Losing my beloved Shadow on August 4th of this year has been a very difficult transition in life and in my home. Life is not the same without Shadow.
For me, the year started off badly. It was in early January that I found out my father was going to die. I was by my dad’s side every day until his death at the end of February. His death was unexpected. I was with him when he took his final breath.
My dad always asked how my “kids”, Shadow and Jazz, were. It was my dad who exhibited the love of animals that I learned from an early age. I am eternally grateful to him for this powerful lesson. It was he who “babysat” my dogs.
In less than month after my dad’s death, my husband found out he needed critical surgery. Three days prior to the surgery is when Shadow went into respiratory distress. Out of the blue, Shadow sat with legs spread apart and neck extended while trying to gasp for air. Even with a vet’s help earlier in the evening, Shadow appeared to be