Quote Originally Posted by Miranda View Post
Wherever I went in the house, she was there. Now, she is no where. Her memories are thick. I know the grieving process will take time. I do still have the contact information of the breeder we got her from.
When I lost my beloved Ana, I contacted her breeder and chatted with her that very day. The breeder was so moved by my loss that she checked with another breeder friend to see if there was a female german shepherd available. We drove 13 hours in one day to get Kali. I was so nervous thinking about how I would react to a puppy. But as soon as we saw Kali, there was simply no comparison and she immediately lifted my spirits.

I know that getting another dog just days after we lost our first gsd was the right thing to do. It was hard seeing an empty bed, an empty bowl, and her medicine sitting on the counter. As I let the dogs out each morning, I kept waiting for the second one to come back in. We were already into a routine of caring for a feeble senior dog and getting into a puppy routine was a natural transition for us. So we added our funny little girl to the pack. She and I would go visit Ana's grave every day and I'd tell Ana what silly things the puppy did that day. As the days passed, our visits grew infrequent. By the third month, I rarely visited the site where the dogwood was planted over her grave. Kali simply mended a broken heart.

You will know when the time is right. For some, it may be a week, a month or even years. For others, the pain of losing one so special is too great that they choose to never be hurt again by another pet. I have felt that there is only one really bad day, and it is outweighed by the many wonderful moments spent with my little friend.

Perhaps as a tribute you can plant a dogwood or a beautiful rose bush in the garden. Every spring it will serve as a reminder of rebirth and renewal and the promise of hope.