Dear Diary: My German Shepherd of Over Ten Years Passed Away...
Sage, my beautiful German Shepherd of over 10 years, passed away in our home 11-11-2017 at 1:40 pm. I felt like it was sudden, but looking back, there were plenty of signs that her time was soon. I loved her so much- I was in denial and hoped that she would go to live on even longer. My husband bought her a new bed, a heater, and comfort food the night before. He helped her go outside on her last "walk" that night. She collapsed just a few feet from the house, and he carried her back in. That night, she slept in the living room and did not go back to her usual bed. I laid with her on the ground for a while, but she barely noticed me. Occasionally she licked pumpkin off my fingers or drank water. I had hope even as her breathing slowed. In the morning, we had plans to go out of town, but we had to get her medications first. The way everything worked out was serendipitous. We came home just as she was coming close to passing. How and why we managed to get home just as it was her time I'll never know, except that it was a gift from God. We cried as we made her more comfortable and told her she was a good girl. I prayed to Saint Francis of Assisi to intercede a swift and painless death, as there was no way to travel with her to the vet since it took more than an hour. She wagged her tail at us and was happy when we got her longtime friends, the two cats Thor and Stewie, and brought them to her. We sat with her and petted her until she finally fell back and let go of this world, and she seemed unafraid. I'm still crying. I used to be scared of Sage because she was a big dog but after she protected me from a robber we became really close friends. I miss her noise and company in the house. I cried because the mailman came and she did not bark. I'm crying now because she's usually on top of my feet while I edit and write, but now she’s not. I had nightmares about death and dying the night we lost her- mostly because I'm going through a very real rollercoaster of grief.
Pets can become family, and Sage was definitely part of mine. The loss of a pet is very impactful. I only wish the world could understand the grief and pain that can come with it. The world went on, but our hearts have huge holes in them. Some people have been infinitely kind and understanding, while others have been unable to understand how we could be so emotional about a dog.
I'm not sure I could conceive a decade of love in enough words to explain how much she meant to us and how much it broke my heart into a million pieces to know she was waiting to die until we got home for her to wag her tail at us for one last time.
If you would like to see a few video clips of Sage, please click on the video box below.
Credits:
Post Editor :LoveandForgive
