“Dogs die. But dogs live, too. Right up until they die, they live. They live brave, beautiful lives. They protect their families. And love us. And make our lives a little brighter. And they don’t waste time being afraid of tomorrow.” – Dan Gemeinhart
I’ve had to wait a while to write this post about losing one of my grand dogs. I was too sad when I thought about sweet Reba. Not long ago she escaped her backyard fence several hours after dark. She was missed almost right away. Her family lives on a dead end street with hardly any traffic. On one side of that are more neighborhoods with houses and no fast traffic, but unfortunately, in the other direction, not far as the crow flies or as a curious little dog might chase a scent of who knows what there is a through road with much traffic. Sadly, that is the way she went. A black dog perhaps with her nose to the ground being an instinctive hunter in the dark night. The driver probably never saw her. My son found her after the family discovered her missing and went out calling and searching. A terrible moment for him and a sad time for all the family as they took her to my daughter-in-law’s parent’s farm and buried her near midnight. Tears in the night for all of them because they all loved their energetic and lovable Reba.
Reba was my granddaughter’s dog. She found her online and got her while she was still a pup. It was anybody’s guess exactly the different varieties that made up Reba. She was long with short legs like a basset hound and very big paws. She had a head that might make you think labrador. She had a hound’s bark and nose. And she loved the girls who welcomed her into their lives. I often kept Reba when her family was vacationing and then last summer when they were in the process of selling their house and then painting and replacing the flooring in their new place. So I probably had her and her big buddy, Waylon, for two or three months at various times last year. She loved to sleep in my wicker chair or as close as she could get to Waylon.
When I first kept them, I had Oscar. Oscar was the best dog in the world but he wasn’t crazy about sharing his space with other dogs. He tolerated it when Waylon and Reba came to visit, but you could almost see him sighing with relief when they went home. Reba didn’t let that bother her. She just assumed he liked her the same as everybody else did. Not a bad attitude to have.
She loved to go walking with Oscar and me, and then later Frankie and me. Waylon was happy to stay at the house. Walking a mile or two was not on his list of things to do each day. But Reba was ready to go. I took her a few times without a leash, but then one day she started sniffing down in one of the holes that sometimes appear in our fields and I think what if she pushed herself all the way into an underground opening and I couldn’t get her out. Poor dog had to have leashes after that imagined disaster. But I had a long leash and she still had fun on our walks.
She was a dog that lived her life to the fullest with a joyful abandon. We cried when she was gone. We miss her. But one thing sure, we’ll never foget our odd mixture of breeds mutt with the heart as big as she was.
And so my granddaughters can perhaps think of this quote from an unknown source. “You’ve lost a dog but gained a guardian angel.”
“Dogs’ lives are short, too short, but you know that going in. You know the pain is coming, you’re going to lose a dog, and there’s going to be great anguish, so you live fully in the moment with her, never fail to share her joy or delight in her innocence, because you can’t support the illusion that a dog can be your lifelong companion. There’s such beauty in the hard honesty of that, in accepting and giving love while always aware that it comes with an unbearable price.” – Dean Koontz
Thanks for reading. Have you ever lost a dog or special pet you loved?
Comments 27
So sorry to hear about the loss of that sweet dog. Over our lives, we have lost several beloved dogs, and it is always painful. You never get used to it, but can take comfort in the good life you had with them. All ours were rescues, and each one special…even the Granddogs!
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I’ve had a number of rescues too, Lynda. We only bought the one dog and my husband gave me that one for my birthday. I’ll have to share the story I wrote about getting that dog on here sometime. It’s longer than a normal post, but you all might enjoy it. But however we ended up with our dog buddies it was just as hard to tell them goodbye.So many good dog buddies through the years.
Lady, is the pet I rmember most. My brother thought she belonged to him…but she belonged to all of us. She was a border collie mix and the most gentle creature in the world. (Even when he’d try to make her sic one of us…she’d just pretend–for his sake, I guess). The only thing she feared were thunderstorms. One day it was pitching a fit outside and she was glued to my side. We had stairs that had a landing and she was following me around as I got ready to go out. I had headed for the stairs, but at the last second, make a right into my bedroom. She didn’t and down the first flight of stairs she went. The look she gave me as she scrambled to her feet was priceless. She died many years later of old age, but was greatly loved by all.
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Those pets that love everybody in the family are the best, Sandi. That was the kind of dog Reba was. She was the one granddaughter’s dog but she was free and easy with her love for the other kids in the family too. Sounds as if your border collie pet either felt betrayed by you or embarrassed that she fell. I’ve definitely seen dogs that act embarrassed about something. Sometimes because they’ve had a haircut.
I’m so sorry for the loss of Reba! Losing a furbaby is one of the hardest things ever!! I’ve lost many over the years, but wouldn’t trade having them to love for anything! There’s nothing quite like the love of a dog. My heartfelt condolences to your granddaughter and your family.
So sorry. Big hugs.
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Thank you, Lucy. Hugs are always appreciated.
Ann, I’m so sorry to hear about Reba. She sounds like a wonderful dog, one who was greatly loved.
We’ve lost several different varieties of pets, and it’s never easy.
Prayers, hugs and blessings to you and yours, my dear friend~🙏🤗💖
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Robbie, so fun to hear from you here. I appreciate you chiming in with your kind thoughts for those who loved Reba. Hugs back to you.
What a beautiful tribute and those quotes you shared were so true. I have lost more dogs than I could mention here and each one took a piece of my heart. But I still love them and will continue to love the one I’m still blessed with because my life is so much more special with him in it. I’m so sorry for the loss of your little friend.
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We do want to outlive our dogs because as one of the quotes said that I didn’t use their short lives are really their only fault, Cathy. But then perhaps that’s not all bad as we have the opportunity to invite more dogs into our lives. I’m like you, I’ve had a parade of dogs in my life and all unique and special in some way. And now with the granddogs I have even more to love. Plus, I’ve had neighbor dogs that I enjoyed getting to know. All friends to give me smiles.
Have laid several to rest myself throughout my life span, most recently my 18 year old Rocky cat.
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Sometimes I don’t know which is easier to lose, Carroll. A pet that has had a long life and thus you’ve had them in your life for a long time or a pet that dies too young. Maybe both. Hard to say goodbye to those animals we’ve loved. I think people feel this way about their horses too.
So sorry your Granddaughter has lost her pet. My family has lost pets also and it’s always a hard thing. I try to enjoy good memories about them and after a while it don’t hurt as much.
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It is fun to remember all the good things and what they did that made you laugh, Connie. A very good way to handle the sadness of losing a sweet friend.
I’m so sorry to read about the loss of Reba. I know your sweet granddaughter (and all of you) is heartbroken. Our furbabies are family and losing one is profound. I could see from the pictures you’ve posted and the previous posts about her that she had a unique personality to go with her bloodline. I’ll pray that your granddaughter has only sweet memories as she processes her loss.
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She was a fun dog for sure, Lavon. I had so many cute pictures of her it was hard to chose what to pu in my post. My granddaughter waited a little while and then she found a dog to rescue at one of the shelters. A new dog doesn’t make you forget, but it does give you a new friend to love.
What a beautiful dog! So shiny and black. Rest In Peace, Reba! My condolences to the family, especially to your granddaughter. A very sad time, but an inevitable time. But we who love our furry friends don’t dwell on the inevitable, but enjoy the years that we are blessed with.
Oh my, yes, over my lifetime I’ve had several pets and mourned each one when they left all too soon. Two met their demise as Reba did-not intentionally let out, but escaping through a door or gate that was carelessly left open. I think those deaths were the hardest to accept since they left us before their lifespan was over. So very sad. Praying for all of you. 🙏🏻
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You’re right, Karen. That did make losing Reba harder. As my son said afterward, how come other dogs get out and wander around and then are found or find their way back home safely? What made this even worse was that she had had a dog earlier that dug out of their yard at another house and was hit by a car right in front of her eyes as she was going after her. Reba didn’t dig out of this new fence but then the gate didn’t catch when somebody pushed it closed. So sad for them, but the good news is it’s been a month or so since this happened and my granddaughter found a new dog to rescue from a shelter.
Ann, I’m so sorry for the loss of Reba. It’s so hard to lose a beloved fur baby.
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It is hard, Caryl, especially when you feel the pain of her family. My grandkids have experienced the loss of several dogs in their young lives. One that died of natural old age causes. Another very sweet dog that had cancer and died at age 3. And their other grandparents have had some dog losses too. One run over in their driveway. Another, a young dog, with what they thought was a sudden heart attack. And now Reba. And of course, my sweet Oscar with bone cancer. But at the same time, they’ve had a lot of different dogs to love and remember.
So sorry to of her grandaughter’s loss of her sweet dog Reba, which was also your loss,Ann! Psalm 34:18
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I did like the sweet dog, Emily. We’re always sorry to say goodbye to our furry friends when they cross the Rainbow Bridge whatever the reason. Thank you for the Bible verse. “The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.” You always find the right verse.
So sorry for the loss of
Reba, it is sad to lose a pet, I saw in the picture you had Oscar, my son has an English Mastiff, she is a gentle giant the most loving girl always want to be touching you, I dread the day they ever lose her, it will be like a floodgate being released with tears. Rest well Reba .
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The English mastiff is my daughter-in-law’s dog, Donna. That’s Waylon. My Oscar is the bigger black dog in the picture of all three of them. Oscar had bone cancer and I lost him a couple of years ago. But my son’s family do love their mastiff and as you say he’s a gentle giant that likes people paying him attention. It will be an unhappy day when they lose him for sure. I hope your son’s mastiff has a long life.
I’m so sorry for the loss of Reba; I hurt for your entire family but especially for your granddaughter. My husband and I have only had one dog since we married 45 years ago, and she was our first “daughter”. She brought us much joy although as a puppy, she could be quite mischievous. As a mixture of Schnauzer and Poodle, she was quite smart and active, but she could also be quite loving. She caught a peeping Tom our first year living in an apartment, she alerted me to water having boiled out of a saucepan on the stove, and she sounded the doggie doorbell long before anyone reached our front door. We loved her dearly and were so sad when she was 16.5 years old and her liver would not function properly anymore. Unfortunately my husband is allergic to cats and dogs, so we did not buy/adopt another dog. So we enjoy our neighbors cats and dogs.
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Thanks for sharing about your dog. She sounds like a great first “daughter.” And one that took care of you too, Suzanne. Too bad your husband is allergic. I have a grandson who is allergic to dogs so it makes it difficult for him when he comes to visit even though I keep my dogs away from him. He can still have problems just being around where they’ve been. And he likes dogs which makes it even harder. I’m glad you had your sweet dog a good long time. Few dogs make it past 17 although some do. I’ve never had one that lived that long.