RIP Slim vom Kendall County Animal Control - Page 2

Very nice tribute. Judging by the pics I think the time he had with you made up for whatever he endured in his earlier life. RIP Slim

" I think the time he had with you made up for whatever he endured in his earlier life" - Well said, Bahcan!

I'm tearing up all over again, after reading that. Great tribute. I met Slim shortly after you got him. Those pics are night and day from the dog I saw. Look how happy and full of life he was! Look at that smile!

RIP Slim!

So much joy in his eyes!  Sorry for your loss!  It doesn't seem to matter how long they are with us; once they have found their way to our heart, they take a piece of it when they go.

 RIP Slim

I am sorry for your loss Jenni. I hope you can find comfort in knowing he knew he was loved and you gave him a wonderful home to live out his final years. RIP Slim. Hugs.

You're all very kind. Your words are much appreciated. I'm actually doing well because I have no regrets. There was nothing I could've/should've done that would've changed the outcome, and I know if I hadn't taken him home, he'd have been put down and tossed away with all the other discarded souls in this shallow society.  He was old...he was old when I got him...he had a blast here and he loved me to death. I knew this day was coming the day I brought him home. I honestly didn't think he had 2 good years left.  I accomplished what I set out to do that day I brought him home. He got to go on road trips and eat McDonald's on the way, (the gleeful running pics are from Oklahoma, his favorite place to run), healthy food at home, got to eat ice cream from the cone in a little boy's hand, got to curl up in a nice bed with his dog friends who didn't eat all his food (not for lack of trying) and got to not actively worry that he was going to be beaten severely. He had flashbacks, but no active, conscious fear. He got to know what being loved was. 

Winston, the Chi (Little Red Riding Hood) isn't doing as well as I am. He has only eaten once and he lies in the bed that they shared very quietly. He's usually quite bouncy and chews his bone all day. He is ok, meaning, I think he'll be ok, but I may need to get him a new house-friend, a calmer or smaller dog. Everyone laughs at my making sure the animals all know what happened to a certain dog, but I think it's ignorant to think they don't mourn and stupid to assume they won't wonder. I let all of them sniff him, even the cats, who he spent a good deal of time with. The other dogs are all fine; Winston was the only one really close to Slim. 

I reread my first paragraph and gawd, it's kind of sad. I didn't mean to sound sappy, but those things are all true. I'm happy to have known him and will always remember him. 

Now for a bit of humor...from the mouths of babes. My son turned 4 in August, so he is just barely 4 and has no real concept of death. He keeps asking me if I think Slim has rested enough to be alive again because he really misses him (no, that's not the funny part, that's the sad part, the funny part is coming.)  Tuesday night, which is the night he died, I'm tucking James in and this is our dialog: 

James: It's really sad that Slim died. I'm really gonna miss him. Are you gonna miss him, Mom?
Me: Of course I will, sweetheart. Slim slept with me every night. 
James: (pondering very seriously, then sits up as if he's had a brilliant idea, scrunches up his face in distaste and shrugs his shoulders) Well...you don't want a dead dog in your bed anyway! 

Nice tribute Jen. 
He looked like he forgot most of his worries and just ran and jumped and was a dog again.

Slim was a lucky dog the day you found him; I'm of the opinion that sometimes, if we let ourselves, we CAN hear dogs speaking to us via telepathy, and Slim spoke to you that day. It's a good feeling knowing you're responsible for the joy in another's eyes, and I think your only regret is that you couldn't have saved him sooner. Condolences to your household on the loss of such a dear soul.  I am sure Slim will guide you to another who needs you as much as he did.