by Carlos Santiolga

Created on: July 09, 2009

Death Of A Pet

We rescued Lacy from a local dog shelter. My husband visited the shelter a few times and Lacy caught his eye in a special way. She may have been considered a mutt by dog standards but she was a prize winner to us. She was a very smart dog-that's something that we came to reflect on after she died. We tend to take pets and people for granted while they are here with us.

Our Lacy May died a few months back. She was a part of our family for approximately 7 years. My children practically grew up with her those 7 years. Even though she was a dog, she was still part of the family. She was such a good and obedient dog. That fact is something that we really began to realize also after her death.

Lacy brought smiles and joy to our family. She would twirl for her treats, lie down, roll over and just be such a loving dog. My son was very attached to Lacy and he took it very hard when she died. My daughter took it hard, too. We all did. It was such a shock when she died. Her death was somewhat of a freak accident.

Lacy's death brought to our minds the reality that everyone has a death date; not only animals, but humans as well. We started thinking about our own immortality and the way we treat others; most specifically, our family. There was some sadness regarding how we may have treated Lacy at times. It was nothing horrible or abusive, but some days we could have given her more attention, love or praise.

Lacy's death was a tragic thing that happened and we can't look back and keep questioning why or saying "I should have done this or that." We have to just accept her death and remember the great times that we shared with her. I'm sure if Lacy had been a human, she would not have wanted us to regret, blame ourselves or continue to grieve her death. But, of course, she was not human and we are; so we have to tell ourselves to cherish the great memories that we still hold so dear of her.

Lacy's death was not in vain. Her death opened our eyes to the fact that life is fleeting; life is short; life is unpredictable; life is precious and life is something that we can't hold on to ourselves. No one knows the hour of their departure from this earth. Everyone dies on God's timetable. We need to cherish the moments that He has given us with our family and our pets. Each day is a special day from the Lord. We need to stop taking our family for granted and cherish our family because one day they will be gone. No one wants to look back with regret over the not so good times with family and friends. Today is the day to live in a way that can make a memory that's worth remembering with joy.

God can use whatever He chooses (including a pet) to teach His children a lesson. May God help us to learn the lessons in life that He ordains for our good and for His glory.

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