On December 23, 2002 we had to have our Bram dog put to sleep. He had liver disease and other medical problems.  He is never far from our thoughts and never leaves our hearts.

On Monday, December 23, 2002, we had to have our Bram Dog put to sleep. He was 14 years old and had several bad illnesses, including liver disease and arthritus. This decision was NOT made easily but since our pet was suffering so much, it was not in his best interest for us to be selfish and not do the right thing.

When we took Bram out to the car to ride to the veterinarians office, he stopped at the fence to look at the other three dogs out there.  Bram LOVED to ride in the car and would never do this on other occasions.  His first interest was ALWAYS to get into the car to go for a ride. I feel in my  heart that he knew he was not coming back and wanted to say good-bye to his friends.

Bram was a very big part of our lives, as are all of our pets, they are like our children, so saying goodbye to him was not an easy thing to do. We did do as much as we could in the last week of Bram's life to make him feel as loved as we could.  I made him a very special meal on Monday, he loved spaghetti so he got to have a big plate of that all to himself. He got many "special" treats when the other dogs were outside and we showered him with extra amounts of attention.

Cinder seemed to sense that things were not alright.  She spent a lot of time watching Bram and even layed in his bed with him and alone when he was not in it.  When we returned home from burying Bram, Cinder just looked around as if to say  "Hey, you forgot to bring my best friend home with you".  She keeps looking from room to room for him. She sleeps in the area that was aways bram's favorite place to sleep and she just isn't 
acting like herself these past few days.  I know she misses him as much as we do, he was her very best friend.

The very last face Bram saw was mine and the very last voices he heard were those of myself and my husband.  My own habit is to tell our animals "We just gotta love ya" and things like "You are so cute...we just can't help but love ya".  My husbands habit was to tell Bram that he was the best the dog in the world. These are the things he heard as  he drifted off to sleep.

Bram was buried with copies of each poem, story and song you see written on this page, as well as a picture of my husband and myself.  I know that may sound strange to an outsider who does not realize how close we are to our animals, but, I feel so much better knowing that he has these items with him.

It is so odd to come home and not see him here. I don't know how long that will last.  But I know we miss him terribly and doubt we will ever get over not having him here.  Some holes in our lives can never be filled, and this is one of those holes.

I wrote this poem a few days before we had to have Bram dog put to sleep due to his illnesses. Some how, knowing the exact day and time he was going to die made it seem so much worse. I kept thinking about how we would react when he went to sleep and wondering how do you say your goodbyes as they drift off into a sleep they will never wake up from.  So, of course it came out in the poem above.

The RainBow Bridge
Just this side of Heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge. When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. 

There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food,water and sunshine and our friends are warm and comfortable. 

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing: they each miss someone very special, someone who was left behind. 

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenlystops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; his eager body begins to quiver. Suddenly, he breaks from the group, flying over the green grass, faster and faster. 

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again.  The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the  beloved head, and you look once more into those trusting eyes, so long gone from your life, but never absent from your heart. 

Then you cross the Rainbow Bridge together... 

Author: By Paul C. Dahm

HEAVEN?

After a while they came to a high white stone wall along one side of the road. It looked like fine marble. At the top of a long hill it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight. When he was standing before it he saw a magnificent gate between the arches that looked like mother of pearl, and that the street that led beyond the gate looked like pure gold.

He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got closer he saw a man at a desk to one side. 

When he was close enough he called out, "Excuse me, where are we?" 

"This is heaven, sir," the man answered. 

"Wow! Would you happen to have some water?" the man asked. 

"Of course, sir. Come right in and I'll have some ice water brought right up." The man gestured, and the gate began to open. 

"Can my dog come in too?" the traveler asked. 

"I'm sorry, sir, but we don't accept pets."

The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and continued the way he had been going. 

After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, the man came to a dirt road which led through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed. There was no fence. As he approached the gate he saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book. 

"Excuse me" he called to the reader, "Do you have any water?"

"Yes, there's a pump right over there." The man pointed to a place that couldn't be seen from outside the gate. "Come on in." 

"How about my friend here?" the traveler gestured to the dog. 

"There should be a bowl by the pump." 

They went through the gate and, sure enough, there was an old fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it. 

The traveler filled the bowl and took a long drink himself. When they 
were full, he and the dog walked back toward the man, who was
standing by then, waiting for them. "What do you call this place?" he asked. 

"This is heaven," was the answer.

"Well, that's confusing," he said, "the man down the road said that was heaven too." 

"Oh, you mean the place with the street of gold and the pearly gates?
That's hell."

"Doesn't it make you mad for them to use your name like that?"

"No. I can see how you might think so, but we're just happy that they screen out the people who would leave their dogs behind".