Hello:

Not to diminish anyone else's bereavement... but, to me, the death of a pet is as painful as that of a human family member or a dear friend... Somebody here has a signature that includes something like, the ONLY thing wrong with dogs is that they don't live long enough. I couldn't agree more.

No, I didn't lose anybody recently, but I wanted to pay tribute to ALL my pets that have preceded me to the promised land, whatever that is. I loved every one of them - some even MORE than humans, and I miss them terribly.

excon

PS> No response needed. I just wanted to say what I said.

I totally agree. If my best cat in the whole world, Thomas Jefferson, isn't waiting for me in heaven, I don't want to go there.

I agree. Sometimes losing a "pet" is incredibly difficult. You become attached to them and they become part of your family. I have lost many that have hurt. I like that you made this "tribute"... very cool.

I agree. I lost two great pets in the last 5 years. My dear cat Joe, he was 18 and my golden retriever Forrest who was 13.
I still miss those guys. I hope they both know how much they were loved and missed.

Unconditional love. Waggy, affectionate, smother us with kisses all out love. Why such short lives? I want a shorter life too.

My favorite Twilight Zone episode is the one with the country guy who dies with his dog. He finds himself at heaven's gate, and it's a country split rail fence with rolling fields as far as the eye can see. The hayseed angel at the gate says 'Come on in, but you can't bring your dog.' The guy says no thanks and wanders down the road, where he comes to another gate, and they both enter. The one that turned down his dog? You guessed it.

Unconditional love. Waggy, affectionate, smother us with kisses all out love. Why such short lives? I want a shorter life too.

My favorite Twilight Zone episode is the one with the country guy who dies with his dog.
You made me look it up -- "The Hunt" January 26, 1962 --

The Hunt (The Twilight Zone) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hunt_%28The_Twilight_Zone%29)

Sorry, the death of a pet will never, never equal the death of a child in my opinion.

True, Karma. But excon started with that in a way.
My dad died in June, at 92. I lived with him for the last several years, and enjoyed every minute of it. Because he was so sweet and because he was old, I didn't grieve like I would for an equally sweet child, who would keep me sad and longing for a very long time. I grieved in the ways I grieve over pets. Not to pound that word into the ground, but it is a sweet grief. I don't think that diminishes either human or pet. There was no baggage, no anger, no unsaid words, no regret with any of them, just simple and sweet.

Thanks SO much Wondergirl!