Mary Jo

naturaleigh · 10-30-2008, 09:38 AM

I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your precious dog. My heart and prayers are with you. Animals are so much a part of the family, I know you are hurting.

I am glad you had a good trip to California and were able to meet the wonderful ladies from this site. I praise God everyday for Joe and Christine for making this site available so we can have support from wonderful people across the world to help us during the good and bad times.

Chelee · 10-30-2008, 12:19 PM

MaryJo, I too wanted to let you know how very sorry I am to hear about the loss of your dog. Our dogs are just like our kids & such a big part of our families. My heart goes out to you. Know that I will be keeping you in my thoughts and prayers.

Chelee

Mary Jo · 10-30-2008, 12:23 PM

Thank you Anita. I appreciate that. Yes, coming home to Murray no longer being with us was (and still is) hard. Thank God we have Hondo still. Murray was a special dog. Very needy. He only was calm around 3 people.....me, my husband and our oldest son. Murray always did have "issues" and stress was his middle name. So, for that I'm thankful his stressful 8 years of life are over BUT feel bad it had to end by him being hit my a car and killed. So, thank you for your concern and kindness. I will try to attach a picture here of Hondo and Murray. Murray is the sable sheltie and Hondo is the bi-black. Murray is the one that is gone. Murray wasn't the cutest dog around but we loved him incredibly and he was beautiful to us.

Love to you Anita,

Mary Jo

Mary Jo · 10-30-2008, 12:24 PM

Thank you Chelee.

Love to you too.

Mary Jo

Leslie's sister · 10-31-2008, 03:01 AM

Mary Jo:

What a sweet picture of your babies. Murray was a good looking dog. I hope that Mark is doing ok. He was pretty quiet about it but I know that he was shook up over the loss of Murray. It really does take a while to get over the loss of a beloved pet. Sometimes we don't even recognize the possibility ourselves until we are in the midst of it. Murray was one blessed dog to have such wonderful owners to love and care for him over his 8 years. Please let our wonderful Lord lift you up in comfort Mary Jo.

And thanks again for such a wonderful visit. I KNOW that Leslie and I will see you again this side of Heaven!

Love you so much,

Lisa

AbbyDawg · 10-31-2008, 04:08 AM

Mary Jo ~

My heart aches for you. I lost my beloved Sheltie in Nov. 2006, four days before her third birthday. Abby (she is the photo I use as my avatar and screen name) was a gift from God. I got her as a pup and within a month my life changed entirely. I moved to be near my Mom as I thought she was "failing" and I wanted to be in the same town. Within three weeks she completely lost her sight and was totally dependent on me 24/7 until she passed away 15 months later. Having a puppy around added much joy for us.

After the stress of losing Mom, I went into an MS flare and had to several rounds of Prednisone (which usually makes me sicker) and then I tore a disc in my back so I did nothing for months but lay on the couch with Abby and my Kat Kirby comforting me every minute of the day.

The second day after I was up and around again I found "The Lump" and within days had a double mastectomy and 4xDD A/C and found out I was Her2+ too late to add Herceptin. And being a relative stranger in town with no family or friends to help me, the two that saw me through were Abby and Kirby.

The night I came home from my first 3-month check up and got the great news that everything looked clear, I drove the two hours home on the highest cloud I had been on in months. Only to come home and find Abby had "crashed." (It was an intestinal problem.) So I called my friend who is a vet and met him at the vet clinic and put her down.

She was a gift from God ... I got a wonderful report from the oncologist for my first 3-month checkup. I believe Abby knew her job was done ... she lightened the last hard months of caring for Mom and she saw me through cancer ...and on the first day I felt safe she was able to leave. She blessed so many so much in less than three years.

So, Mary Jo, from one Sheltie parent to another ... I send you a hug of understanding and compassion.

Helen a.k.a. AbbyDawg

PS: Kirby Kat has continued on marvelously in his new role as sole Chief Companion and Doctor. And he just turned 17 in July. But he thinks and acts like he's only 3 ... but then, he thinks he is a Sheltie too because he has lived with them in the house since he was a kitten ... er, puppy ... and he's never met another cat.

Mary Jo · 10-31-2008, 05:16 AM

Awwww Abbydawg, sweet story. Yes, our pets truly are gifts, aren't they? And, sadly, animals behave (for the most part) as people should. They are not judgemental, they love unconditionally and they unselfishly ONLY want to serve others and think nothing of themselves. As a story I read once about losing animals young pointed out - "animals don't need to learn all the "living" lessons we people do - hence why they can leave so soon."

Thanks Lisa for your kind words. Yes, losing an animal is hard (as you well know) and we really love them more than we know.

Mark and I are doing ok. Each day a bit better. It didn't really hit me until we came home without Murray. Yesterday was a sad day for both of us - even Hondo seemed sad - but today seems better. We did take Hondo on 2 walks yesterday and a car ride, so that was nice.

Enjoy your day all...............and Happy Halloween. Hope the weather is nice wherever you are for your little goblins. The weather will be nice here - IF - you call 50 nice. Haha!

Love and blessings,

Mary Jo

naturaleigh · 10-31-2008, 06:22 AM

This came from the Cancer Crusade:

"A dog is the only thing on earth that will love you more than you love yourself."
~Josh Billings~

"There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face."
~Ben Williams~

(Editor's Note: We received the following from a subscriber named Pam, so while this week's affirmation is not about cancer in humans, it is about cancer in our animal companions and the lessons we can learn from their all-too-brief lives and from the children who understand them perhaps far better than we adults do. We promise to give equal time to cats next week and to show you a photo of a very unusual "cat scan.")

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine an old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners - Ron, his wife Lisa, and their son Shane - were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.

I examined Belker and discovered he had cancer. I had to tell the family there was nothing that could be done for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for their old friend.

As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me that Shane wanted to be with Belker throughout the procedure. They were okay with that, and I agreed that it could be helpful to Shane in letting go of his old friend to know that he did not suffer.

I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time. I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.

The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We all sat together for awhile after Belker's death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animals' lives are so much shorter than most humans' lives.

Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up. "I know why," he said. Startled, we all turned to him.

He said, "People are born so they can learn to be nice, like loving everybody and being good, right?" We nodded. The 6-year old continued, "Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long."

Dear Father, hear and bless
Thy beasts and singing birds,
And guard with tenderness
Small things that have no words.
Amen

WomanofSteel · 10-31-2008, 07:14 AM

Sometimes it almost seems harder to lose our furry friends because they give us such unconditional love. I am saddened to hear of your loss. May you find comfort in your memories.