circus mind: Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad DAY

It’s never easy to put a fuzzy family member to sleep. Some are harder than others. This time it was a doozy.

We’re so grateful to Dr. Park from Park Animal Hospital, who kindly paid a house call and made the “special pink shot” as easy as possible for Mr. Bear. It was peaceful. He’s a very sweet man.

Please forgive me for the following parade of photos. It’s how I process things.

Bear had been working on this hole for months. He dug his own grave… isn’t that considerate? Mitch and O just had to make it a little deeper and wider.

Here he is peeing on his own grave. Nice one, buddy.

We tried to make sure he was smothered in love before we said goodbye.

Marlene got Bear as a puppy in 1997. He moved in with Mitch after his divorce and was very good medicine during that hard time.

He played some good Bear Ball… and got completely exhausted.

Joni and Jared brought him some delicious meaty treats from the restaurant.

Owen has been especially distressed. He’s going to miss Bear so much.

{{{{{waggly ears}}}}}

We’re going to miss the Old Man. What a sweet dog he was. I don’t even have the words to tell you about the moments following his passing. Intense? Emotional? A little bit spiritual? All of the above.

I thought the worst was over, but I have a feeling it’s just beginning because Bear’s constant companion is left behind and she’s not dealing with it too well.

Poor blind Molly.

We let her sniff him, she watched him be buried, she sniffed all around.

We hoped that would help.

No such luck.

This morning when I went to let her out of the laundry room she was a mess. Running around the yard searching for him and whining, then coming back and looking at me with worried ears. She didn’t even eat her hot dog. WEINER REFUSAL! That’s when you know things are not good.

I feel so terrible for her.

Luckily she has this beautiful girl to help her out.