Sad now - Malcolm is gone.

[carvedog]

I am very sad that we had to put our golden Golden down this morning.

Malcolm was almost 15 and was the best damn dog ever. Such a gentle creature. Cancer had riddled his body and bones to the point that he broke his leg, getting on the exam table while at the vet.

Here he is on the Middle Fork Salmon last fall.

[trailertrash]

Sorry to hear that Jerry.

[C5 Golfer]

Our condolences CarveDog.. sorry to hear.

Will you be getting a new Golden?

[RDY_2_Carve]

Sorry about your loss. :(

My male cat got ran over by a Dominoes driver a couple years back. At least your dog lived a full life...

[Rob Stevens]

Oh man...

I am very sorry to hear that.

[andreac]

So sorry to hear about your loss. My sister's dog Laird passed away this week as well. He was 10 and also had cancer. He was doing okay but just waited for a big snowfall and went and laid down under his favorite tree and died with my sis spooning with him. I have had and known a lot of incredible dogs in my life, but he was by far the best dog I have ever known and I never thought the last time I saw him (last year) would be the last time I saw him.

It's so amazing how animals touch our lives in a way no human can. I am sadder when I lose an animal than when I have lost friends or family. That may seem harsh but there is a connection that we have with our animals that is so pure and so perfect, which is rare to have in a human to human realtionship. You are so fortunate you had so much time together!

Here's a pic of him about 3 years ago, waiting patiently for my niece Alta to throw his frisbee!

[LeeW]

my condolences, man.

[Allee]

Sorry to hear that, Jerry. My girl died in September and they certainly leave a big hole in your life.

[durace]

This was sent to me by a friend in rescue many years ago.

The Rainbow Bridge

inspired by a Norse legend

By the edge of a woods, at the foot of a hill,

Is a lush, green meadow where time stands still.

Where the friends of man and woman do run,

When their time on earth is over and done.

For here, between this world and the next,

Is a place where each beloved creature finds rest.

On this golden land, they wait and they play,

Till the Rainbow Bridge they cross over one day.

No more do they suffer, in pain or in sadness,

For here they are whole, their lives filled with gladness.

Their limbs are restored, their health renewed,

Their bodies have healed, with strength imbued.

They romp through the grass, without even a care,

Until one day they start, and sniff at the air.

All ears prick forward, eyes dart front and back,

Then all of a sudden, one breaks from the pack.

For just at that instant, their eyes have met;

Together again, both person and pet.

So they run to each other, these friends from long past,

The time of their parting is over at last.

The sadness they felt while they were apart,

Has turned into joy once more in each heart.

They embrace with a love that will last forever,

And then, side-by-side, they cross over… together.

[Gecko]

I am so sorry to read this, Muji my GSP is across my legs and I honestly couldn't imagine the loss I would feel without her.

[zoom]

It sounds like your pup had quite a life. How wonderful that you had so much time together.... Wish we were closer, I'd loan you our two hooligans for some pet therapy.

We'll be thinking about you.

Rebecca & Buell

[Galen]

RIP Malcolm. Canine lymphoma took Mojo a few years back at 14. Wait a few months, get another friend and the sadness will leave, leaving you nothing but memories of the great times you had with him.

"God help me to be the person my dog thinks I am"

[Jack M]

I've seen my father cry precisely 3 times in my life. My wedding, my sister's wedding, and when they put our 13yo golden down when I was 9.

Goldens are the best.

---

If you can start the day without caffeine,

If you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains,

If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles,

If you can eat the same food everyday and be grateful for it,

If you can understand when your loved ones are too

busy to give you any time.

If you can overlook it when those you love take it out on you,

If you can take criticism and blame without resentment,

If you can ignore a friend's limited education and never correct him,

If you can resist treating a rich friend better than an poor friend,

If you can face the world without lies and deceit,

If you can conquer tension without medical help,

If you can relax without liquor,

If you can sleep without the aid of drugs,

If you can say honestly that deep in your heart you have no

prejudice against creed, color, religion or politics,

THEN, my friend, you are almost as good as your dog.

Author Unknown

[fin]

Dogs rule.

My condolences carvedog.

Maybe Rotti-Batman can cheer you up :D

[bill b]

verry sorry

[two_ravens]

Jerry, I'm so sorry to hear this about Malcolm. Sorry too that I didn't get to meet him. Rabbit, the 'Best Red Dog in the World' (or so I tell her every day!) is curled up asleep next to me now, dreaming some wonderful dog dream. I can only imagine how much you are missing Malcolm right now. Maybe, if it feels like the right thing to do, you could share some stories and memories of him on the Middle Fork trip this summer....

[willywhit]

Jerry,

sorry to hear you had to put the old boy down. 15 years is a pretty good run for any dawg. I never met a golden I didn't like. Hard as it seems, shopping for another Goldie might just be the best medicine for your grieving.

I woke up to our Yorkie licking my face:1luvu:

Here's some incentive to get Malcolm Jr. Can't resist a cuddley puppy.

[carvedog]

Thank you so much to everyone for the kind words, poems, photos and love.

Just to share a little bit about our buddy.

Malcolm came into our life when he was almost two years old. My wife was walking across the country. (That's not a typo). She started in Seattle and ended up in Cape Henlopen, Delaware. After the rest of her team dropped out for one reason or another, she had gone home to work for a bit before resuming her journey. Her family was not too keen on her continuing without anyone else, so she said fine I'll get a dog. Through a couple of connections she found out about Malcolm who was basically living in a backyard in Seattle and didn't get out much. As a large puppy under two he had unlimited energy, so much so that he tunneled out of the yard several times and actually chewed the corner off of the garage to get out once. His owners didn't have the time or energy to keep up with him, so he ended up with my wife and his first months with her were on the road from Louisville, KY to the end of her trip. As a trail companion you couldn't ask for better. Big bark to let you know someone was around, but an absolute lover from the word go. He went with her into about twenty different schools that she spoke in along the way, getting mauled by kids and loving it.

Due to our living situation when my wife and Malcolm came to live in Idaho we had to take him with us all the time. ( and his extreme aversion to being left alone). I took a job at a local weekly newspaper which only required me to be there Monday and Tuesday. I negotiated with the editor that the only way I could do it was if Malcolm could come for those days as I wasn't going to leave him in the car. There were already one or two dogs that came in occasionally with other employeeso no big deal.

Of course about a year later they changed publishers. He waited about six weeks before approaching me with some crap about how having a dog in the office wasn't professional ( and he knew about my agreement ). I gave him my notice on the spot much to his shock. I did like the job, but I don't like when the deal gets changed. Score one for Malcolm. It led to better things anyway.

Thanks again for letting me share. And Fin, Rotti batman definitely made me laugh, how could it not. Loved the poems and yes Kelly, I will definitely share some stories of Malcolm on the river.

I always felt like I found my online home once I found bomber and great folks like you are the reason why.

Jerry

[willywhit]

great stories jerry.

There's something about having your dog at work with you that makes it seem less like...work.

rotti batman needs a pal, Darth "Black Dawg" Vader

http://www.costumecraze.com/DOG26.html

[D-Sub]

carvedog

I know I emailed you privately but I wanted to post here. I started a thread a while back about my dog dying (also cancer) which had a lot to do with me turning into such an ******* these last couple years (wow, years.)

something in me has started to lift...dunno what it is...tired of bein pissed off I guess. Still a "dark soul" person, but...I'm ready to get another dog even though I'm absolutely terrified of it dying the way my last one did (fine on friday, gone on monday). Everyone says the good outweighs the loss, and I keep trying to remind myself of that but even now...almost 2 years later I can still cry about it if I let myself.

Here's Avalanche (RIP):

(and no, I'm not back)

[D.T.]

While there is no way to replace Malcolm, at least you have almost 15 years worth of memories.

Shelly and I keep telling ourselves that it was the spirits of our past dogs that kept our current dogs safe during our accident this last weekend. The truck rolled down an embankment, the topper was destroyed and all three dogs were ejected. The dogs were balled up together against a chicken wire fence. One dog had a 1/4" long cut. That was the only injury to any of us. It was a miracle! I truly think Alfred and Gracie were watching over them.

[willywhit]

While there is no way to replace Malcolm, at least you have almost 15 years worth of memories.

Shelly and I keep telling ourselves that it was the spirits of our past dogs that kept our current dogs safe during our accident this last weekend. The truck rolled down an embankment, the topper was destroyed and all three dogs were ejected. The dogs were balled up together against a chicken wire fence. One dog had a 1/4" long cut. That was the only injury to any of us. It was a miracle! I truly think Alfred and Gracie were watching over them.

my gawd man ! good to hear y'all made it out unscathed.

Karma wins again !

[two_ravens]

carvedog

I know I emailed you privately but I wanted to post here. I started a thread a while back about my dog dying (also cancer) which had a lot to do with me turning into such an ******* these last couple years (wow, years.)

something in me has started to lift...dunno what it is...tired of bein pissed off I guess. Still a "dark soul" person, but...I'm ready to get another dog even though I'm absolutely terrified of it dying the way my last one did (fine on friday, gone on monday). Everyone says the good outweighs the loss, and I keep trying to remind myself of that but even now...almost 2 years later I can still cry about it if I let myself.

Here's Avalanche (RIP):

(and no, I'm not back)

Hey D-Sub,

Thanks for posting the photo of Avalanche - he looks like quite a character. And I happen to have some goggles like his - little did I know I was actually wearing doggles!

I've never really bought that line about the good outweighing the loss. To me it's more like the good and difficult feelings that arise from our relationships with critters (or anyone else) are just two sides of the same cloth. And if we are sensitive and feel deeply then we will feel both the joy and the loss that much more, which can be a burden, or a gift, or both...

I'm no grief counselor, and I'm no one you know - I'm just someone who has been through a bunch of experiences both with and without a dog in my life. But if I were to be so bold as to offer advice, I'd say you could probably use some canine companionship, and I know for sure that there is a dog somewhere who needs a good human. So go down to the dog pound and find the one with the tractor-beam eyes that won't let your heart and mind go; bust him out of jail, let him bust you out of jail, and enter into that reciprocal debt of gratitude that is so special between dog and human. After all, as Martin Prechtel says, life is about staying in debt beautifully.

If you need more encouragement, a really good book came out recently called "Merle's Door: Lessons From a Freethinking Dog" by Ted Kerasote. Well worth reading, IMHO. All this is just my 2 cents - take it or leave it as you wish. But I really don't know what I would do if I didn't have Rabbit around to make me wish I could shake and make my ears flap like hers!!!!

[D-Sub]

character?

shiiiiit.

(fing hurts man. I thought I was over it. Not even close)

[D.T.]

The lucky family:

Guardian Angel #1 - Gracie:

Cancer took her at age 4

Guardian Angel #2 - Alfred

Kidney disease finally got him. Shelly had him 15 years. He was 1 or 2 years old when she adopted him.