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This page is meant to honor all the furry companions that have shared our lives. It is such a hard thing to have a soul that we are so close to slip away from us. You simply need to complete the form below and email me a picutre (jpeg please) and I will post your fond rememberence for you. (Note: due to the limitations of the form, it may be easier to type up your submission and email it to me directly - to pets@asefirotpractice.com) Sharing the love that you have had for a companion is a way to process the grief. If you would like to talk about your loss, please email me, there are many ways that you can process and honor these beloved. I know the first time I lost a pet, my most magnificant Matto (which means little grizly bear cub in some languague I have long since forgotten), my "ex" took a week of vacation just because he knew how close I was with this special soul. This was the same year that Four Weddings and a Funeral was released. At the end of the week, we went to see that movie and the poem read during the funeral scean, 'Funeral Blues' by W. H. Auden will always remind me of this most loved companion. For Matto: 10/12/85 -4/7/94
Funeral Blues
W.H. Auden
Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.
Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message He is Dead.
Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.
He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last forever: I was wrong.
The stars are not wanted now; put out every one,
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun,
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the woods;
For nothing now can ever come to any good.
There is no love like the love of our companion pets.
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For Grinsy: 9/9/93 - 4/7/08
This little girl was my second German Shepard. I got her to breed to Matto, who died quite unexpectedly. It took me a while to name her. Nothing seemed to fit. Then one day she was taunting Matts (phonetically, Mahtz) with a toy and she was still small enough that she could scoot under the bed, while he had to run from side to side to try to get her. Each time she would pop up on the other side of the bed, she had shear delight written on her face as she finally had the big lug paying attention to her. Thus the name, which means mischevious smile in German.
Grinsy died 14 years to the day that Matto died. Odd, huh? The night Matto died, he came to say goodbye. I was playing with Grinsy and she stopped on her way back to me, with the oddest look on her face, squatted, piddled and ran and got in her crate. I felt a sense of loss and called my ex to tell him that Matts had just died. Three hours later the vets office called to tell me the news. I politely told them that he had died three hours prior. I think Matts told Grinsy that she was to take care of me, she took that responsiblity to heart.
I did finally breed her and kept three of her puppies, out of a litter of 9. I realized they would all have to be "fixed" as I was obviously not meant to do this - I'd have to win the lottery big time if I were to ever have another litter. Grin had the most beautiful coat, it had every color in it, sable, red, gold, silver, black, and a mix of shades in between. Her fur was as soft and thick as any mink coat. She outlived many of her children and I still have two of her daughters.
Run and play, sweet girl, you took wonderful care of me.
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For Mitten Neben - Neben most often, Mitten Neben only when he was in trouble: 6/9/96 - 9/6/2006.
Nebers was Grinsen's first born. Mitten Neben is German slang and means, "to be by your side".
Neben and Grinsy looked so much alike; I often mixed them up. Neben was bigger but from a distance, they looked so much the same. Neben would always be right there by Grinsen, a devoted son. His life force was incredible; I didn't even realize the energy he brought to every situation. This boy had a love of life that we should all learn, it was a wonderful benefit and is now a reminder that our lives are so short. And, oh my if he wasn't good at manipulating all of us to get his way. My favorite trick of his was when, at night, he wanted to get cuddles and one of the others was sitting next to me. He would initially try to get them to play, but that usually failed. So he would then go and get one of whomever’s favorite toys and taunt them with it, throwing it in there air and letting it land 3 or so feet away. It always worked. Eventually whomever he was working to evict from the spot would break down, run, and get their toy. He, of course, would instantly get up beside me, put his paw on my arm and politely request that I give his belly "scrubs", his ears scratches and many many kisses all over his face.
Neben died quite unexpectedly as well. So much so that his sisters were very grieved over their loss. Thankfully, I had asked the crematorium to hold his body as I was considering a necropsy. They allowed me to let his sisters have a viewing. It was so special and dear. They were quite taken back by the place but when they saw him on the table, they with reverence almost tiptoed up to the table. They then gently sniffed his body from head to tail. It was one of the most incredible things I have ever witnessed. I can not tell you enough that if you have more than one pet, you really need to let them go through this process. The girls, with Grinsen, "experienced" her downturn - which was also fast but not unexpected; I had "scheduled" an in-home euthanasia but she passed two days prior. It took the girls about a week to go the area where she had died, but they knew and had already processed her loss. One of them, however, did throw up for about 4 days. It is important to be with your remaining pets, reminding them that you love them and give them special attention during the time they need to process their grief as well.
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