and we all miss her still.
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (51811)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
24 Jun 10
Ah, such is life... it always ends. Sorry for your loss.
Your sister must have a magic touch if her furbabies live well into old age.
@rowantree (1186)
• United States
24 Jun 10
I'm sorry to hear about your sister's dog and her cat. Please don't think about it as "going quietly into that long dark night". Try to think of it as going to a bright, sunny place that's full of happiness instead.
1 person likes this
@ElicBxn (64169)
• United States
24 Jun 10
its just a way of saying that there was a loss, I know my sister will miss him - I think she'll probably now start looking for a place to scatter his ashes, she's done that with her other pets
I bury them myself, but I've lived here for over 26 years
@Maggiepie (7816)
• United States
24 Jun 10
Elic, I didn't know Rascal, but I know & am very fond of your little sister. Next time you see her, please give her this hug for me, okay?
(((((( Patty ))))) BIG squeeze!!
Maggiepie1 person likes this
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
24 Jun 10
I'm sorry about your sister's dog. It is really hard to lose a pet especially when u have had one that long.
@lilangelspreschool (1129)
• United States
1 Jul 10
I'm sorry for your sister's loss =( I know the feeling.
My parents just lost their black lab also. They had him for almost 15 years and he was a great dog! My dad always said he was more of a kid than a pet. He was really smart and so sweet. They had him since I was pretty young so it was really hard. They had to put him down because he had tumors all over, he couldn't stand up and he was crying when he did manage to get up. I really miss him. They put him down 2 days ago =(
He was my dad's best friend, since my dad is handicapped he was the one that stayed home and took care of Pepper. So it really broke his heart to have to put him down but he didn't want him to suffer anymore =( I understand but it still hurts...
=)
@ElicBxn (64169)
• United States
1 Jul 10
I've lost a lot of cats over the years, but my sister hasn't had the number of pets I've had, granted they've lived longer with her... but she's only lost 6...
I really feel for her, she goes to such effort to keep them alive, kind of like our other roommate is doing with her cat
