Bittersweet

One of the downfalls to doing what I do is that you give your heart away to so many furry friends,and inevitably you suffer some losses.  On the permanent scale along side their owners I've been through the process of putting aged dogs in pain down and watching others fade away.  I've also experienced the sudden loss of what had seemed to be a healthy dog.  It is never easy, but in the end you are left with warm memories and an understanding that this is all part of life.

There are, of course, losses of a less permanent nature.  Dogs whose situations change and you are no longer needed in their lives.  They either move away, or their owner's life situation changes and you aren't needed anymore.  Some of these dogs you have a chance to see again when they come visit their old stomping grounds.  With others you get a quick goodbye, if you are lucky, and then they are out of your life, leaving only memories. 

Yesterday I found out I'll be losing a family of three dogs in a month due to a change in jobs.  Will it affect my pocket book?  A little.  Will it affect my heart?  A lot.  But these are dogs who have already come and gone from my life a couple of  times, and I suspect that I'll be helping out when their people go on vacation again at some point.  So with that in mind, I am just looking at this as a temporary separation.  Another chapter in my book with them.  And a chance to experience the pure joy they express when they see me after a long period of time.