My Dog Went Missing And Was Just Found Dead

[brianna marie]

Hi, my names Brianna, i’m 16 years old and from Wisconsin. A week or two before Christmas, I was out at a party with friends, leaving my puppy and the family dog with my mom. While we were gone, the dogs ran away, they were usually fine without a leash. The family dog (Zeus, 4 yrs) knew the area well and never went far. This night they were both gone for hours, my dog, Ayla, came back. Zeus never did. We put up ads on Facebook, called every human society in Wisconsin, built relationships with our neighbors we never talked to, we did EVERYTHING. He never came home. 2 days ago, my Mom got a text asking what color Zeus’s color was. She was told a dog was found dead washed up at a beach, with the same color collar. (we live right down the road from a beach) My Mom went to check it out and see if it was him. It was. He drowned to death and it was a terrible scene. He drowned in the lake, in the middle of winter. He was found 2 times bigger than he was (he’s a Great Dane St Bernard mix) his eyes were open, and since it’s March, he was frozen. We are broken. My Mom has diagnosed depression and just separated with my dad last summer. She’s torn, we all are. I haven’t slept. The DNR is helping us get him home, but we have to wait for his body to thaw or he will literally fall apart. He was found across the lake, the current took him about 30 mins from home. His burial is happening today. I keep thinking and imagining his death. How no one was there, how painful it was, how scared he was. I miss him. We have his collar, and it reeks, my Mom had a mental breakdown, she kissed and hugged his dead body. I don’t know what to do. We have lost many dogs in the past, but this was the worst possible way. We had false hope for so long, just for him to be dead all this time. I used to yell at him for dripping toilet water all over me, drooling on me, giving we sloppy kisses, and him leaning on me. He loved me, and I was busy with my own life, I didn’t give him enough attention. All I want is one more slobbery kiss, please, give your pet and hug and kiss, appreciate them. 

[KayC]

I am so sorry for your loss.  It's very hard losing a pet and I hope you will be easy on yourself, none of us expect this.  I still grieve my Arlie, 3 1/2 years ago.

The what ifs blame game happens to most of us going through early grief, it did me when my husband died nearly 18 years ago...it's not that we are guilty of anything but loving them, and the truth is feelings are not facts, but it's that we can't wrap our heads around what happened, and our mind is trying to find some different possible outcome so it searches all the what ifs...

Comfort for Grieving Animal Lovers

A Dangerous Villain: Guilt
Breaking the Power of Guilt
A Dangerous Villain: Guilt
http://www.pet-loss.net/guilt.shtml
http://www.griefhealing.com/article-loss-and-the-burden-of-guilt.htm
https://www.griefhealingblog.com/2019/08/pet-loss-when-guilt-overshadows-grief.html
https://www.griefhealingblog.com/2017/07/pet-loss-when-guilt-goes-unresolved.html

I hope this short video brings you some comfort and peace.