Heartbroken boy insists on being one to hold his dog as she passes away
A family pet is as much a part of the family as anyone else. In many cases, your pet often accompanies you on family trips and plays an important role in the everyday life of the members of your family.
So, when a family pet passes away, it can be hard to deal with, especially for children. Unlike many children, a boy named Robbie had the opportunity to hold his family’s dog as she passed away.
Senior dogs
While a dog can die at any time for any number of reasons, senior dogs, in particular, are prone to suddenly passing away due to their age and any underlying medical conditions that they have.
All you can do when a dog reaches a certain age is to make them as comfortable as possible and give them lots of love.
Adopted into a loving family
This was the intent of the Gay family, who in addition to adopting Robbie, also adopt senior dogs. Their goal in doing so is to give the dogs a loving home in their final days.
One of these “old people” was Buffy.
Buffy had been scheduled to have her teeth cleaned. During her checkup before surgery, it was discovered she was suffering from kidney failure.
Instead of fighting the inevitable, the family decided it was her time and decided to have her put to sleep.
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They knew Robbie would be devastated, so they decided to let him be a part of the process. Picking him up from school, Robbie’s family brought him to the vet where Buffy was located.
After telling him the news, Robbie said he wanted to hold Buffy as she passed away.
The Gays are big supporters of senior dog adoption
On the way home, Robbie’s mom told him how proud she was of him.
She was glad he understood the importance of caring for older animals and making sure that they are comfortable, even if that means letting them f=go sooner than you might want to.
In addition to Buffy, the family has adopted other senior dogs. And their intent is always the same, to give them somewhere they can be loved and made as comfortable as possible for the short time that they have left.
Robbie seemed to understand this and showed this by his reply to his mother:
“I know how it feels not to be loved or cared for and I don’t want any animal of mine to ever feel that way. It’s only sad for us when they go to heaven. It’s a happy day for them.”
The death of a dog
Not all children are as accepting of the death of a pet as Robbie. Fortunately, you can take steps as a parent to make the grieving process easier.
First off, let your child know it is okay to grieve a pet. You should also encourage your child to talk freely about their lost pet.
You might also want to tell their teacher at school so they are away=re of why a child might be emotional.
Most importantly, though, is to give your child plenty of love as they grieve for their pet, including giving them hugs and reassurances that everything is okay.
Loving your pets while they are with you
Robbie’s reaction to the loss of Buffy shows how much he truly understands the importance of loving others while you can. It doesn’t matter how long a pet is around.
What is important is showing them how much you love them while they are with you.
For more on how to help your child cope with the death of a pet, watch the video below.
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