Bailey

Missing a good friend. . .

Almost one month ago we had to say goodbye to our puppy Bailey. It was one of the hardest things we’ve had to do. Her passing was sudden and unexpected. She was a 9 month old blue Great Dane that we had brought home this past August. She was just coming out of her puppy stage and really starting to show her true personality. We had noticed that she suffered from seizures for a few months but they were short and rare. However, the weekend that she passed she had suffered several back to back and began one on Sunday that only a Valium injection at the vet’s office would stop. She stayed at Brown Creek Animal Hospital for two days when we made the unfortunate phone call to confirm that it was necessary we come in and put her down. Fortunately we were able to visit with her for a bit before the procedure.

It took a few days to really get over the loss and not get upset every time we passed her empty pin. Our biggest struggle was the reality that she was a dog and we both felt a little dumb for getting so upset. We questioned the truth to our feelings and whether or not we were making something out of nothing. Everyone was really supportive and had nothing but encouraging things to say, yet we still felt a little weird mourning our dog.

What is it about our pets that create this bond? We were with Bailey a short 6 months and yet we cried over her as if she were our family. After thinking about this over the past two weeks I imagine it deals with the consistency of a pet’s love. Relationships between people are determined by the exchange of love and care for one another and with our pets that exchange is a bit more constant. Once you build a foundation with your pet there is an unspoken understanding. Your pet isn’t going to get mad over the house cleaning or the money that you brought in that week. Your feelings toward one another aren’t going to change depending on the season in life. You can always pull up the drive and expect them to come running to greet you and love on you and they’ll always be there for you to love on too. When you get down to it, I believe that’s why there is a true relationship between owner and pet. That’s why we had such a hard time letting go and moving on because we had built that bond with Bailey just like people spend time building bonds with one another.

We miss her personality and also her size. Being a Great Dane she was so much fun to watch grow and run around our house. We plan on getting another Great Dane within the next year and would love another blue female. Great Dane’s are huge but are the biggest love bugs out there. <3

Bailey Smith

May 16, 2010 – March 1, 2011