The 13th February marks three years since we lost the Boss, Rolo. He was an amazing fur, and we still miss him.
One of the many difficult decisions that bereaved pet owners have to face is whether or when to get another pet. Some never do, as the pain of parting is just too much. Some, on the other paw, choose to get another almost straight away, and many come to that decision over a longer time period. None of those decisions are wrong; it's just a matter of what feels right and they certainly shouldn't feel, or even worse, be made to feel, guilty or disloyal.
'Them Indoors' were lucky in many respects, as they had me. Whilst there was still a big Rolo shaped hole in our family, I was a comfort to them and gave them a furry focus during their saddest times. Whilst no dog replaces another, Rolo's rightful heir apparent is Bear. And a very worthy one she is too! 'Her Indoors' had been in touch with Bear's breeder for some time, but the moment she knew we were definitely getting Bear was in a phone conversation exactly two years to the day since we lost Rolo, a spooky coincidence.
The arrival of a new puppy didn't push Rolo into the background, quite the opposite. As the last dog 'Them Indoors' had since a puppy was Rolo, every step along the way has brought back happy memories of when Rolo was a youngster. There are also some striking parallels between Rolo and Bear. In fact 'Her Indoors' reckons they are experts at choosing the naughtiest puppy in the litter with a 100% success rate. Both dogs are bold and unafraid, taking new experiences in their stride. Both share a strong hunting instinct and a penchant for mischief. But unlike the Boss, who frankly didn't care too much if people got cross with him, Bear is a very people focused dog and doesn't like to cause an upset. She is naughty, but in a carefree, joyous kind of way that makes it difficult to be stern, and she loves physical attention which the Boss could take or leave. The Boss was friendly but Bear is overjoyed to see anyone, canine or human, and she is relentlessly happy and good-natured. I'm sure they would have got on if they'd met, and having Bear has brought back so much of what was good about owning Rolo.
The anniversary of Rolo's death, is followed very swiftly by Bear's birthday, then my gotcha day comes along followed by my birthday. All of these anniversaries merge together in a swirl of both happy and poignant memories. My gotcha day, is also the anniversary of my previous owner, Sandra's, passing, so we cannot celebrate one without remembering the other, a bit like Bear and Rolo.
So if you find yourself bereaved and thinking about getting another pet, don't worry, a new addition to your family will carry the memory of the lost one with them. And because you will know how quickly time passes, you will hang onto every joyous moment all the more. Life is for living and as long as we have memories, lost friends are part of our everyday life and are cherished and celebrated. The Boss still walks with us and for that we are very grateful.
