Flyover Farewell

At 12:55pm Saturday, the animals gathered on the tarmac.  A group of twitter friends, bedecked with aviator goggles, readied to take flight to honor those pets who had crossed over the rainbow bridge.

Sadie D. Doxie offered an opening prayer.
Then The Aviators took to the air!

 When Taz, Daisy and Buddy of @3DogsWhite sent me a twitter message to tell me that Brooks was one of the dogs being honored in #TheAviators tribute mission, I didn't know what to expect. What was the tribute mission? Who were the aviators? Are these real airplanes, or what? I couldn't wait to join in on twitter Saturday to find out!

It turns out that The Aviators Club event is a lovely, touching tribute co-founded by Cori Berman, Dear Clyde and Shelly 338. They organized a detailed program with a special mission.

At 1:10  the farewells began. The planes went into Missing Pals formation and the aviators began calling out the names of departed pets.
At 1:32 Brooks' name was read.
(At 1:42 #TheAviators became a Trending Topic in the United States.)

As each pet's name was announced, pet parents shared memories and photos. One of the most touching tweets was "We wish to honor and say goodbye to all the animals who had no one to say goodbye to them."

The Aviators even flew near the rainbow bridge.

Then, at 1:55 The Aviators returned to home base, landed, and closed with a poem and a prayer. Thank you to Taz, Daisy and Buddy, and to all the Aviators, for honoring Brooks and for a special tribute to pets who have passed and are lovingly remembered.


 The Aviators fly missions for special occasions, tours of home towns,  etc., porch parties to deliver treats to sick friends, and tribute missions to honor pets OTRB, and use #TheAviators.

 Oh, and are there real airplanes? That's up to you!

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PetSmart Charities Shares Adoption Stories

Instead of a roundup today, I want to share this wonderful post on PetSmart Charities blog. They've been asking readers to tell about how their pets enrich their lives and to share their successful, positive stories of pet adoption to inspire others to consider adopting a homeless pet.

Recently, I was notified that Brooks was to be featured on the PetSmart's blog. They also sent me a personal note saying that they'd read my blog post and very kindly offered to postpone or withhold posting out of respect for our loss. I responded that the post would be a comfort, and added that I didn't regret adopting a senior dog, and that while losing a pet is never easy, we still feel lucky to have known him for that year.

Here is the PetSmart Charities link "Senior Dog Turns out to Be Just Right." I hope others will consider adopting a senior dog. One might just fit your lifestyle, like Brooks did ours. My favorite memory is of sitting in my big green chair with Brooks snuggled up right by my side, head in my lap while I read or worked on my laptop, always one hand stroking his soft ears or neck. A younger, more active dog probably wouldn't have done that for hours on end!

You can share your dog's adoption story too.

Here's a funny picture of Brooks to make you smile:

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The Comfort of Friends who Understand

When bad news is shared, the response from others who understand brings comfort. I want to thank everyone who has taken time to leave a message on Facebook, comment on the blog, or send me an email or private message expressing your sympathies, and sending your thoughts, prayers, hugs, dog kisses, tail wags and love. Every word and every message is special, including this from Jodi, Koly and Felix of Kol's Notes:

Imagine! His own star! I went outside and looked up at the sky and it put a little smile on my face to think of Brooks' Star twinkling bright. Thank you Jodi.

and this image from Loretta Ranscht:























and this beautiful poem from Roy AnDonna Clark (Shiloh):
































(Some day when the time is right, there will be another dog, and he'll be a golden retriever.)

And of course this poem:



and this poem written by Donna Teti:

Faithful Friend

St Francis open up the gates
Here comes our faithful friend
Let him run and play and explore
Just like he did back when

Our beloved dog is now with you
More than a pet… he’ll always be
A companion, a loyal friend
A part of our family

He kept us company many a day
Throughout his faithful years
A presence in our daily lives
We can’t hold back the tears

So St Francis who has always cherished
God’s very special friends
Scratch his back; give him a hug
Until we meet again

Copyright © 2011 Donna Teti 

Thank you so much to everyone.
I also want to let you know that Kelly is doing fine and we're making sure she knows she is well-loved too.
love
Peggy
******* I JUST HAVE TO ADD THIS, Pam and Oskar from Pet Blogs United just alerted me to this wonderful email and button, made by Ann from Zoolatry in honor of Brooks. Ann wrote:

Adopted late in life, handsome BROOKS was with his family just a year.  But he was loved as if he had been there forever.  His story shows the beauty and value of adoption of a senior pet.  Cancer took him unexpectedly and quickly, and he will be forever missed.  You can read his story, and leaves words of comfort for those left behind, click the LINK below.  Thank You!
http://peggyfrezon.blogspot.com/2013/04/goodbye-brooks.html

THIS IS SO SWEET, I WILL TREASURE IT ALWAYS. THANK YOU ZOOLATRY!



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Goodbye Brooks

It is with great sadness that I have to share with you the news that Brooks passed over the rainbow bridge Saturday. I still can't believe I'm writing this. Everyone who has ever loved a dog knows what I'm going through.

All About Love
I have to say that Brooks stole my heart on the very day we brought him home. I can't believe that he'd been abandoned in his golden years, and spent more than a year in different shelters without anyone picking him for their pet. Everyone else missed out--we're the lucky ones to have ended up with him. We were so blessed to get to share even just a little bit of our lives with him.

 Brooks was the perfect dog for us, mellow and sweet. He was always right by my side, or cuddling with me on my big green chair. He was the perfect gentleman to Kelly and never grumbled when she got bossy. He loved his walks and chasing a tennis ball. He loved being close to me.


















The Diagnosis
It all just happened so fast. He was the same old Brooks, eating, chasing his tennis ball, although maybe he'd slowed down a bit. Dogs are stoic, and they don't show you how much they are hurting. Over the last week or two he seemed to have a little discomfort managing the stairs and he didn't want to lie down. We brought him to the vet once and they diagnosed a hot spot and sent him home with medication. That cleared up, but he the discomfort taking the stairs and moving around didn't. Last Thursday we brought him to the vet's expecting a diagnosis of arthritis. Maybe hip or joint problem.

What we got was cancer. A large mass in his abdomen and multiple tumors in his lungs.

It was the kind of cancer that didn't respond to chemo. The vet said there was nothing we could do, just make him comfortable, and gave him 3-8 weeks.

The Day
We gave him his pain medication and hugged him and loved him all day. Friday, the day after his diagnosis, he was still kind of out of it from the pain medication, but at one point got a little energy and indicated he wanted to go for a walk. We took it slow, and he smelled all the nice smells of spring emerging. We only went a few yards down the road, but he enjoyed every moment of that walk. He even got a treat of ice cream after dinner.

Then, that evening he was sitting with his head in Mike's lap and he had a siezure. Then another. Horrible, violent seizures. He had 5 or 6 before we got him to the emergency vet around midnight. There he had another seizure. The vet said there was nothing she could do for him.















We were by his side, talking to him and patting him and kissing him as he passed.

How I'm Doing
To be very honest, not well. I just miss him so much. I miss waking up and knowing that he's right there on the floor beside the bed, ready to walk downstairs with us. I miss having him climb up into my big green chair with me and sleep while I'm working on my laptop. I miss his smile, his wagging tail, his warmth. It's going to take some time, but all the kindness of each and every one of you here and on Facebook has been helping me feel comforted. I know you understand, and I thank you. 

What I Learned
No dog, young or old, has any guarantees. We are better off for having known them, for however long. We grieve that he was taken from us so soon, but this past year with him has been one of the happiest ever, as we've gotten to spend our days, every day, with the world's most loving and gentle dog. I know that previously he'd had a hard life, and that he'd been abandoned and on his own for quite some time before we adopted him. I have to believe that God picked us to love him through this last year of his life. I'm honored that we got to be his family for this precious time. We miss him, but he is now released of all pain and worry, running free.

We love you Brooks.
April 6, 2013
RIP

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