Klaus

For help and support with the passing of a pet. Sometimes we feel very alone. We're not alone.
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ssg
Posts: 31
Joined: Fri Oct 13, 2006 6:57 pm

Klaus

Post by ssg »

Klaus’ Story

I’m saying ‘good bye’ to my baby tonight.

When the German Shepherd Rescue rescued Klaus many years ago, he arrived with a collar so deeply imbedded into his neck that it had to be surgically removed. His spirit was broken, and he yelped whenever anyone, especially a man, would make a sudden move near him. He sat in boarding for many months before I came across his web image. He looked like he was smiling just for me!

The day before I was able to drive up to meet him, someone came along and adopted him. I was devastated. I felt so strongly that he was meant to come home with us. Fortunate for us the adopters brought him back, saying that they didn’t have the time to spend with him. That he was needy and crying for attention.

I went up the very next day to pick him up. On the way home he sat on the bench behind my seat and slowly…very slowly crept his way over to me and plunked himself down in my lap. He sat in my lap the entire way home, too!

Several years later, Klaus suddenly went paraplegic. There wasn’t anything we could put our fingers on as to its cause. Of course it occurred after 5 on a Friday. We took him to 3 vets over the weekend, who all advised me to euthanize him; that he wouldn’t have any quality of life.

Through the help of handicappedpets.net, I networked with others who found themselves dealing with paralyzed animals. They all told me to wait it out. Finding a vet who would support me in this was extremely difficult, but I eventually found one who provided me with catheters. Every other vet told me it would have been a liability to have me cath him. Really??? They would rather that we euthanize him? Needless to say I was dumbfounded.

For 6 weeks I turned him, bathed him, exercised his limbs and cathed him, when suddenly I noticed that one of his feet had begun to twitch. Could his sensation be returning? Needless to say that I was ecstatic! Slowly but surely he regained 100% of his mobility.

That was almost 7 years ago! And Klaus is now around 14 years of age.

With a heavy heart, I must now release my beautiful, gentle, sweet boy so that he can find eternal peace. He has told me that it’s his time to go. We’ve had a wonderful journey together, and I have many memories that I will cherish forever. I will miss him with every ounce of my heart. Rest well, my precious baby. Until we meet again.

Sandy
Christine
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Posts: 4089
Joined: Wed Mar 01, 2006 3:50 pm
Location: Sautee Nacoochee, GA

Re: Klaus

Post by Christine »

Oh Sandy...my heart aches for you right now. Your Klaus was meant to be with you. You gave him the same unconditional love and trust he gave you and the life you gave him made up for any bad things that may have happened before he came to you. He is going to the Bridge wrapped in your love. :candle:

I hope these words bring you some comfort:

Dear Lord, please open your gates and call St. Francis
to come escort this beloved companion across the Rainbow Bridge.

Assign him to a place of honor for he has been a faithful servant
and has always done his best to please me.

Bless the hands that send him to you, for they are doing so in love and compassion,
freeing him from pain and suffering.

Grant me the strength not to dwell on my loss. Help me remember the details of his life
with the love he has shown me. And grant me the courage to honor him
by sharing those memories with others.

Let him remember me as well and let him know that I will always love him.
And when it's my time to pass over into your paradise,
please allow him to accompany those
who will bring me home.

Thank you, Lord for the gift of his companionship
and for the time we've had together.

And thank you, Lord for granting me the strength
to give him to you now.
Amen.

© Brandy Duckworth, 1998

“Don't be sad. I let you have him for a long, long time because I love you. But I love him too... and I'm ready for him to come back home." God
Image
Christine... and Bailey, playing at the Bridge
?/1999 - 10/25/08
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CarolC
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Joined: Wed Dec 31, 2003 7:00 pm
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Re: Klaus

Post by CarolC »

Dear Sandy,

I was so glad to see your name again, but I am sorry for the occasion. Thank you so much for sharing the rest of Klaus's story. Now we know he still had half his life in front of him when you chose to save him in spite of the vet. I am so glad you were able to have so much more time with him, and so glad he had YOU beside him when he went down. He could not have had a truer friend. He lived his full lifespan and beyond because of you. Bless you and Klaus and thank you for coming back to let us know. I am sorry for your loss. I hope you will be able to look back with so much satisfaction over what the two of you did together. Very best wishes to you now and for always.


Here is a link to see all your posts from the earliest to the most recent. (Posts which contain photos will need to be clicked to see the photos.)

http://handicappedpet.net/helppets/sear ... mit=Search
ssg
Posts: 31
Joined: Fri Oct 13, 2006 6:57 pm

Re: Klaus

Post by ssg »

Thank you both so very much. You have each helped me so very much, both now and way back when I was in such crisis over his paralysis. Christine, your message spoke to me in ways that I can't even describe. I was so moved by it.

I thank God for blessing me with this wonderful boy, and I will always celebrate his life. I am a better person because of him.

I still can't believe that he's gone. I loved him so.

Sandy
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