Out of Great Love Comes Great Sadness

Buddy, our beloved pet terrier was put to rest.

This ended a long week of suffering after a failed lifesaving operation. His painful condition progressively worsened. As we fetched him from the recovery center on his last journey home, the rain came down in torrents, but close to home the sun spread its rays over the green pastures and lit up a magnificent full rainbow that left this earth so quickly, too quickly, just like our poor Buddy.

It is not easy digging a grave. It is the first time I have done it. "Make sure that it is at least 70cm deep," the vet said to me, "so that the foxes do not get to it."

It is hard to describe the feeling of loss and sorrow when one loses a pet. The reason may be that our pets love us unconditionally, without question, without doubt and never answer back. Our best friend was an inescapable presence in our home. We loved and cared for him just like a child for five years after we adopted him from the animal shelter.

When members of the family returned home, Buddy would be the one to come running at breakneck speed to greet them, eagerly barking his unique 'hello'. It was indeed a difficult time for us. I did not believe that it would be this hard to say goodbye to him.

As we arrived home after the operation, my young daughter and son waited with tears in their eyes. We gently set him down in his familiar basket where he lay contentedly being brushed. He felt calm and at peace - then the vet came.

Waiting for the vet felt like waiting for the electric chair. At the designated hour, this young lady came in, took control of the situation

and spoke firmly and gently to Buddy. After examining him, he almost had a reprieve, but a short phone consultation eventually dashed our raised hopes.

After a long, grueling, emotional day, three Gerbera flowers lay resting on Buddy's grave in the wide open field that he so loved to romp in.

As I was cleaning up in the kitchen after dinner I dropped a morsel of food on the floor. Instinctively I turned and called Bud…. But no skittering paws came running.