March
21st, 2003-July 10th, 2014
Srex
(pronounced REX) walked into my life the same way he left: goofy. Big ears, big
paws, big nose; nothing about Srex was ever small being a purebred German
Shepherd. His looks were deceiving because although he was a giant, he was a gentle
giant and just the sweetest dog. My fur brother was nothing short of amazing;
he was loyal to the extreme, always had a dopey look on his face, and was so,
so goofy.
He was
11 ½ years old when he left to Doggy Heaven on Thursday July 10th, 2014, one
week before my 22nd birthday. Being a big dog, hip problems are common and
unfortunately affected him. He put up a strong two-year battle against his
condition, but things took a turn for the worse when it started to affect his
quality of life. So, as a family, we decided to do the most unselfish thing
that we could do for Srex and made an appointment to have him euthanized at
home.
I’ve
always wanted Srex to pass the natural way. I was never open to having him put
to sleep because I could see that he was still so full of life. But when I
talked it over with my family, we decided that it’s better to have him leave
when he still has life left in him versus having him leave the opposite.
The day
he left was the most pain that I’ve ever felt in my life. The whole experience
was so traumatic, but I’m glad that my family and I were able to stay with him
until the very end. What I learned is that nothing can really prepare you for
the moment it happens. I read a lot on what to expect, and yeah, you’ll know
what the procedure is going to be like, but the pain you’ll feel throughout is
unfathomable.
One
thing that did comfort me that day was the look on his face after he had
passed. His tongue was sticking out and his eyes looked like he was making a
funny face; goofy is the perfect word to describe how he looked. Even in such a
sad moment, I couldn’t help but let out a little chuckle because I felt like he
was giving us a signal that his goofy self made it to heaven and that he was
happy.
I miss
him so much, and I know there will be a space in my heart that will always feel
empty until the day I get to see him again, but I will continue to live life to
make his goofy self proud of me because I know he’s watching over me and my
family, and he would want us to be happy. I love you Srexarooney! Until we meet
again ♡
