• Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    The biggest tragedy of pet ownership is that they just don’t live long enough.

    This is true, but there is no ‘long enough’ unless it is ‘from the moment you get it until you die.’ The pain of losing a dog is just an unfortunate part of having a dog and they just will never live long enough for you to not feel that pain.

    • glimse@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      My sister lost her dog this weekend in a freak accident and everyone in the family - not just her husband and kids - are devastated. He was such an essential part of every gathering.

      He wasn’t just a dog, he was my friend.

      • honeybadger1417@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        I’m sorry for your loss. My dog is getting older and I don’t know what my family will do without her when she passes away.

        • glimse@lemmy.world
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          9 months ago

          There’s no good way to spin it, it simply sucks to lose a pet. Dogs are the best and they become such a strong force in your life.

          • KnightontheSun@lemmy.world
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            9 months ago

            I believe this is a part of what a dog does to help teach us about life. Giving us joy and companionship while also teaching us about grief and loss in the end.

      • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        I am so sorry for both you and your sister and her family. Thankfully, all of my dogs have lived a full life and when they end came, it wasn’t a surprise. It is so much sadder when it’s unexpected.

      • Kumatomic@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        9 months ago

        I’m sorry. I know your heart is broken and nothing but time can ease it. I lost my cat in January at 15 years old from hyperthyroid related kidney failure. We met when she was a feral kitten and ran out from under a food truck and tried to take me down by the ankle. We bonded instantly. It has me at a heightened state of awareness of the mortality of my two dogs and remaining cat. It hurts like hell and I’m so sorry you lost your friend.

    • twistypencil@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      I know what you are saying, but I don’t agree. I’d take one more year with my dog over no more years any day. Breeding all kinds of crazy types of dogs, but never for a longer life is nuts.

      • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        Would one more year really have been long enough though?

        Longer would be better, sure, but would you have ever gotten to a point where you would have been okay to lose that dog?

        • twistypencil@lemmy.world
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          9 months ago

          It’s not about how much is enough, that is a weird way to think about it. Would I have liked to have another year with him? Absolutely, he died too early.

          • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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            9 months ago

            That’s literally what the article said, so blame the article. It says, “The biggest tragedy of pet ownership is that they just don’t live long enough.” It’s right there at the top of the post. That’s what I was commenting on.

    • Mastengwe@lemm.ee
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      9 months ago

      Yep. I can remember this past October when we lost our dog of 15 years, telling myself and my girlfriend that we were never going to avoid this happening to him/us. There was no magic formula or pill or procedure that was going to give him to us forever.

      And while it didn’t necessarily make us feel better about it, it made enough sense that it helped us cope with the loss with better understanding.

    • Llewellyn@lemm.ee
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      9 months ago

      they just will never live long enough for you to not feel that pain.

      Well, you can have a dog in your senior years.