I carried my dog’s body in a black plastic bag from the vet’s office when she died. The bag was quite big since she’s a German cowgirl. I saw the people waiting lower their heads and pull their darlings closer as I lazily moved through the hall holding the bag in front of me.
An owner grieves the loss of his loyal dog
It’s probably not a bad idea how we always try not to think of the inevitable. However, despite our feelings, one day we are all forced to face it when we must say our final goodbyes. It’s very hard.
I will never forget faintly scratching the hard ground around a dark timber at sundown as I dug a hole. The memory of me putting a box inside the hole and my hands disobeying every move and not letting go is still very vivid. All in all, I had to do what had to be done.
Roman, from Chicago, is now going through the same thing. His buddy, Toby, recently passed away. Roman shared photos of Toby waiting for him to arrive home from work by the window as he tries to overcome his grief. The pictures perfectly capture the strong bond they shared.
“He waited for me there every day for 11 years. I knew I would come home one day and he wouldn’t be there” Roman shared.
They shared an incredible bond that grew over time
“Toby was 2 when he came into my life,” Roman said when speaking to Bored Panda. “He belonged to my partner.” The first time they met, Toby took a poop on his living room carpet shortly after his partner put him down.
Roman revealed that he and Toby didn’t like each other for months.
“I like children, but Toby was a kid, always demanding attention,” Roman said.
Toby always wanted to be around someone. Roman admitted that he had a tough time getting along with a dog. It’s an ability that requires a special temperament and perception.
Roman fought with Toby a great deal. The fights only ended when his partner advised him to treat Toby like a small person. She told him, “Toby is smart.”
Henceforth, Roman did not make any more trouble, and neither did Toby. They soon became very close friends, so much so that Roman chose Toby over their apartment when he broke up with his partner. Roman allowed her to have the apartment so he could have Toby. He was 10 years old at the time.
His dog was very nice
Toby was not only cute but also very nice and sweet. He never growled at anyone.
“If Toby growled, it wasn’t because he smelled someone approaching or near,” Roman said.
He was very friendly to children even when they were being rude. The smaller the children were, the gentler he was with them, allowing them to get away with anything.
Toby was also very protective of everyone. Toby would move over to someone if he saw them arguing or fighting, stand on his hind legs, and try to divert their attention.
He loved people and being around people.
He waited daily for 11 years by the window
Roman, who was an optometrist before he started his current job where he helps in running a medium-sized carrier company, left the house every day for 8 to 10 hours. Toby would know when he got home.
Once he sensed it, Toby would wait by the window. When Roman got home, Toby would be by the door before he could get into the house. Roman always heard his whimpers and excitement while still outside.
He would attempt to jump over Roman and study his face. He was always so pure and full of excitement.
“Sometimes I could be gone for more than 10 hours and he would be very frantic when I got back home,” said Roman.
He was a cancer survivor
“He was 16 years old. He lived more years than anyone had given him. He was a cancer survivor.”
Toby had undergone three surgeries before he passed away. He had lived through a torn ligament and a ballooned cardiomyopathy. The vets did not give him a long life to live, but he surprised them. He was very sick when they said that.
He was diagnosed with cancer and stage 4 organ failure in October 2018. But even the vet was amazed by his strength. He said, “The dog in front of me is not matching the test results that I see on my computer screen.” Although sick, Toby was lively and cheerful.
Conclusion
Toby passed away in February. His last three days were rough. He vomited anything he ate. He was also very sleepy. Roman and everyone else said their goodbyes before taking him to the vet. Roman said it was the worst and most difficult decision he has made in his life until now. It has been four months and he’s still troubled by it.