I am not sure if I should be really worried about Surf, or if worrying about her displaces my grieving.
I’ve come home for lunch the last couple days to check on and play with Surf. Okay and to cry a bit so I don’t cry at work. Surf didn’t eat much of her breakfast yesterday, but she finished it when I came home at lunch. She totally refused her dinner though. By the time we went to bed though, I convinced her to eat half of it. I have read lots of tales of grieving dogs going completely off their food and it can be really serious and long-lasting.
After work I took Surf for a swim. I figured she could use some fun. She had a great time swimming. Of course I had to lift and put her into my truck to get there, but she was happy once she was there. At home she’s just lost. She doesn’t want to leave the porch when I let her out. And once she’s finally outside in the yard, she’ll refuse to come back inside. Actually yesterday when I was home for lunch, I moved her crate into the living room where it’s brighter, instead of in the depressing dark corner of the kitchen, and I left the Animal Planet channel on for her to watch 🙂
Here is one of the neat pictures I took of her swimming (I took 45 and 2 videos). I just love the colours with the sand and the water, and the footprints in this one. You can right click and view it bigger.
And here is a video of her swimming and playing with a big leaf in the water! Let’s see if this works. Click Here to See Surf playing in the Water. It should have sound too!
I had a bit of a meltdown at work yesterday when my very insensitive boss refused my leave from last Thursday and Friday when I classified it as sick leave. We don’t have pet bereavement leave and we should. Why is it that parents can have all sorts of days off to care for snot-nosed children, and we can have days off when a human member of our family dies, but when your canine companion that you share your house and life needs care and or dies, you have to be at work. I was requested to discuss it with someone in the HR department. As if I’m ready to talk about this! My boss should have taken care of it. So I emailed the woman in HR so I didn’t have to do it face to face. I explained why I wasn’t at work on Thursday and Friday. She responded that she was sorry about my dog, but it’s up to my supervisor!! So I told a stranger about my grief for NOTHING! I sent her response to my boss and told him to talk to me by email only as I was still too emotional to do so in person. Arghhhhhhh….. I don’t need this. Don’t pay me, I don’t care, but I WILL NOT take VACATION time. I refuse to call putting down my dog a VACATION.
Well it’s another day and it’s time to get up and have some breakfast. I am doing better. I tear over sometimes, and cry some at home, but the full body loud sobs seem to be over, although I’m sure they’ll creep back in once in awhile 😉
Thanks to everyone for sharing their Winger stories, and emailing, and calling us. I didn’t realize how much Winger touched so many lives, and it really helps to know he’ll be remembered.