Sad News About Wally
He was such a massive part of my every day and Will and I are having a hard time with his loss. I would love to hear what you've done to keep the memory of your beloved pet with you always. Did you get photos printed and framed? Maybe jewelry? I really fell like I need something tangible in the real world, more than my digital photos on the computer and phone. Any recommendations will be very much appreciated.
Also please feel free to share photos and stories of your beloved pets (those still with us or those who have passed on) in the comments too. I could use some cuteness to lighten my heart.
I posted a TON of photos and one video of Wally blowing in the warm wiond of the heating vent. It's so hard to choose and this is the last time he'll be in my blog so please indulge me and tell me how cute he was one more time.
April
April, I am so sorry for your loss. Wally was such an adorable dog! It is difficult to lose a longtime companion. I had my kitty for 15 years before I lost her to illness, and I cherish the memories of her. I too shared my favorite photos with friends. I have a few framed ones that always make me smile. There was a piece on an arts program about a woman who makes glass keepsakes from ashes (soulbursts.com) and I think they're beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing Susie. Wally was my first pet and I knew he would break my heart someday but it's so much worse than I could have imagined. The soulbursts are lovely and I definitely need to at the very least get a few photos printed and framed.
DeleteThanks again.
I'm so very sorry Wally is gone, April. I know this grief, it is awful. One thing I did was to have portraits painted of our dogs. We have a friend who paints animals, and I gave her some photos and she has made three portraits for us over the years. It doesn't take away the grief, but I do love the paintings.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing Liz. I love the idea of paintings!
DeleteApril, I'm so sorry to hear about Wally. I also lost a beloved dog in November, my white german shepherd Dallas. I decided to honor him by adopting another dog from the same rescue group that we adopted Dallas from. This is a personal decision, but I hope you will think about finding a new dog to love. There are many that need homes, and I think that would be a great way to honor Wally. I am really enjoying my new dog Lucas, although he is black and tan, he reminds me in many ways of Dallas. Take care!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing Lisa. We found Wally wandering the streets of our neighborhood with a rope tied around his neck. I stopped to give him some water because I knew nothing about dogs at the time and he jumped in the car and promptly fell asleep on my feet. I called a friend who recommended a vet and they told us he had been abused. We took him home but didn't think we'd keep him. He was just so darn cute though!
DeleteIf we do ever decide to get another dog you can be sure it will be another rescue dog! I can certainly see how it would help. The house seems so quiet and empty right now.
I'm so sorry to hear about Wally, my heart breaks for you guys. I was always fond of your Wally posts because they reminded me of my little guy, Ziggy. We just put Ziggy to sleep in September for similar reasons. He woke up from a nap one day with a lot of pain in his back legs, and it didn't improve at the vet. We had him cremated and his nice little box now sits on our bookshelf near where his bed was. I also printed out some pictures of him and put them in a frame. I would "talk" to the middle one at night before bed and that helped a bit. http://1drv.ms/1GVradY (a link to a photo of the frame on my onedrive cloud). Sending you peace and hugs!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing Erin. Ziggy looks like a great dog and I'm sorry for your loss. I definitely need to get some photos printed. I like the idea of having something in the spaces that seem particularly empty. For me it's our front picture window where he spent at 75% of his waking hours, watching the world go by. It's so hard to come home to the empty window.
DeleteThanks again!
Oh I'm so sorry for your loss. I wish I had words of advice and how to cope with the grief, but I don't. We had to do the same thing with our beloved shepherd and it was just as hard as losing a child. I wore his chain collar wrapped on my wrist for a couple of days but the jingle of his tags got to where it was unbearable so I had to stick it away in my jewelry box and let time heal my broken heart. I did put pics of him as my screensaver and as my desktop background so I could recall happier times. Big hugs((((you))))).
ReplyDeleteThanks Cindi. These first few days have been almost unbearable. My boyfriend Will has had a time eating.
DeleteThank you for sharing!
Wally is absolutely adorable and the photos that you've posted of him have always made me smile, and even laugh (and that takes some doing, especially since I'm not even a dog person). I am so very sorry for your and Will's loss and know that you will keep him in your heart always. We may eventually get another pet after one passes, but none can ever be replaced because each one of them is a unique furry person and holds a special place in our hearts many decades after they have moved on.
ReplyDeleteThere are a lot of great ways to remember and honor Wally. One is to make a donation in his name to your local no-kill shelter. There are also glass artists who will make a glass bead containing some of Wally's cremated ashes, just google 'cremation beads' and several will pop up, or you could commission someone you know who does lampwork to use some of Wally's ashes to make something for you. One of the best ways is to keep Wally's cremated remains in the little wooden box they give you that contains them and print out a photo(s) to laminate on the top and/or sides. Another is to take some of Wally's shedded fur, if you have any saved, and use it to make a small piece of boiled felt that you can use to make a matte for a favorite photo (again, google 'how to make felt from pet fur' and at least one tutorial will pop up).
Remember that Wally loves you and will always be in your hearts. Don't be surprised if Wally occasionally drops in to check on you every once in a while. My cat still does, I feel his weight jumping up onto the bed at night...no joke. I'm sending many virtual hugs and lots of supportive vibes to you and Will. Be there for each other and hang in there.
Yovonne
P.S. Have taken my night time pain meds, so please excuse the typos/errors.
Thank you so much for all of the kind words and great ideas Yovonne! Hearing other people's stories really helps make feel a tiny bit better each time.
DeleteWhat a cutie! It's always heartbreaking to hear of someone losing a beloved pet. He'll always be with you. x
ReplyDeleteThank you Allie.
DeleteI'm so sorry about your doggie. He sure was a cutie pie. *hugs*
ReplyDeleteThank you Jessica. It's still so hard.
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