Saying goodbye to beloved Tiara

As a final act of love and compassion, we stood yesterday around Tiara, talked to her, scratched her head and caressed her paws just before the veterinarian administered the final drug by injection. And then, her eyes could no longer see us standing in the room she must have become used to during the last few months.

Our much-loved family member had grown frail and weak because of kidney disease. She took a turn for the worse right about the time her partner in crime, Candra, had passed a few months earlier. Reluctant to eat and drink, she had to be forced fed and put on IV daily. Yesterday she was released from pain and grief. We didn’t want to selfishly buy her a few days or weeks of uncomfortable and painful life. It doesn’t make losing Tiara any easier but as the tears rolled down our faces, I sought solace in thinking that she must have trusted our decision to peacefully have her cross over to the other side.

Tiara, I hope you felt like we did everything for you during the last 15 years because you surely did everything you could for us. You gave us unconditional love,  happiness and laughter especially when you did your ‘Bichon blitz’ and diva shows to establish that the whole household, heck the whole world revolved around you. I also know that dogs can smell human emotions, so thank you for being there, pressing your wet nose on our knees and licking our hands when we were feeling down. It was a privilege being part of your whole life. Again I’m reminded by what a Cherokee Indian once said: “If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.” See you later our little soul.

Willemstad, Curaçao