Our Pets are Family Too

Recent events have made me stop and think about why I started this website/blog.

You’ve read my posts on side hustles, which there are more than any other topic I had intended to cover when I started this. You’ve also read about my loss of Ross in May 2020.

As of today I’m going to talk more about what being over 50 means; the good and the bad. We so often shut people out when they’re going through a rough time; simply because we ourselves don’t know how to deal with the situation.

I’m aware that I could be shut out as well, but I’m a big girl and can handle it. Now let me back up the bus just a little.

On Monday afternoon my geriatric Blue Heeler went missing. He is blind, fairly deaf, and 12 years old. My last time to see him was in the morning before I went to my doctor’s appointment, and when I got home I figured he was asleep in his house. And at that point, he most likely was.

My side door camera picked him up walking down the steps and out of camera range at 1:25 in the afternoon. He’s an old boy, so spends several hours during the day napping. He’ll make his rounds between my house and my father-in-law’s, but is always home for supper. When he didn’t eat I then realized there was something wrong.

I searched around the yard that evening, but it’s not the first time he’s been gone for a few hours. When he still hadn’t returned by morning I became really concerned. I searched my yard, nearby fields, ditches, and my father-in-law’s yard…to no avail. By the end of the day I had walked (according to my Fitbit) almost 9 miles. No sign of him anywhere.

After looking yesterday without any sign of him, my hopes of finding him alive are diminishing. I am utilizing the power of Facebook as one last ditch effort to get him back; or at least find out what happened to him. Calls to the SPCA and local vet have turned up nothing.

What hurts my heart the most is there are people out there who steal dogs for their own gain; and it’s rarely just because they want their own dog. Our world is full of uncaring people, who don’t consider a pet as a family member. Our pets are a big part of our family, and when one disappears without a trace it’s heartbreaking.

We’ve had pets die before, but with that comes closure. When they disappear the closure isn’t there, and our minds conjure up all sorts of things. I’m a big girl and know death is a fact of life. I’ve experienced it enough in my lifetime but also know closure is needed. It doesn’t get easier as we age; dealing with death. In fact, we’re more aware of it as we age I think.

If you’ve joined me just to learn how to make money with side hustles, I’ll still be posting about them. I’m also going to post about other things life throws at me; both good and bad. Maybe I’ll talk more about my pets, my friends, my kids. Maybe I’ll talk about a new recipe I have tried or pattern I have designed…or book I have read.

I don’t claim to have all the answers; I just go through life one day at a time like everyone else does. And right now, my missing dog is all I can think about. If he’s passed on simply because it was his time, all I want is to do is find him. If he’s still alive, I want him home.