My dog ( best friend ) Zillah is gone.

the wolfthe wolf Posts: 7,027
edited August 2009 in All Encompassing Trip
a month or so i started a thread about my dog Zillah, and his fight with cancer.

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=103603

lots of people responded and sent me PM's, and i want to thank all who did.

Yesterday we lost Zillah. He fought hard up to the very end. ( very heroic in ways , not sure i would fight that hard )

we had to take him to the ER because he was getting sick, i thought the chemo was just hitting hard, but we were told that he was critical, and may not make it. at first , my thoughts were to do anything we could to save him. and for the most part we did, but he was just so weak and tired. so we deciced to not do CPR if the time came. It wasn't 10 minutes after we lifted the CPR request that he went into arresst. They rushed him out to us, and we held him till the end.

thank you all very much for the support, it meant a ton to me. the fact that strangers ( for the most part ) on a bands message board reached out with such kind words (for a dog no less), makes me feel that the world is not total shit.


Thank you.



we love ya' Zillahbear.
thank you for 13 beautiful years of friendship.
see ya' soon.
Peace, Love.


"To question your government is not unpatriotic --
to not question your government is unpatriotic."
-- Sen. Chuck Hagel
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • Ms. HaikuMs. Haiku Washington DC Posts: 7,282
    edited August 2009
    I'm very sorry to hear about Zillah.

    Our family dog, Ricky, died in 1995. When I'm in the emotional dumps, and I want to get out, I think of Ricky, who had such a gentle soul, and I all of a sudden feel much better. He died 14 years ago, and it still can not be said how much positive energy RickyBooBoo put into my life.
    Post edited by Ms. Haiku on
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  • Cinnamon GirlCinnamon Girl Posts: 1,854
    :cry:

    I'm sorry.
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  • decides2dreamdecides2dream Posts: 14,977
    :( :( :(
    i am soooo sorry for the loss of your beloved dog. it is so difficult and tragic losing your pet, especially to cancer. :( my heart goes out to you! i've been there myself too many times, it never gets easier.
    Stay with me...
    Let's just breathe...


    I am myself like you somehow


  • FifthelementFifthelement Lotusland Posts: 6,963
    My sincere sympathies. Reading your post made me cry. My thoughts are with you.

    (((HUGS)))

    RIP Zillah
    "What the CANUCK happened?!? - Esquimalt Barber Shop
  • comebackgirlcomebackgirl Posts: 9,885
    edited August 2009
    So sorry to hear about Zillah :( Animals bring such unconditional love to our lives. The best we can do is give them a life full of love and be there to comfort them in the end. I'm glad you were able to be with Zillah. He sounds like a very loved and lucky dog.
    Post edited by comebackgirl on
    tumblr_mg4nc33pIX1s1mie8o1_400.gif

    "I need your strength for me to be strong...I need your love to feel loved"
  • restlesssoulrestlesssoul Posts: 6,951
    sorry to hear about Zillah......he had a great life

    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 to them, who had to be left behind.

    They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him 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 the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

    Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....
    Van '98, Sea I+II '00, Sea '01, Sea II '02, Van '03, Gorge, Van, Cal, Edm '05, Bos I+II, Phi I+II, DC, SF II+III, Port, Gorge I+II '06, DC, NY I+II '08, Sea I+II, Van, Ridge , LA III+IV' 09, Indy '10, Cal, Van '11, Lond, Van, Sea '13, Memphis '14, RRHOF '17, Sea I+II '18, Van I+II, Vegas I+II '24
  • CHANGEinWAVESCHANGEinWAVES Posts: 10,169
    Aw Steve I am so sorry :(
    I know how much he meant/means to you... How's his 'sister' taking it?
    "I'm not present, I'm a drug that makes you dream"
  • WobbieWobbie Posts: 30,518
    Oh, man....I'm really sorry. It's the worst. I don't know if you have been thru this before but your heart will heal. It just takes a long time. I totally know what you mean about the kindness of the folks around here - truly, they played a huge part in getting me thru the loss of my dog in May of 2008. We got another dog shortly after Shelby. The new dog is a blast but hardly a day goes by that I don't think of Shelby. RIP Zillah. :cry::cry:

    Again, I gotta post this.... at least for me, it is so true:

    If you ever love an animal, there are three days in your life you will always remember. The first is a day, blessed with happiness, when you bring home your new friend. You may have spent weeks deciding on a breed. You may have asked opinions of many friends or done research finding a breeder. Or, in a fleeting moment, you may have chosen that silly looking mutt at the shelter, simply because something in its eyes reached your heart. But when you bring that chosen pet home, and watch it explore…when you feel it brush against you for the first time, it instills a feeling of pure love you will carry with you through many years to come.

    The second day will occur years later. It will be a day like any other. Routine and unexceptional. But, for a surprising instant, you will look at your longtime friend and see age where you once saw youth. You will see slow deliberate steps where you saw energy. You will see sleep where you once saw activity. You will begin to adjust your friend’s diet and you may add a pill to her food. And, you may feel a growing uneasy feeling until the third day arrives.

    On this day, if your friend or your higher being has not decided for you, then you will be faced with making a decision of your own on behalf of your lifelong friend. Whichever way your friend leaves you, you will feel as alone as a single star in the dark night.

    If you are wise, you will let the tears flow freely as they must. If you are typical, you will find that not many family and friends will be able to understand your grief. But, if you are true to the love of the pet you cherished through many joy-filled years, you may find that a soul, smaller in size than your own, seems to walk with you at times, during the lonely days to come. At those moments when you least expect anything out of the ordinary, you may feel something brush against your leg. And, looking down at the place where your dear friend used to lie… you will remember those three significant days. The memory will be painful. As time passes, the ache will come and go. You will reject it and embrace it and it may confuse you. If you reject it, it will depress you. If you embrace it, it will deepen you. Either way, it will still be an ache.

    But, there will be a forth day when, along with the memory of your pet, and piercing through the heaviness in your heart, there will come a realization that belongs only to you. It will be as unique and strong as our relationship with the pet we have loved and lost. This realization takes the form of a Living Love, like the heavenly scent of a rose. This Love will remain and grow, and will be there for us to remember. It is a love we have earned. It’s the legacy our pets leave us when they go… and it’s a gift we keep with us as long as we live. And until we leave, perhaps to join our beloved pets, it is a Love we will always possess.
    If I had known then what I know now...

    Vegas 93, Vegas 98, Vegas 00 (10 year show), Vegas 03, Vegas 06
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  • PearlOfAGirlPearlOfAGirl Posts: 15,993
    I am so sorry to hear about Zillah... :cry: as a dog lover myself, I know how you must feel... :cry:

    lossdogs-1.gif

    ((((((((((((((((((((( hugs )))))))))))))))))))

    Wish you were here...

    ~RIP Dad
  • arqarq Posts: 8,049
    It's sad but his pain ended and you don't have to see him decaying now, and even thou is hard to let it go you'll keep all the good memories.

    Be strong and I wish you the best.
    "The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it"
    Neil deGrasse Tyson

    Why not (V) (°,,,,°) (V) ?
  • mfc2006mfc2006 HTOWN Posts: 37,484
    so sorry to hear about your dog, Wolf. we just got Sam not too long ago and we already can't imagine a day without him. we've only had him for 6 months & you had Zillah for 13 years...so I can't imagine. glad that Zillah is no longer is pain & I'm truly sorry for your loss.
    I LOVE MUSIC.
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  • rhcpjam1029rhcpjam1029 Posts: 1,981
    really really sorry man! feel better.

    :)
    Beavis: All my friends are brown and red? What does that mean?
    Butthead: It means that his friends are like turds and that they like suck.
    Beavis: Heh heh. Oh yeah. Yeah! Get those spoons out of my face before I shove them up your butt!
    Butthead: Huh huh.
  • hinxhinx Posts: 416
    I'm so sorry for your loss.
  • normnorm Posts: 31,146
    sorry to hear that man...rip Zillah :(
  • Who PrincessWho Princess out here in the fields Posts: 7,305
    I'm so sorry about Zillah. :cry: I could see that you loved him like nobody else could have and he must have had a wonderful life with you. It's really hard to lose a friend like that.

    Of the 8 dogs that have owned me in my adult life, 6 are gone now and 4 of them had cancer. It's tough to see them suffer with a debilitating disease and try to make the right treatment decisions for them. It's especially hard when they can't tell you what's wrong. But Zillah wouldn't have lived to be 13 if you hadn't taken such good care of him. I know this is a sad time for you and you probably feel focused on losing him and on his final illness. But if you can, spend some time remembering the happy times you spent with him.

    Whenever I think of my fur-kids that are gone, I try to picture them in Dog Heaven, young and healthy, running and barking (always barking!). I hope someday you can think of Zillah that way.
    "The stars are all connected to the brain."
  • Phantom PainPhantom Pain Posts: 9,876
    Awww Im sorry for your loss :cry:

    Its so hard...nothing can prepare you for it

    Stay strong and remember how happy you made each other on a daily basis
    My drinking team has a hockey problem

    The ONLY thing better than a glass of beer is tea with Miss McGill



    A protuberance of flesh above the waistband of a tight pair of trousers
  • AusticmanAusticman Posts: 1,327
    Sorry to hear about this wolf :cry:

    At least he had you there tll the end.

    Such a sad tale. I hope you have someone around who understands. :cry:
    I can't go the library anymore, everyone STINKS!!
  • LizardLizard So Cal Posts: 12,091
    So sorry wolf............
    So I'll just lie down and wait for the dream
    Where I'm not ugly and you're lookin' at me
  • aNiMaLaNiMaL Posts: 7,117
    I am so terribly sorry to hear about to loss of Zillah. When my cat of 11 years died a few years ago, this place was instrumental on keeping me sane. To lose a friend and companion after having him for so many years - well, that is one of the hardest things to go through as a human.

    I now have Gravy, a 2 1/2 year old black lab. She's wonderful - and yet I know on day, hopefully many years from now, this will be the inevitable for us. By far it is the worst part about being an animal lover and owning pets.

    So, from Gravy and myself, much love and sympathy. Time, will heal all wounds. But, alcohol helps ease the pain in the mean time. Tip a couple back while thinking about your lost friend. We're thinking about ya over here. :(

    -Kevin
  • I am so sorry about Zillah.
    I hope Pearl, Zillah and all the other pets that this board has lost recently are happy and running around in heaven together.
    "In the age of darkness
    want to be enlightened"
  • Thoughts_ArriveThoughts_Arrive Melbourne, Australia Posts: 15,165
    Sorry about your loss, it's tough, been through it this year.
    Adelaide 17/11/2009, Melbourne 20/11/2009, Sydney 22/11/2009, Melbourne (Big Day Out Festival) 24/01/2014
  • eMMIeMMI Posts: 6,262
    I'm so sorry to hear about your loss. :(

    like someone said, at least Zillah had you there until the very end. my (our family's) first cat, a year older than me, died a few years ago. I still get so so sad when I think about her. she was as calm and sweet as they come.
    about a year or so before it was her time my parent's got a divorce and the cat moved in with my gran because there was no room at our new house. so I didn't get to spend any last moments with her. :cry:

    it's a tough time, losing a pet is losing a dear friend. but time will heal all wounds.

    I'll cry a few tears with you now, but there will be a time when the memories will make you smile and Zillah will always be with you in your heart.
    "Don't be faint-hearted, I have a solution! We shall go and commandeer some small craft, then drift at leisure until we happen upon another ideal place for our waterside supper with riparian entertainments."
  • pandorapandora Posts: 21,855
    the wolf wrote:
    a month or so i started a thread about my dog Zillah, and his fight with cancer.

    http://forums.pearljam.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=103603

    lots of people responded and sent me PM's, and i want to thank all who did.

    Yesterday we lost Zillah. He fought hard up to the very end. ( very heroic in ways , not sure i would fight that hard )

    we had to take him to the ER because he was getting sick, i thought the chemo was just hitting hard, but we were told that he was critical, and may not make it. at first , my thoughts were to do anything we could to save him. and for the most part we did, but he was just so weak and tired. so we deciced to not do CPR if the time came. It wasn't 10 minutes after we lifted the CPR request that he went into arresst. They rushed him out to us, and we held him till the end.

    thank you all very much for the support, it meant a ton to me. the fact that strangers ( for the most part ) on a bands message board reached out with such kind words (for a dog no less), makes me feel that the world is not total shit.


    Thank you.



    we love ya' Zillahbear.
    thank you for 13 beautiful years of friendship.
    see ya' soon.
    I'm sorry Wolf, you did what you could for your best friend.
    you're right, the world is not total shit there is alot of love here. Some people really do care.
  • MayDay10MayDay10 Posts: 11,764
    soooo sorry about Zilla. There is much that we dont know about or cant see yet. Wherever and whatever that is, Zilla is chasing some rabbits right now.
  • I am so sorry! I know what it is like to lose a pet. That Rainbow Bridge story makes me bawl everytime I hear it.
  • gabersgabers Posts: 2,787
    Sorry about your dog. We lost ours a few months back and although the initial sting is gone I find myself looking in the backyard for him several times a week. Or I'll have a steak bone and start heading for the backyard before remembering. It's not too easy to replace a great dog, I don't care what anyone says. :(
  • dcfaithfuldcfaithful Posts: 13,076
    My sincere sympathies. Reading your post made me cry. My thoughts are with you.

    (((HUGS)))

    RIP Zillah

    Your post made me tear up as well bro. :( I'm so sorry to hear of your loss. I remember the original post and I thought of Zillah days afterwards...I'll now be thinking of you, my friend.

    Stay strong, you'll be with Zillah once again..
    7/2/06 - Denver, CO
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  • iluvcatsiluvcats Posts: 5,153
    I'm so sorry. I want to cheer you up, not remind you of the sadness you feel, like someone ripped your heart right out of your chest (like me 8/29/2007.) I wish I could make you feel better momentarily like the elderly woman (stranger) who hugged me at the vet's when my cat was first sick about 2 weeks before his passing. It's funny how someone you don't even know can make you feel like it's going to be ok :)
    9/98, 9/00 - DC, 4/03 - Pitt., 7/03 - Bristow, 10/04 - Reading, 10/05 - Philly, 5/06 - DC, 6/06 - Pitt., 6/08 - Va Beach, 6/08 - DC, 5/10 - Bristow, 10/13 B'more
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  • pearljgirl2010pearljgirl2010 Shillington, PA/Tuckerton, NJ Posts: 3,428
    the wolf wrote:
    a month or so i started a thread about my dog Zillah, and his fight with cancer.

    http://forums.pearljam.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=103603

    lots of people responded and sent me PM's, and i want to thank all who did.

    Yesterday we lost Zillah. He fought hard up to the very end. ( very heroic in ways , not sure i would fight that hard )

    we had to take him to the ER because he was getting sick, i thought the chemo was just hitting hard, but we were told that he was critical, and may not make it. at first , my thoughts were to do anything we could to save him. and for the most part we did, but he was just so weak and tired. so we deciced to not do CPR if the time came. It wasn't 10 minutes after we lifted the CPR request that he went into arresst. They rushed him out to us, and we held him till the end.

    thank you all very much for the support, it meant a ton to me. the fact that strangers ( for the most part ) on a bands message board reached out with such kind words (for a dog no less), makes me feel that the world is not total shit.


    Thank you.

    we love ya' Zillahbear.
    thank you for 13 beautiful years of friendship.
    see ya' soon.


    oh,Wolf--I'm so sorry to hear this...I am glad, though, that you got to spend 13 years with him...I mean, how lucky was he to have you for his "owner" and how lucky were YOU to have the awesome Zillah around for all those years. When you get sad and miss him, try and remember how much time you DID have with him, and all of the fun Zillah-memories that go along with 13 years...I'm sure it'll make you smile
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  • chiquimonkeychiquimonkey Posts: 9,337
    oh no! :( i had popped back on here to see what was going on. i'm so sorry.

    he couldn't have had a better owner. condolences to you, i know how hard it is.
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