Our family dog for the past 16 years crossed over the rainbow bridge this morning. Snickers was a great dog, but his time had come. For a dog his size, 16 years is a long time to live. Snickers was my constant companion as I worked from home. He slept by my feet most days as I worked on comics and other freelance work. To say the least, he will be missed.
This explains my radio silence this month. We’ve been caring for him these past few weeks, working with our vet to ensure he was comfortable as possible until the end. I will more than miss Snickers, to say the least.
Snickers was a rescue dog and we got him as a puppy, as you can see in the photo above. I was building a deck for our home in 2006, and ironically, I’m building a deck for our current home, so we decided to recreate the photo from 2006. My son Adam is next to me in both shots. In the first shot I’m holding a puppy, in the second one, I’m holding an aging dog who was hardly able to stand for very long. If you want to help me to honor Snickers’ life, please make a donation of any amount, large or small, to an animal shelter in your area.
This Alan Parson’s Project song gets me every time I hear it and it does so again today.
That’s tragic losing your best friend Snickers I bet he was fun to play with and made you feel loved. I miss our family’s dogs Tetly and Peppy they where little sweethearts Peppy tought me how to howl they even had fights with the cutest growls Tetly won them. When I walked Peppy, Tetly would shiver and I’d stick her in my coat to keep my little dame warm. I even showed them how to pee out side clearing snow posing on all fours and barking to get them house broken but they were only amused. It has been years since they died and my sister now owns two new dogs Grace and Max who love having their tummies rubbed while i sit on the floor with them like Tetly and Peppy. Easy to love not as complicated as people maybe why I enjoy sharing my garden with the local wild creatures bees, bunnies, chipmunks, crows, mice, robins, snails and voles.
Thank you.
“ Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.
All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.
You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.
Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together….”
I am sure Snickers is waiting for you so that you can cross the Rainbow Bridge together.
Aw, man, this made me cry. Thank you for sharing.
Alas…my condolences.
Thank you. Been a rough week.
Lost my dog, Rigby, a few years ago. 12 years of love. Hit me harder than losing family members. Thanks for posting the photos, very nice.
I know what you mean about it being harder than losing family.
My condolences. There is no pain quite like losing a loyal and loving dog. I did it twice. I couldn’t bear it a third time. I’m so sorry for your loss.
Thank you!
Snickers was our third dog, but he will be the most remembered by me. If we get another dog, it will have very big shoes to fill and I don’t think that’s possible.
I know how you feel. We have a 14 year old cocker that is blind and deaf. We know he won’t be with us much longer, but we are giving all the care and love we can. Wishing you lots of peace!
Thanks, Ziggy!
Dogs will give you some of your happiest days, and one of the worst.
I still remember having to take my old dog to the vet for the last time, we’d had him 16 years and he was a used dog when we got him so probably 18 or maybe 19.
The oddest part was that when we went in, he turned to the right instead of the left where he’d always gone before, went straight to the room they used for goodbyes and got up on the table all by himself, when he could barely walk getting there. He knew and was ready….
To this day I kick myself for letting him hang on too long knowing he wasn’t going to get better and just being selfish by not wanting to let him go in peace.
Tearing up writing this 🙁
Been reading from the start but never commented until now, keep up the good work.
Thank you for sharing your story. It is a hard struggle to let go of a such a good dog. Don’t beat yourself up too much, you provided a good home for you dog and he knew it.
And thank you for being a reader all these years. I myself am not big on commenting on comics I read, so I appreciate it when a reader will chime in and say hello.
That was fifteen years and two dogs ago, but you remember them all, the last one went well before her time, she was only seven, the most friendly little miniature shepherd-looking girl you could ever want to know, but she had so many things wrong that she ate almost as many pills as food, and again we left it too long…It’s kind of humbling when a big, burly 60 year old Officer stumbles out of the vet’s in tears but that’s life.
I comment on the ones I like, this one started and stopped a few times so I never got around to it since I’d forget about it then binge read to catch up.
Lived through the 70’s, it’s kind of like going home 🙂
it reminds me that it was better being 20 in the 70’s than 70 in the 20’s