He went over, lay down next to the dog, and hugged him. Harry went shopping for supplies, and when he came back Duke was napping on his dog bed. Walks, work, food, Frisbees, red balls-these were the things Duke loved, along with chasing balloons and popping them. He had always been a lively, energetic dog and would herd anything that moved. He would take his Canon PowerShot along to capture some images of the day, to preserve the memories.ĭuke was a border collie/shepherd mix. It would be a special day, filled with all the things Duke loved most, as close to perfect as Harry could make it. He would take the day off from work and create a sweet memory with his dog.
“Tomorrow, I’m going to give you a Perfect Day,” he said quietly to Duke as they left the vet’s office. Listening to the vet, Harry later told me, he’d gotten an idea, one he thought would pay tribute to his life with Duke and give him something to feel besides sadness and loss. Harry was not surprised, but still, the news depressed him. It was a gray morning when the vet told Harry that his dog Duke’s heart was failing and that it wouldn’t be long before he died. Nobody can take the grief away, nor should anyone try, but our love for animals is nothing but a gift, and it keeps on giving, even when they go home.Ī man named Harry, an Iraq war veteran and tennis coach from Minnesota, hit upon a simple and profound idea to transform this otherwise sad experience into a blessed one. It is possible to take something beautiful and lasting out of the heart-wrenching experience of seeing the animal you love move inexorably toward death.
This is excerpted from Jon Katz’s new book, “Going Home: Finding Peace When Pets Die”. May this be a reminder for you to cherish your time with your 4 legged or winged companions – and allow them to do their magic.
While Skye is now in the best home I could find for her – she is doing probably much better than I am :). It might have been from a youtube video of a young German shepherd who was poisoned, and I could tell the owner had been deeply affected. Somewhere I read: and take many pictures while you can. The sheer delight at observing her, the privilege of getting to know her, the opening of my heart in such a short time was amazing to see. One thing I realized, way before things went the way they did, was my deep gratitude for working with and being with Skye.
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