Pet Obituaries
At year’s end we remember the passing of the famous. Pets never make this list–usually! But, this year the Boston Globe offered an obituary of “Splash”, the 13 year-old Portuguese Water Dog that shared the life of Senator Edward Kennedy. One wonders with what joy the two must have greeted each other when reunited!
“I like to think that he and his Master are playing tennis ball fetch again tonight,” Vicki Kennedy wrote when announcing Splash’s death.
Many pets have their names listed in newsletters when crossing the Rainbow Bridge. Why do so few have their own obituary? They too have contributed much. Why are we reluctant to publish our grief? True, sometimes pets are mentioned in a death notice of family members and I have seen many pictures of pets at “viewings” and in veterinary hospital Memorial Albums. A friend of mine once said a picture with a pet defines who you are!
The late Robert Flowers, a veterinarian who gave grief seminars, once noted that men seemed to carry grief harder than women. He often told the story of a football player who had to euthanize his companion. Flowers said the owner made six visits to the hospital before before finally parting with his dog.
I lost my Cagney at age 13 in 2010. She is still a strong presence in my home. She didn’t play ball but I imagine that while she now waits for me she occupies herself with the pet therapy she loved and waves at friends she knows. She loved to wave with her left front paw and I know her wave will be the first thing I will want to see.
Like so many of us the first death we experience is that of a pet. I know mine was. And it remains unforgettable. I can still see my dog in the road and know she had been following me on a foggy morning.
Perhaps we gather these lists and pictures of the people who touched our lives because we don’t want to say good-bye. After all, who wants to forget love?
Jan 02, 2011 | | Uncategorized