RIP Ricky

Sorry to hear that Sal.

"All dogs go to Heaven."

My heart goes out to you Sal!

I'm so sorry to hear this, girl, but hear Ricky say...


To have loved and then said farewell, is better than to have never loved at all.
For all of the times that you have stooped and touched my head, fed me my favorite treat and returned the love that I so unconditionally gave to you.
For the care that you gave to me so unselfishly.
For all of these things I am grateful and thankful.

I ask that you not grieve for the loss, but rejoice in the fact that we lived, loved and touched each others lives. My life was fuller because you were there, not as a master/owner, but as my FRIEND.

Today I am as I was in my youth. The grass is always green, butterflies flit among the flowers and the Sun shines gently down upon all of God's creatures.

I can run, jump, play and do all of the things that I did in my youth. There is no sickness, no aching joints and no regrets and no aging.

I await the arrival of my lifelong companion and know that togetherness is forever.
You live in my heart as I do in yours. Companions such as you are so rare and unique.

Don't hold the love that you have within yourself. Give it to another like me and then I will live forever. For love never really dies, and you are loved and missed as surely as I am.

Author ~ Ken D. Conover


Terra

I am sorry for your loss. I know that Ricky was special. From a distance, I had a fondness for your dog, learning his story, seeing the photographs you shared. RIP, Ricky.

What a beautiful piece, Terra.

It's the way I feel, too. Ricky and I had a couple of years together that were purely reprieve - he should have been dead 3 years ago. We saw and did more in those 3 years than some do in a lifetime. I knew our time was borrowed from the get. I am sad, but not devastated. He was very old and getting tired. It was the right time. I knew it was near. The cancer was easy to destroy. Old age, though, I think maybe I will never conquer.

All is as it should be. I am sad, but know he's okay wherever. He'll keep track of me until we meet again.

I will miss him as I do all my boys. He was a wonderful guy and I feel extremely fortunate to have been able to spend his last years with him. What a gift he was.

always sad to lose a good friend

r i p ricky

Yeah, I'm sorry to here he is gone. But people say a dog year of life is worth 7 in human terms. That said, you can expect a dog to die within about 17 years, so he lived about as long as one could expect.

Steve

Wow. "Gradually and then Suddenly"

I am so sorry for your loss Sal. You gave Ricky a good encore life and final curtain, and know you two shared many happy times.

... but still always sad to see a friend go.

p.s.

I can't wait to see who the next little 'guy' will be. Any ideas?

Not surprising to me, Terra. All things are connected.

Steve - Ricky didn't HAVE 3 more years when I met him. Every day was a gift for us and we used it as such.

Thom - what I just told Steve. Yeah - we made a good run of it. I really felt his last years were a gift for both of us.

Thanks for your words everyone.

Sorry for your loss Sal, it must be heart breaking to have lost a great buddy such as Ricky.

Sorry for your loss Sal.

Because of the happiness that you gave to Ricky, he was able to live longer than expected. He is now home and he will patiently await your reunion when the time is right.

Ricky will be cremated tomorrow.

There was a place in the Ochoco Mountains that we used to go sometimes alone, sometimes with friends. It was a thunderegg dig. It was Ricky's favorite place on earth and it is where his ashes will be spread:

This is the spot:


This is the view:

Aw dang . . . sorry to hear that Sal. You know I'm a dog lover too. Losing a dog is like losing a good friend. At least you had a lot of good times together. Until you meet again...

I'm very sorry for your loss, Sal. While all pets are special, some move above and beyond, touching us on an even deeper level. I've always had the feeling that Ricky reached that level for you.

As one dog lover to another, thank you for giving Ricky a special home.

My eyes teared up at the headline.

Guess there's some real connection via here.

My shelter rescue Husky lived almost four years longer
than dogs with nose tumors usually live. Combo of
his strength and NSAID and antibiotics that did not
seem to bother him. Stoic dog. I had him 11 years.

Very sorry to hear the news.

Dan

"If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went."
― Will Rogers

Sal, so sorry to hear the news. My condolences. It's one of this world's injustices that dogs just don't live long enough.

RIP Ricky.

Sal,no words I can say would convey how much I feel for you right now.

So Sorry Sal,
My Mom sent me this email today and if you don't mind I'll share it with you,

Our 14-year-old dog Abbey died last month.

The day after she passed away my4-year-old daughter Meredith was
crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey.

She asked if we could write aletter to God so that when Abbeygot to
heaven, God would recognize her.

I told her that I thought that we could,so she dictated these words:

Dear God,
Will you please take care of my dog?
Abbey died yesterday and is with you in heaven.
I miss her very much.

I 'm happy that you let me have heras my dog even though she got sick.
I hope you will play with her.
She likes to swim and play with balls.

I am sending a picture of her so when you see her you will know that she is my dog.

I really miss her.
Love, Meredith


We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey & Meredith,
addressed it to God/Heaven.

We put our return address on it.

Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she
said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to heaven.
That afternoon she dropped it intothe letter box at the post office.

A few days later, she asked if Godhad gotten the letter yet.
I told her that I thought He had.

Yesterday, there was a packagewrapped in gold paper on our front porch
addressed, 'To Meredith'in an unfamiliar hand.

Meredith opened it.
Inside was a book by Mr. Rogerscalled, 'When a Pet Dies.'

Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God
in its opened envelope.

On the opposite page was thepicture of Abbey & Meredith and this note:


Dear Meredith,

Abbey arrived safely in heaven.Having the picture was a big help and I
recognized her right away.

Abbey isn't sick anymore.
Her spirit is here with me justlike it stays in your heart.

Abbey loved being your dog.

Since we don't need our bodiesin heaven, I don't have any pockets to
keep your picturein so I'm sending it back to you in this little book for
you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by.

Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your motherfor helping you
write it and sending it to me.

What a wonderful motheryou have. I picked her especially for you.

I send my blessings everyday and remember that I love you very much.

By the way, I'm easy to find.
I am wherever there is love.

Love,
God

Apparently the forum thinks I am out of thanks now. I am not. I really appreciate the comments. It is actually much more comforting than I had expected. Thank you for taking time to remember him with me today. It really has made me feel much better.

So sorry Sal. RIP Ricky

Wow! Sal, I'm sorry to hear about your loss.

Here's something from me to you about loosing a friend/pet. I've lost many to natural causes during my life and normally with in a couple of days after they have left I'll have a moment where I feel their presents for some reason(be it a rub against my leg or a sound they made when they were here prior). When that happens, I find a quite spot and just sit and remember them. The thoughts and memories always seem so realistic and vivid that it helps me to remember all the good and to adjust to the loss.

Wishing you all the best,
Try hard to - Have a Great Day!
I'm sure Ricky wouldn't want you to have it any other way!
Michael

I've been trying to think of what to say.
But, as Kim said, there are no words that can express
what I feel for you.
I have 4 urns on a shelf: Buster, Belle, Annie, and Walker.
"If there are no dogs in heaven, I don't want to go."

Michael - I have a story about today myself.

When my sister took Ricky home after realizing nobody was going to come after him to take him home, she was thinking he would make a great pal for the family dog that my niece had left with her when she moved out at 18.

Mina was her name. She died a few months ago. Ricky was agitated that day, and finally my sister got word to me and I understood why.

Anyway - this morning sometime just before Ricky left me, she sent me an email reply to our previous conversation. In it she mentioned that last night she had a dream about Mina - she had brought my sister a squirrel that seemed dead but revived when Mina put it down in front of her.

She's going to freak when she gets home and gets my message. I'm glad to know she's come to help him get home, though. I've had some very vivid flashes of my own guys this last week and know that Rick isn't on his own til I get over there. He's got majorly great company until that time.

So sorry for your loss. I sincerely dread the day when my girl goes home.

I love the Will Rogers quote above. I believe they do.

Hang in there.

Mark

Sorry for your loss,Sal. Hope this helps:

I know that you must miss me,
By the tears rolling down your face.
But believe me when I tell you that,
I'm in a very good place.
There are meadows here to run in,
And plenty of rabbits to chase.
There are other dogs to play with,
To frolick with and race.
So please don't worry about me,
My spirit feels light as can be.
There's no more pain to plague me,
I'm young again and free.
And I'll be watching over you still,
of that you can be sure.
I'm your canine guardian angel,
And my love for you remains pure. -Author Unknown

Sorry to hear the news Sal. I have two dogs and don't even want to think about them not being here, so I know how you feel.

Sorry for your loss Sal. You will see Ricky again. I'm at one year exactly since I had to let go of my very sick 14 year old dachshund so I understand where you are at. I'll be thinking of you.

Bonnie

So sorry about Ricky - but I know he had a very fine life there with you. 16 years is a long life for a dog - you must have treated him very well. - I have a 14 year old dog that is going blind. I know he doesn't have long left. I'm not looking forward to having to confront my kids when it happens. Praying that your heart recovers fast.

Still no thanks button - but I appreciate every post on here. This forum is bulging at the seams with people who have, and dearly love, animal friends, and I know each response is from the heart.

As for the quote -- I really don't care where my guys have gone......that's where you'll find me when I leave this berg.

Oh Sal....my heart aches for you.

The world was a little brighter with Ricky in it and I will always remember your amazing stories about him.

Lots of hugs to you!

Really sorry to hear your news.

Sal, I am very sorry to hear about this. You will need quite some time to get over it. I am sure Ricky misses you every bit as much.

Why is my thanks button still dead?

Paul - life expectancy for a rottie is 10 years. We have no clue what he was mixed with. My sister found him in the winter of 2000. She took him to a couple of vets and they said he was the mature side of adult - 6 or 7. That has to be a mistake. It would have made my little guy doggie Methuselah. There's no way he was a 20 year old dog. When he started failing a bit early this year (starting to slow down and show some age), I thought he was getting just generally ill again and I worried about being able to do much for a 13 year old dog.

I was talking to my sister about him and she said he was extremely old - reminded me she had him since the turn of the century and he was an adult dog when she picked him up. I didn't realize it was that long ago she got him. I thought around 2004, but it was my trip down in 2000 that I first saw him. I had Munchie when I first saw him and had my hands full - didn't pay attention to her dogs much.

16 is my own estimate and, unlike the vets had thought, he would have been 2 or 3 when she got him - adult but young adult. There's no way I am paying final respects to an 18 - 20 year old dog. I can't buy that. He was an adult -- no questions, but he had to be a young one.

Anyway - when Sue told me his age estimates, I knew there was a mistake - but we can count 13 of those years for certain and there's no mistake he was an adult dog when she got him, which means 3yrs old. He was old enough though, that I understood that we were running out of time and I wouldn't be fixing it this time. Yes. I did right by him.........some pure volition, some just happened to work out right when I took the chance. We just plain got lucky is what it boils down to.

As far as an Ebook -- I have "Smart Beyond Obedience" in my sig file. It teaches people a little about dog sociology and how to teach your pup so he will understand you, not just a one word command. Dogs can understand a LOT of language. People have always been a bit taken back when I talk to my dogs and they see that they understand completely. It blows their "knows the tone of voice" crap excuses. Yeah they know tones - and smells - and words....and can string words together to a point. They've been domesticated for over a thousand years now and their brains now are developed toward our sociology a tad. That's your difference between "wild" and "domestic".

I also have the ebook in my avatar - the pic is the one on my OP here. It's the story of meeting Ricky and healing his cancer -- "Saving Ricky: The Second Rescue".

I'm not sure that I'll do another dog book. Maybe.

< I thought Rotts were 8-10. Mixed breeds tend to live longer, though. Still, for a dog that size, 16 is a long life. >

That's true. I had a Siberian Husky who lived to be around 14 (wasn't sure of his exact age as he was adopted) and he basically died of old age. Still, it's hard to lose a faithful companion at any age, so I sympathize.

Oh Sal, I just saw this thread. I'm so sorry about your loss. I'm sitting here with tears, and now my nose is starting to run. Gotta' grab the Puffs box.

Dogs really do love us, and as you well know, understand us. I'm glad to hear your gratitude about having your time with Ricky. It funny, I am always delighted whenever I read a story from someone who has had an NDE and gets to meet their 4-legged family members again.

Don

Sorry for your loss Sal, our thoughts are with you and Ricky.
--Jack

Well, I was finally able to get at least one thanks to everyone who posted here. You guys are really awesome. This thread did more to make me feel at peace than anything else.

Paul, btw, There's a dairy queen in Prineville, OR that I have always stopped at after a hunt out in Central OR. Both Munchie and Ricky got to know that Dairy Queen. If I went through that town without stopping on the way out, both of them reacted the same - noses pressed to the glass, a quick look at me like I was nuts and a frantic search out the window. There were a few times I was tired and forgot and actually had to turn around and go back for the ice cream because of the very loudly hurt feelings. Good grief, they are so much harder to distract than a little kid once they get their heads set on something. You can put any kid in this country in my car and I can make them miss the damned Dairy Queen.

Seems to be a consensus here. Dogs LOVE ice cream.

Ricky is in cremation now. I'm looking at the sky and it seems he might be spending the winter with mom. I don't think I can get up the mountain now. It's so quiet here. Too quiet, but I think the hard part is over.

Sal, I'm so very sorry, there are no words :-( I know how much Ricky meant to you. Sending hugs your way from down here x