Remembering the Joy and Sorrow of Pet Dogs

Speaking of pet dogs, I remembered the dog of Wang Tong in Washington who passed away two years ago. It died of cancer at the age of 11, which is equivalent to 72 years old for humans. There is a cremation service center for dogs there, which costs $500. If you want ashes and footprints, it will cost another $200.

A friend of mine in Australia had a dog that passed away, and they buried it in their backyard. Some people also hired a professional company to handle it. I heard that for 100 Australian dollars, they would bury the dog on the mountain and take a photo and send it to you. Some friends saw that their dogs were old, suffering from various diseases, and suffering from painful torture, so they chose to go to the veterinarian to have them euthanized.

Ziwei had seen the dog in Wang’s home. It was when we joined a tour group to visit the United States and Canada in 2011. We were lucky enough to meet three college classmates who had immigrated to the United States and Canada. They were Wang, Jin, and Wu. When we arrived at Washington, Wang enthusiastically drove to pick us up for a small gathering. We not only visited his clinic, but also visited his mansion.

We walked into Wang’s mansion and met Wang’s wife, Sister Gao, their little daughter, and a little yellow dog that was more than 4 months old. The puppy also understood the owner’s heart. When we talked, it squatted quietly at my feet and showed a very friendly attitude. It did a special action to me, leaving a special mark that I will never forget, that is: it bit several deep holes on the front upper of my right leather shoe.

Ten years have passed in a flash, and the little yellow dog has become an old yellow dog, the dog that passed away two years ago. The family members will feel reluctant, lonely and sad because they don’t have the company of their pet dog, and they need time to slowly dilute this sadness.

Thinking of my 15-year-old silver fox dog Luca, a medium-sized dog, which is equivalent to about 76-78 years old in human age, I am afraid that he will also die of illness in the next few years. People and dogs are emotional. The happier they are together, the more reluctant and sad they will be when they are separated. I hope he will not suffer too much before he dies.

I am especially afraid of seeing people’s sad words after the dog is gone. My puppy is eleven years old. I don’t know how long we will be together. I just want her to be happy every day.

I can understand this especially because my daughter also has a dog. I don’t know how she will face that day.