Pickles by Brian Crane for October 11, 2021

Yeah Nelson that’s the bad thing about dogs, they just don’t live long enough! Especially big ones:-/

At least cmerb will be happy.

In my lifetime: zero dogs as I never owned nor grew up having one. Cats, on the other hand, was first two (euthanized them years apart) and then four (gave a few away and others went missing).

One of the harsh reasons to have a pet when you have kids is to help them learn how to cope with grief. Because we all have grief, one way or another. Of course the nicer reasons are probably more important.

One of our “summertime neighbors” is quite elderly. His dog died this last winter. When we saw him this spring, he seemed to have aged a LOT. Turned out that his family has convinced him he cannot cope with training a new puppy at his age, and he’s not able to consider adopting a needy older dog. It’s sad.

After my old cat passed away several years ago of old age, I told myself that I wound never have another cat as I would not be able to stand the heartache of losing another animal. I’m a very sensitive person I guess and it shows.

I’ve lost 2 dogs that I loved and 11 cats that I loved and one Guinea pig that I loved!

All caused incredible grief and sorrow in their passing!

My wife and I decided, no more pets because the pain of their loss is too great!

So, without my knowledge my wife adopted a rescue kitten and now I adore that cat as all of my others.

Maybe I will pass before our current cat does so I won’t have to bear the grief once more!

It gets worse! He ate the hot ones.

Nelson tis one of life’s harder lessons to learn .

Roscoe might outlive Earl.

I lost my kitty Beany, about 11 years ago and a few months later, got another kitty, Tigger! And after he’s gone, I’m so done! I love animals but I’m calling it quits!

Nice of Nelson to show concern for Roscoe!

Dogs humanize us, but they also remind us of our mortality.

One thing you need to understand. Your pet would want you to honor them by sharing their food dish, water bowl, warm bed and leash with another rescue who so desperately needs a forever home. Saying you will never have another pet hurts those rescued and abandoned pets who will never know real love unless someone like you shares their life with them. They need you as much as you need them. Adopt a rescue or stray, and you will find yourself being the one rescued. Your heart needs the unconditional love only a pet can offer.

Earl, I too have dogs all of my life, and we are probably close in age. And I remember every single one of them!

The odds are in Roscoes favor this time

15 years from now doesn’t look promising on my actuarial table.

My dog was a better being than any ten people put together. Yet he is gone, and harvey weinstein lives on…sigh…

DOGS, it’s dogs they are talking about here.

Grew up in the country, no fences. But our dog never left the yard unless one of us went with him. We sometimes took him on walks to a pond about a mile away. He loved chasing the ducks and splashing in the water. When I was away at school, mom wrote me that he was slowing down and showing his age. Then he disappeared. A few months later someone found his body at the pond. Dog heaven.

Good advice For Roscoe!

We weren’t going to get another dog due to feeling we might not outlive him. However a wonderful husky mix ran down the street that had a lot of cars and to get him back to safety I opened the door and he jumped in, hugged me and got in the back seat. We tried to find his owner and couldn’t so he became ours. So we were rescued.

Sorry Nelson a dog can only live so many years, some reason cats live longer.

My current dog is 11 years old. I got her at age 6. She is my third beagle, and the first one made me promise to always have a dog to take care of me. In my own words, our cats and dogs don’t live as long as we do so we can love more of them. I will definitely get another when this one is gone, but my heart will be entirely broken before I find the next one. I like this stubborn little unpredictable breed. I have had other breeds and loved them just as much, so I might get a different breed next time. Who knows?

On #9

Have had many dogs over the years. Each has taught me different lessons about life and the ability to cope with it. My avatar here is my current one. Rescued (as all the prior had been). He was recently diagnosed with Cushing’s Disease which is fatal. We have a year or so left. I just hope he will join all the others up there on Rainbow Bridge and hang out until I can make it there to see them all again.Hopefully I will have time to work another one in before that happens, but if I go first, that one will be taken care of until it’s his/her time to join ME.

That’s a downside to owning pets. Dogs rarely make it past 15 and cats after 20 are on their 9th life.

My allergist says to get rid of the dog. I say that I’ll keep her but maybe not get another. She was about 10 when I got her, so is 14 or 15 now. Whoever had her before me abused her. She is just now starting to let me pick her up, and to sit in my lap for more than 2 min.