Most people seem to think that pets are merely animals. But I have a moderately famous (well known amongst my friends anyways) saying: “Pets are people too.” It seems like a silly thing to say, but it comes from a deep sense of grief from knowing the pain of losing pets.

The first big loss of my life was our dog Daisy. She was the runt of the litter, and she came to live with us when I was three.

Daisy was an Irish setter, a breed known for its overwhelming beauty and stupidity. But she loved us kids beyond compare, and when my parents needed to discipline (as in spank) any of us they would have to put Daisy out of the house first. No one could lay a finger on any of us without Daisy baring her teeth and growling menacingly. We moved to California and Daisy was given to a farmer who dumped her at the edge of the city because she killed chickens. Well, duh – setters are bird dogs.
After we moved back to our hometown, my dad was delivering milk and an Irish setter bowled him over with affection. Daisy had found a home in the city, and the folks sadly returned her to her original family. On my ninth birthday Daisy came back to us.

I was in grade six when my parents decided to finally have a benign tumor on Daisy’s hind leg removed as it was growing. She had surgery and died in the veterinary hospital from gangrene. To this day I remember my mother telling us of her death. I remember the tears, and I remember the grief I felt for a very long time. One thing I know for sure – I still love Daisy.

I also still love my dog Shag who was my six month wedding anniversary/Valentine’s Day gift in February of 1971. My sister’s cat Kitty was a fast friend of Shag’s – they would chase one another throughout the house having a great time. At first we worried that Shag would hurt the cat, until he came running out of the kitchen with Kitty in hot purr-suit!

Shag died (also from complications of surgery) in 1984 and I burst into tears in my office at work. I will never forget my boss coming into my office to see what was wrong. I felt quite foolish actually until, with tears in his eyes, he told me of his dog who had died, and how much it had impacted him. He insisted that I go home and take the rest of the week off. His acceptance of the depth of feeling we have about our pets was affirmation for my emotions.

In my family we have pet stories that are as much a fabric of our lives as the cute stories about our children. So remember when you meet people who are grieving their pets, be kind – because pets are people too.

Colleen is a Volunteer Coordinator with the paper. She lives in McCauley.