Sadness....



These past few weeks have been tough. On the work front, the teacher's union has been at battle with the government and we are on a full scale strike. Had to say a quick good-bye to my Kindergarteners last Thursday and clear out my classroom with lightening speed. But if the negotiations go well, we may be back. Our school year ends on the 26th.

Then in the midst of all of this our dog has had declining health. On Wednesday morning, he had a hard time getting up and was refusing to eat or drink. He had been struggling for the past few months but always enjoying his food and eating every crumb in the house....but he refused a biscuit, pizza and other treats we tried to entice him with. His pain medication was doing nothing and by Thursday afternoon could not stand up anymore. His eyes spoke to us, they had such sadness. We knew it was time. So on Thursday evening surrounded by our family we said good-bye to our beloved pet and loyal companion for 13 1/2 years. 


When we got him as a puppy we had NO clue what we were getting into. My in-laws tried their hand at breeding and gave us the first born of the litter. Henry was a spirited puppy and obedient dog. He stole every piece of food that wasn't put out of his reach. He kept us on our toes. Walks didn't tire him out, so I started running with him to tire him out. He whipped me into shape and trained with me for half marathons. He slept in my son's room and kept the nightmares and boogie men away. He guarded our house and made sure no cat EVER stepped foot on our property. He adored his "kids," and loved going for walks with my children. And no peanut butter filled tortilla wrap was ever safe in your hands.

We are glad he is in no pain anymore...he will be forever missed.



RIP  O'Henry

20 comments

  1. I so feel your pain Barbara....it is just heartbreaking. My baby is 11 so I know my time is not far off....it about kills ya . Thinking about you my friend.

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  2. My heart hurts for you, friend. We lost our baby of 15 years this year and I still miss him daily. Thoughts and prayers for your family.

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  3. So sorry to hear of the loss of your pup :(

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  4. Hi Barbara- I am so sorry to hear of the loss of your pup. We have an 11 year old black lab and I am dreading the day... let's keep our fingers crossed about this 'strike'. It was a terrible way to send my k's off - no real closure. Good thoughts today:)

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  5. My heart goes out to you - losing a family member is such a heart-breaking time. We lost our Martha at 12.5 years old 7 years ago and we still miss her terribly. A piece of my heart went with her that day. Big hugs xo

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  6. Aww - I'm so sorry Barbara. Sounds like he was a great dog :)

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  7. Oh, Barbara...I am so sorry to hear this, my heart is with you and your family. We are going through a difficult time with our dog. A nasty infection in his toe and multiple diagnosis have left us not knowing how this will all end up. We are so sad because other than this awful infection, he is fine, but there is no easy answer. We are about to try another round of antibiotics, I'm am praying so hard that they clear things up. xoxoxox

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  8. I'm so sorry for the loss of your beautiful, sweet, kind and loyal dog. We lost our cat just a week ago, and like you, glad she's no longer suffering, but definitely feeling the loss.

    This is a lovely tribute to your companion. My heart goes out to you.

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  9. Barbara, I feel your pain. We lost our sweet Golden Retriever of 13 years, this time last year. I was actually just thinking about it the other day...knowing the date was nearing. It is never easy. They are members of the family just like anyone else. Praying all works out on the work front as well.

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  10. Oh B ~ Upon reading this my eyes are full of tears. As you know I am quite aware as to how hard it is losing a dog. I am truly honoured to have met Henry a few times and each time I made sure to give him as much of my love as I knew his time was limited. I'm super happy that the family was also all around to be together in order to say goodbye. Hugs to you my friend and good luck with the teacher's strike. It's summer time which means I get to have a visit/s with my B! Let me know when you're around for a lunch and shopping. xo T

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  11. So sorry for your loss Barbara. Henry sounded like a sweet and loving dog.

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  12. {{{Big Hugs}}}, Friend. Thinking of you...

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  13. Henry sounds a lot like Squirt - I bet they're both hanging out together right now enjoying a dip in the water and plotting their next peanut butter filled tortilla wrap heist :-) They're such a big part of our lives and leave such a big hole in our hearts when they're gone. Hugs to you and your family Barbara

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  14. Very sad news :(

    Thinking of you and your family.

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  15. Heartbreaking! I am soooo sorry Barb for you and your family to have lost such a family member. I love how pets enrich our lives, and you were lucky to have had him, and he you. Bless you all.
    xo Nancy

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  16. Hi Barbara, I'm so sorry to hear about Henry. What a nice tribute and photos for such a handsome chocolate boy. Thinking of you.

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  17. I am so sorry Barbara. Henry sounds like he was a very special pup.

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  18. I feel your pain! I'm so sorry for your loss. Our beloved 7 1/2 year old Golden Doodle has lymphoma and we are heartbroken.

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