All Dogs Go To Heaven

by Barbara Latta

Super Bowl Sunday—the long awaited championship game of the year is on the agenda today.

But for some the highlight of the game is not the points on the scoreboard, but the anticipation of the commercials; especially those focusing on animals. Whether the star of the ad is furry puppies, cute kittens, funny ducks, or talking cows, these commercials always seem to be the most popular. Critters become superstars of the Super Bowl overnight while making us laugh or creating a tug on our hearts.

Weenie and his "thug" look

If you are a pet owner, your animals are your super stars even if they are not on TV. That’s why it’s so hard to lose one. Last week I wrote about the grief we feel when a loved one passes on. But there is another kind of sadness we suffer when we lose our four-legged friends.

While our pets are not the spiritual beings we humans are, we still have a soul connection with them and when they die we hurt. We come to care for them as family members even though they cause us frustration, make messes to clean up, and cost us money. But these additions to our household also make us laugh and bring joy into our lives. Without them, life just wouldn’t be the same.

Rusty

Take some of the antics of our mini-dachshund, Rusty, for example. Have you ever known a dog to eat a whole bowl of peppermint candy? (After seeing the effects of this, which was red coming out all over the place, I ran as fast as I could to the vet because I thought it was blood.) Or a dog who could get the door off a locked kennel and get out of it? What about a dog who likes to ride in your lap on the lawnmower? Rusty has been gone for over 7 years and we are still talking about him.

We have two dogs now, a snoodle, Buster, and a half-snoodle/ half dachshund, Peanut. 

Buster and Peanut

While visiting our son and his wife in Florida last year, we left our dogs in the backyard with Kato, their German Shepherd and Weenie, their Chi-weenie, while we went out one day. After returning to the house for something we forgot, we saw Weenie and Peanut in the front yard wagging their tails like we should be glad to see them in a place they didn’t belong. Peanut had dirt all over his face because he had dug under the fence and Weenie just followed the leader. Peanut looked up at us as if to say, “I didn’t do it.”

Last week, our son and daughter-in-law lost Kato. Less than 8 months ago they lost Weenie in an accident. Both will be greatly missed and talked about for years to come. It’s tough to say good-bye to our pets no matter when or how it happens, but losing two in

Pop and Benji

the same year just doubles the pain. And last year, my father-in-law lost his beloved Benji after many years of companionship.

Our animals are companions and comforters and those of us who love them think whatever we go through because of our furry friends is worth the cost. If you have recently lost a pet, my heart goes out to you. I know what you are going through.

These suggestions may help you do something positive with your pain:

• If it is financially feasible and your location allows it, try to get another pet as soon as possible.
• Think about visiting a rescue shelter for adoption and give another lonely animal a home.
• Share funny stories about your pet with other pet owners who understand.
• If you can’t get another pet now, try helping friends who are dog or cat owners when they go out of town or just need to have the  animal looked in on during the day.

Weenie, Kato, and Rain the cat

Years ago, there was a cartoon movie called  "All Dogs Go To Heaven". I think maybe they do.

If you would like to remember your companion here, please feel free to share your stories.