When Love Crossed The Rainbow BridgeTop Story - August 2023
July 10, 2023, I had woken up around 4:00am to the sound of my dog, Buddy, panting in the darkness. He wasn’t looking good when we went to sleep a few hours prior. I had leaned in close, whispered I love you in his ear, as I had done countless times, and tried to get some sleep. Part of me believed, or at least wanted to believe, that would be better in the morning. Deep down, I knew he was slipping away. I selfishly wanted one more night with him cuddled up beside me. A decision I deeply regretted, as the realization that he was in pain cut through me like a dagger. I had been there for him through so many challenges in his life. I knew it was time to help him pass through his last hurdle. It was time to let him go. This is a decision that every pet owner inevitably faces, one that I would have given anything to avoid. There was no avoiding this. I knew if I didn’t get him to the hospital soon, he would continue to spiral downward in front of me. I loved him too much to allow that to happen.