Thank you

Thank you to all who have commented on my last post. There will be no funeral for Russ but a gathering at his favorite pub to toast him and bid him farewell. He had good friends and we will miss him very much.

His dog Chevey, an 8 year old German Shepherd, is now at the local animal shelter being cared for by the staff. No one in the family has stepped forward to take her as she is a large dog that still needs some training around strangers. Russ lived alone with Chevey and he was her world. Our local shelter has only 5 dogs there now and a large staff of mostly women. Chevey will be looked after well and in time I hope and pray she will be ready to be adopted out. German Shepherds are known for their loyalty and she will surely need some grieving time before being put up for adoption. I am hoping that being with other dogs and having regular walks with the staff will help her through the next couple of months. Please keep her in your thoughts and I will keep you posted on how she is doing.
                              

             Cat/Dog-tip for the day....Grieving
We all know that pets will grieve the loss of an owner. Just like humans, the loss of a loved one will affect you mentally and physically.
In Chevey's case, we expect that she will mourn the loss of Russ and perhaps not want to do much of anything right now. It is our job as humans to help these animals through this sad time in their lives by taking baby-steps with them to get back on track. Just like with  people, animals need to have friends and loved ones surround them during their first few days and give them extra attention. Walks, good food, treats, inter-action with other dogs, kind words and lots of petting will help them through. The staff at our shelter know what to watch for during this grieving period and a caring Veterinarian is available to them if needed.


hugs, Deb