No politics tonight. I say goodbye to one of my best friends.

Sometimes things just overwhelm petty politics.

Today I had to sadly say goodbye to my 15-year-old dog who has suffered from cancer but lived life the best he could to the end:

Hogger

It's not just Hogger I am weeping for tonight, it's also his mom, whom we lost in February, and Little Ellis who left us last winter. And Magnolia, who is also elderly special needs, who will most likely be leaving us soon as well.

Girliedog, Hogger's mom

Hogger & Ellis

When Ellis came to live with us, Hogger really believed we got him a puppy all for himself!

Left us a few years ago, but remembered well:

CD, Hogger's father who left us a few years ago from a similar cancer. Have you ever seen a sweeter face? He was a full-bred pitbull.

Magnolia, who is desperately trying to recover from a grand mal seizure out of nowhere last week and is desperately trying to regain control of her back legs:

And also Fawnskinmudpuppy who said goodbye to Oreo today as well.

We only have our furrybabies on loan for a short while, but what we get in return is more love than we probably deserve, and we are so much MUCH better for that short time shared.

Some links for the furrbutt moms & dads who have said good bye or are reaching that point.

Til Then

Saying Goodbye

Waiting at the Rainbow Bridge (Sarah McLachlan)

ETA: (h/T to High Peaks at Palingates)

A statement made just about four years ago by Gretchen Jackson, co-owner of Barbaro, the horse who was injured during the 2006 Preakness and later died. She said at the time "Grief is the price we all pay for love."
What she said made a huge impression on me and I tacked a copy of this statement up on my fridge so I would continue to think about it over time. I don’t think any of us would change this equation, even if we could. To not grieve would render our love meaningless, and to not love would consign us to a life of constant, if low-level grief.
I think all of us who have loved a cat or a dog or a person we later lost would agree, that the pain of loss, however acute and ongoing it may be, is but a tiny fraction of the joy that our love brought us and our loved one over the years. There are millions of lonely shelter cats and dogs, not to mention many lonely people who could have some of that same joy in their lives if we would only stop to realize that both the grief and the love are something we as humans should learn to celebrate. The love always trumps the grief, because while we only grieve after a loss, we continue to love that which we have lost forever.

ok, a couple more videos:
Paws Over the Bridge (Please Stay Just a Little Bit Longer)

I Loved You Best