Hey everyone ![Smile :) :)](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
I don't know if it's just me but when you sadly lose your faithful companion to old age or illness and someone says "It's just a dog" it makes me question "What kind of person has no sympathy for the passing of an animal".
Sadly this is what I faced today when I was thinking of adopting/buying another dog.
Leaving 2021 behind was met with much joy and liberation for me on one edge of the coin after having the courage to open up about 32 years of abuse. On the other side I laid two beautiful souls to rest who literally saved my life.
![Honey (28th July 2017) (Part 2).jpg Honey (28th July 2017) (Part 2).jpg](https://www.veganforum.org/data/attachments/26/26391-ff10540b0617b61ad611fa9113465cff.jpg)
First is "Honey" my beautiful wee Shih Tzu who was going to be put to sleep because the breeder didn't want her as she was the runt of the litter. This little character in which I thought I saved actually ended up saving my mother and I as we both were going through a lot of domestic violence at the time.
She sadly passed away at the age of 4 due to kidney disease and it was soul destroying. I done everything I could as did our vet but sadly the disease took over into advance stages.
![Duke (5th June 2019) (Part 2).jpg Duke (5th June 2019) (Part 2).jpg](https://www.veganforum.org/data/attachments/26/26392-ae198d00f231e26535e991952cc0530c.jpg)
In between Honeys 2nd birthday my abuser moved away and we introduced "Duke" our beautiful Standard Poodle. As Honey was mainly bought for my mother and being 6'1
(Yes, I am tall for a girl) I eat my spinach
Hehe ![Smile :) :)](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
I had went up to look at Standard Poodles and I noticed how quiet they all were for being so young, you'd expect puppies to me bouncing around and up to mischief.
The breeder had said the puppies were hit by her husband quite severely especially Duke. I knew I had to take him. He was very scared of men and it took a very long time to reassure him that not all human beings are cruel.
I sat every night stroking him and speaking softly that he was now in a loving home and would never have to endure any mistreatment ever again.
After a year of training and slowly introducing him to male friends he slowly came around and I was stricken down with spinal damage and this beauty became my assistance dog.
Without training he instinctively knew I needed help, he would lean against me to balance me. When I took severe spinal spasms he lay at my back to provide warmth and pressure to stop the spasm. When I couldn't get to my feet he would bring his pull toy over to help me rise with him pulling it.
He sadly passed at 3 years old with trauma he had as a puppy before we got him. Undetected bleed had started in his brain.
I noticed his moods changing and he would run out the back and lay on the ground confused and I called the vet and he sadly passed in my arms.
Vet said nothing would have detected it and I done the best thing an owner could do was to comfort him, say he was loved and be there at the end.
I loved both of them more than the prospect of any treasure and because of these two beautiful souls I am still here today.
These beautiful animals we have the honour to welcome into our lives and call a companion or friend, certainly deserve more respect for the enrichment they bring to our lives and more importantly the love.
I ask you "Just a dog?"
KDA x
I don't know if it's just me but when you sadly lose your faithful companion to old age or illness and someone says "It's just a dog" it makes me question "What kind of person has no sympathy for the passing of an animal".
Sadly this is what I faced today when I was thinking of adopting/buying another dog.
Leaving 2021 behind was met with much joy and liberation for me on one edge of the coin after having the courage to open up about 32 years of abuse. On the other side I laid two beautiful souls to rest who literally saved my life.
![Honey (28th July 2017) (Part 2).jpg Honey (28th July 2017) (Part 2).jpg](https://www.veganforum.org/data/attachments/26/26391-ff10540b0617b61ad611fa9113465cff.jpg)
First is "Honey" my beautiful wee Shih Tzu who was going to be put to sleep because the breeder didn't want her as she was the runt of the litter. This little character in which I thought I saved actually ended up saving my mother and I as we both were going through a lot of domestic violence at the time.
She sadly passed away at the age of 4 due to kidney disease and it was soul destroying. I done everything I could as did our vet but sadly the disease took over into advance stages.
![Duke (5th June 2019) (Part 2).jpg Duke (5th June 2019) (Part 2).jpg](https://www.veganforum.org/data/attachments/26/26392-ae198d00f231e26535e991952cc0530c.jpg)
In between Honeys 2nd birthday my abuser moved away and we introduced "Duke" our beautiful Standard Poodle. As Honey was mainly bought for my mother and being 6'1
(Yes, I am tall for a girl) I eat my spinach
![Flexed biceps :muscle: 💪](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f4aa.png)
I had went up to look at Standard Poodles and I noticed how quiet they all were for being so young, you'd expect puppies to me bouncing around and up to mischief.
The breeder had said the puppies were hit by her husband quite severely especially Duke. I knew I had to take him. He was very scared of men and it took a very long time to reassure him that not all human beings are cruel.
I sat every night stroking him and speaking softly that he was now in a loving home and would never have to endure any mistreatment ever again.
After a year of training and slowly introducing him to male friends he slowly came around and I was stricken down with spinal damage and this beauty became my assistance dog.
Without training he instinctively knew I needed help, he would lean against me to balance me. When I took severe spinal spasms he lay at my back to provide warmth and pressure to stop the spasm. When I couldn't get to my feet he would bring his pull toy over to help me rise with him pulling it.
He sadly passed at 3 years old with trauma he had as a puppy before we got him. Undetected bleed had started in his brain.
I noticed his moods changing and he would run out the back and lay on the ground confused and I called the vet and he sadly passed in my arms.
Vet said nothing would have detected it and I done the best thing an owner could do was to comfort him, say he was loved and be there at the end.
I loved both of them more than the prospect of any treasure and because of these two beautiful souls I am still here today.
These beautiful animals we have the honour to welcome into our lives and call a companion or friend, certainly deserve more respect for the enrichment they bring to our lives and more importantly the love.
I ask you "Just a dog?"
KDA x
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