I can remember the feeling. Pain and empathy, times well spent, the cuddle of a friend that you have been absent from for a short time. You never want to let go of the good ole times, but in the end, things that we hold most dearly to will follow another path. Whether it’s on mortal land or in God’s great big grand stand, life must go on.
Most of us had pets throughout our life. We can remember the snappy zip of a young feisty cat or the constant ambush of an out of control wagging tail from a K9 friend. Grover Cleveland, the elderly dying dog from Lying Doggo was this wondrous memory for the character Nancy. Grover was a remembrance of times past. He was the milestone of a 15 year marriage. Nancy reminisced about meeting Grover, when he was pup. Calm, and endearing yet very striking, Grover was. She knew him before she had meet her husband and Grover’s owner, Jack. Grover was a well know chap around her college campus when she was younger. Grover, like a decorated war general, led Nancy to Jack. Now that Grover is passing to God’s hands, these memories are awe inspiring. The decision to let him go until the almighty calls or give him an early pass to the heavens is not an easy choice. Jack in his heart, knows he does not want to give Grover an untimely death by putting his aging, ailing friend to sleep. He just can’t stand seeing him in agony. Nancy, and their son Robert, rather see him pass in the sanctity of his loving home. In the end faiths hand allowed Grover a chance to make his Grand entrance to God without unnatural interference and his family by his side.
Many of us can relate to this story. Having an elderly pet in anguish due to an ailment, and making that hard decision to end s/he’s life prematurely. Why not let it end naturally like a human? Hold his hand to the end, and declaim your care for him. Grover, like many of our pets, was a part of the family. He reminded his family of countless past times. He was treated with love and care all the way to the end. Grover had what I believe to be degenerative myelopathy, which is common among his breed (German Shepard). In the story they stated he had arthritis. However; this story is dated. Grover could not carry himself due to “DM”, and his family did everything they could to help. They carried him and even devised a hoist to lift his rear. Jack even considered putting diapers on him like they do to chimpanzees. It did not matter that Grover was a dog; he was receiving star treatment by loved ones as if he was a human relative. The family would do anything to make his last days easier for him.
“In life, there is a time when we must leave the nest and follow our own destiny, no matter how daunting it can be, it is the way of nature”. KG (2013)
Amy, the main character in Fly Away Home, found her destiny to be a surrogate mother to new born Geese. Amy became very depressed after her mother’s untimely passing in a car accident. However; she found a new breath of life when she finds a nest full of Canadian geese eggs. The Geese younglings looked to Amy as a mother figure, Amy obliges. Amy with the help of her father Thomas, (who she has no relationship with) has to show the young Geese how to migrate south for the winter or else a tragic fall to the unbearable Canadian cold could be upon them. The Geese, like little animal therapist, helped Amy overcome her depression. It also helped spark a father/daughter relationship which Amy was in much need of.
No matter what it took, Amy was determined to help her new family. She looked upon the Geese as her own children even though she was a child herself. She overcame adversity and learned independence. Although she lost one parent, she gained love and respect from another, all with the help of her animal family. Like Nancy in Lying Doggo, the image flocking Geese will always bring back fond memories of time well spent for Amy. It might elicit unfortunate memories of her mother but ultimately it will bring back the memories that shaped her to become an independent adult with care and admiration for others including non-human animals.
We have observed in both stories the benefit from having an animal companion. Many positive responses to animals come naturally to us, and these are the building blocks of the human-animal bond. A blend of nature and nurture is the biochemistry of the bond we have with animals. The feeling we get upon encountering animals releases certain hormones, in turn, influences our emotions just like the characters in these two stories. Even in times of sorrow and pain, one can regain pure bliss by the fond memories that an animal can bring back. Something deep within our hearts seems to crave the company of an animal companion. Pets have been known to change the lives of families’ worldwide. Some of us wouldn’t seem quite the same without the presence of an animal. We let our own animals sleep in our beds, and usually it is their idea. We even cook for them and refine the menu according to their reactions. We even purchase pet insurance in order to improve the life of a pet. Domesticated animals have become a staple in the common house hold and no longer bear the burden of their ancestors as slaves to mankind. These animals are our family and we bestow them with the dignity and respect that they deserve.
