When life seems so unfair....

So my last post indicated last week was a rough one.  I was ready for it to be over and a new week to start.  That blog was written Friday night and completed Saturday morning after we went hunting.  If I had only known how the week would officially end....

Over the past few weeks, we have been commenting on how our large shepherd mix dog, Bo Bear, has been moving really slow.  We jokingly calling him "old man" even though he was only eight.  He seemed to be bleeding from his gums, but we thought it was from chewing on deer antlers. (they make the best dog chew toy) Then we noticed his left eye was drooping.  Honestly, it looked like he had pink eye or possibly had poked it while digging for lizards.  So Friday we called the vet, but they couldn't see him until Monday.  Okay, no big deal - we could wait.

We came home Saturday after hunting and he wasn't at the back door like always, waiting on us.  So I open the back door and he very clumsily climbed out from underneath the porch steps, swaying and having a hard time walking. His other eye looked like it had blood in it.  We immediately knew something was wrong.  So we called a vet and took in him in.

They ran various tests and could not determine what was wrong, so they sent us to an emergency center for more tests.  Once we got there, they ran more tests and his prognosis was not good.  They diagnosed him with an autoimmune disease in which his body was attacking his own platelets.  His platelet count was extremely low causing the bleeding that we had noticed in his eyes and mouth.  The treatment they offered was described as "chemo" in the way it would destroy his immune system and that we would know within seven days if it would work or not, but it would be a time consuming and emotional process.  The recommendation besides medication was hospitalization and a blood transfusion.

So there we stood with the decision of bringing him home and trying medication that could or could not help in front of us.  The vet said that we needed to be emotionally ready for this because it was not going to be an easy first week or so. We talked as a family to make a decision on what was best for the family and for Bo Bear.   With the quick decline of Bo during that day we made the decision not to put him through any more pain.  And honestly, we couldn't handle the emotional toil of what could be ahead of us at home.  So with the vet's support due to his condition and obvious decline, we made the hard decision to have him put down.

Brandon said his goodbyes, then the boys stepped out.  It was only the vet and I in the room there at the end.  I shared our story with her and why this decision was so incredibly difficult.  She said that it seemed to her that Bo just needed to go take care of his girl.  And so I sat and loved on him through those last moments. While I have no biblical proof that pets go to heaven, and even if it is only a mother's wishful thinking, I imagine that Amanda and Bo Bear are enjoying a wonderful reunion after their time apart.

We got Bo Bear from the Williamson County Animal Shelter when Brandon was in second grade and Amanda was in Kindergarten.  We all fell in love with his sweet disposition and gentle spirit.  He would follow you from room to room and just lay down right by your feet.  He had this amazing, thick coat of fur that reminded me of a lion.  Amanda adored him and was constantly proclaiming he was just so adorable she couldn't stand it.  For Brandon, Bo was that dog every boy needed.  He loved to wrestle and play, run outside and chase him and sleep in his room.  Bo and Ginger were the best of friends and offered us hours of entertainment watching them play together.  Despite the size difference, I think Ginger was the alpha dog between them.  :)  His large size made him very formidable and when needed, he would protect us, (loved that about him) but he was a true gentle spirit - a gentle giant.

So, I ask, how much heartache can our family, or more so, can my son take?  They say that a dog is a man's best friend and our dogs certainly bring us joy and companionship.   This would be a hard loss for Brandon no matter when it happened, but the timing of it now just seems unfair.  As a mother I should be well equipped to answer and explain the "Life is not fair" scenario, but even this has me at a loss and heartbroken.

I am incredibly thankful for the blessings God gives us through His beautiful creations. Our Bo Bear was a blessing and I am grateful for the years he was a part of our family.  He will be greatly missed.

The day we brought Bo Bear home.

Love.  This.  Picture.

Last year, it was routine for Amanda, Bo and Ginger to ride along and take Brandon to school.  When Brandon would get out of the front seat, Bo would climb up front and take his place.   He loved to go places.

The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den. (Isaiah 11:6–9)

God didn’t create the animals only to wipe them away, but decorate his eternal glory and serve humanity’s everlasting joy. While the Bible doesn’t promise that all dogs go to heaven, or that your favorite pet will be there, we can bank on it being brilliantly better than even the best day at the zoo.
Desiring God - David Mathis