The Roller Coasters Of Life

Thinking of you & your family! Hope Lilly makes a full recovery!

The greatest gift in our lives is the pets that complete us. The greatest give we can give them is compassion in the end. All dogs go to heaven and my heart is with you in this difficult time.

Having owned over 10 dogs in my life, I know that roller coaster ride all to well. Sending positive thoughts to Lily and her people pets :) Much love from one Lilly the Lab owner to another Lily the Lab owner.

I'm so sorry Ali. I lost my dog last fall, on Halloween actually, unexpectedly. He was 10 and all of a sudden became very lethargic and wasn't eating. I took him to an emergency vet on a weekend, and by the end of the day I had to make a difficult decision because he was in severe kidney failure. It was hard because it was a holiday. We had our best friends come over and take the kids trick or treating while my husband and I said goodbye. The kids were very sad as was I over the next week or so, but they were so matter of fact about everything. They would say "Sonar's dead" "Sonar died." They don't know the phrases "passed away" or "went to heaven" are more "PC." Over time I was able to smile at their reactions because as kids often due, the true raw unedited version just comes out of their mouths.

Just a month later we brought a new golden retriever into our family. He has been a great addition and brought many laughs. Our black lab who once tortured my older dog Sonar is now tortured by the younger but bigger golden. The cycle of dog life :)

Get well soon Lily! Wishing you peace of mind for you and your family.

thinking of you...

{{{{Hugs}}}} to you all. I know how difficult it is, as I have had to let two of my dogs go :'( They are so much like another child, and it hurts to see them suffer; hurts to let them go. Best wishes as you and your family make the tough decisions.

Ali, Chris, Simon and Anna,

I am so sorry to hear about Lily. I hope she pulls through. You can just tell she is a sweetheart. I always look for her in your posts even if it is in the background of your photos. She has not only given your family love and smiles but also all of us who follow your blog. The only way I can rationalize pet ownership and the pain and void that comes when they are gone is remembering they will live their life span with my family or another. So it may as well be with mine or in your case with yours and when you look at it like that then truly what lucky little animals we have - spoiled rotten :) My heart hurts with you. Feel better soon, sweet Lily.

thinking of you and your sweet lily girl.

I'm sending good thoughts to your family and Lily.

((hugs)) they really do become part of the family!

Labs are such great companions. I hope Lily can over come her difficulties and spend a few more years with your family.

oh ali! sending prayers & good {{{vibes}}} your way. our own chocolate lab just turned 11 himself and that worry is always in the back of our minds... it'll will work itself out one way or another y'all have the most important component...love. xoxo

Ohhhhhhh I do feel sad. I am so sorry. We have puppies too, and totally understand. They are so important in our lives. We lost two dogs in the past few years. My daughter has a 1yr. old choc. lab. They are the best dogs. Lily is beautiful and VERY lucky to have you all for a family. Sending prayers! Will be thinking of you and your family...take care Ali!

Wishing you and Lily all the best! Our pets can be much more resilient than us at times and I'm hoping she can bounce back to spend more quality time with her loving family! The roller coaster can take some rough turns but I've always felt it was worth the ride! I have been through much with my 12 yr old Bernese Mtn Dog and she keeps hanging in there with me. Take care and will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.

I read your post and tears welled up in my eyes. I know the love that a companion animal brings to your family and I have been there when health challenges come. Trust in the decisions you make and be with Lily as much as possible... she will know you are there. I am glad to hear she is feeling better and my hugs to you and your family and healthy pats to Lily. She is a pretty pretty girl.

Ali, I have written this post several times and each time it just doesn't convey what I want to say. My heart was broken when I lost my darling Rachael (my 15 yr old australian shepard) and after nine years there is still something missing without her. There are but a few things in life that make it so special as to have an unconditional love for something. I know the decision will be made out of love and respect for your Lilly. It will be the right one.

The unknown can be very taxing emotionally. Especially since they can't tell us how they are feeling. Take care of yourself & your family and your furry baby. We will be waiting here for you no matter how long you need.

Oh, my heart aches for you right now. Digs become such important members of the family, especially with kids. To watch them hurt is so hard, just as it would be to watch another member of your family hurt. I hope your vet will come to you with hopeful news. And if he doesn't, I hope you can find joyful moments remembering how full she has made your lives over her long 11 years. Thinking of you all.

As an owner of many animals I have been where you are at this moment.They become not just an animal but a part of the family.I hope you are able to find out what is wrong with Lily and that there is medication for her.Thinking of you and please let us all know how she is.

Aw, I feel for you....this is so rough, it's just something that SUCKS to go through.I hope everything will be ok and you'll get some more time with her!

I lost my yellow lab, Ruby at the end of April...she was only a few months away from 11. It was really sudden...like she woke up fine that morning and was gone by the early afternoon (http://pecklife.typepad.com/blog/2011/05/ruby.html). So sad. :(

PS - we live in the Seattle area too. :)