Page 1 of 2

Shannon Ohara of the Orkdomain

Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2008 4:02 pm
by John(videodoc)
One of my dogs, Shannon Ohara of the Orkdomain, aka Shanny, born Thansgiving of 1993 will be put to rest this coming Friday at 3:30 pm. She is survived by one son, Maxwell. She was preceeded in death by her life long companion and half brother, MacGuyver, and all of her remaining pups. Her she is as a pup so long ago.
Image

Her she is just a couple of days ago.
Image

More pictures here.
http://s16.photobucket.com/albums/b46/v ... 1993-2008/
Here are pictures of her half brother and her son.
http://s16.photobucket.com/albums/b46/v ... /Samoyeds/

Calling the vet was the hardest thing i have ever had to do. Driving her to the vet Friday, is not going to be fun, i am sure. But she has not ate anything for several weeks now, and i can no longer stand by and watch her waste away. She has been with us for 15 yrs, this will be hard on the kids, as she has protected them all their lives. :(
John.

Re: Shannon Ohara of the Orkdomain

Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2008 4:26 pm
by Bob McCarty
John, Sorry to hear about that. I know how hard it is to loose a dog. But it always seems like a new puppy tends to temper the sadness.

Bob

Re: Shannon Ohara of the Orkdomain

Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2008 5:39 pm
by Hengy
I have to put Bowser to rest a couple of months ago...I know your pain...it stinks badly! Keep in mind that it is for the best for your buddy to be going "across the rainbow bridge" ...

Mike in La Crosse, WI

Re: Shannon Ohara of the Orkdomain

Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2008 5:58 pm
by Barnyard
John, it was very hard for Rosanne and me just a couple days after Christmas last year when we had to put "Sarge" down after 14 years of faithful service. I remember us standing in the back room with him while we waited for the vet. All the robust life he had in him for so many years had slowly drained from him and he tried to look at us.

Like your beloved pet, Sarge hardly ate and could barely get up to go to the bathroom. His dignity was going fast and he had no quality of life. One of the bazillion tennis balls that he had always played with and lost now just layed between his paws for him to stare at.

We couldn't let him go on the way he was and finally made the decision. Several hours after we had been home I saw Rosanne sitting at the dining room table just staring. I asked what was wrong (full well knowing the answer). She just stared ahead and said "We did the right thing". She had finally assured herself that things were okay.

It won't be easy for you, I know. But sooner or later, you too will finally say to yourself "We did the right thing".

Re: Shannon Ohara of the Orkdomain

Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2008 10:28 pm
by John *.?-!.* cub owner
Hate to hear that John. I remember the night I stayed at your place and waking up with the 2 of them watching me.

Re: Shannon Ohara of the Orkdomain

Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2008 5:17 am
by Boss Hog
John it is a sad and my heart goes out to you. A dog it truly part of the family . Friends and family can betray you on occasion,
but a dog will stick by your side for life and expect nothing but a pet on the head from time to time
David

Re: Shannon Ohara of the Orkdomain

Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2008 5:25 am
by Joe Malinowski
Sorry to hear about your dog. My dogs are a big part of our lives, nothing harder than doing whats best some time.

Re: Shannon Ohara of the Orkdomain

Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2008 9:26 am
by Bigdog
John - I know your pain. I have been there too many times myself. You are right not to let her go on suffering. One thing I have done that I thought I could never do is to be with some of mine as they were released from the pain of this life. Being there to hold, pet and comfort a companion as they leave this world lets them know we are with them to the end. I thought I could never do that but I found that it was much easier than I thought. I have watched them peacefully slip away while I was petting them and they were at ease because I was there and they were not among strangers. It assured me that I was doing the right thing.
I will be thinking of you Friday. Peace my friend.

Re: Shannon Ohara of the Orkdomain

Posted: Fri Dec 19, 2008 6:22 pm
by John(videodoc)
Thanks for all the kind words. It means a lot. It has been a tough week. This board has always been there when i needed them to be. I think she new she was dying, she would go off into the woods each day and i would have to go and find her each night. Even today i had to go and find, huddled under some branches and carry her in. I was able to get one last nap in with her today before we went to the vet. The wife even got a picture to mark the event. She is always getting a picture of me sleeping, guess i sleep to often. I hate it when she does that. What a woman, huh. Anyway, off to the vet, stayed with her the whole time, kept her calm, until she passed. She is with the rest of her family now in heaven. I hope to meet up with her in heaven some day. She has been a big part of our lives for 15 yrs. Alex was quite the trooper, he went to the vet with me, helped me dig the hole and cover her up. She is under the flowering tree out in the front yard where Big Dog got stuck in 2007. She liked to lay there and protect us from people coming down the lane. She is laying facing the road, so she will always be on gaurd for us. She is wrapped in her favorite blanket as well. Here is that picture the wife took.

Image


:big crying: :big crying: :big crying: :big crying: :big crying:
john

Re: Shannon Ohara of the Orkdomain

Posted: Fri Dec 19, 2008 6:53 pm
by Barnyard
John, I think you picked the perfect spot to lay her to rest.

Re: Shannon Ohara of the Orkdomain

Posted: Sat Dec 20, 2008 8:37 pm
by Rudi
John:

I understand how you feel completely.

It has been a long while since we lost Spook. I remember Amanda and I cradling him as he finally passed from this realm to the next. He died in my arms, faithful friend and family member to the end. Funny, cause a little while ago as Kristina, Em and I came in from shopping.. we went down by the shop to turn off the lights/heat etc., and Kris said looking at Spook's dog house, how it was still kind of weird to look and not see him waiting for us there as he always did when we went shopping.

I still cannot bring myself to have another dog, it may be a long, long time if ever for me. We had dogs all of our lives, mostly German Shepherds cause my Dad loved em, but I loved my Great Pyrennes.. Spook was the first and the last..

Em and I had decided that we needed to get a dog after I got sick in 1991. We did not want a puppy mill puppy, we wanted to give a dog who truly needed a loving family a chance at a home, so we went to the Moncton SPCA. This is where we first saw Spook. I am not sure who picked who.. most of the time we are pretty sure he picked us, and it was only a matter of time before we realized it. He stole our hearts immediately. He got a name change real quick after he and I adopted each other back in 1992, we found out when we were ready to take him home that his name was Rudy :big say what: yeah, that's right, his name was mine... :big give up:.. but he looked like a ghost so that was why we named him spook. He never answered to Rudy, just to Spook.

He was the kindest gentlest creature on earth. A great farm dog and a great family dog. He took care of each of our children protecting them from just about anything including PO'd turkeys.. and then he would protect the critters as well.

We still miss him terribly. It is funny how an animal such as a dog can warm up your heart so much, that the animal is part of your family, somehow loosing the persona of a critter and taking on the aura of a family member.. almost a humbean.. totally amazing.

I still can hear him...

It still breaks my heart.....

My family feels for yours John, and we send along our best wishes as you all try to get through this... it never is easy.

Re: Shannon Ohara of the Orkdomain

Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2008 8:56 am
by lildog
John,

I'm just now seeing this post and it brought a tear to my eye - OK, several... Alright, I cried like a baby.

Just last summer, Sheri and I had to make that tough decision about the first dog we'd gotten as a married couple. Harry was I believe 11 years old and had been companion to us, a protector when our son was born and a patient "brother" to several other pets. He'd been racing arthritis for years and it finally and suddenly caught up with him. It seemed like overnight we went from full-functioning to not being able to walk at all.

I made the call to the vet on Tuesday to arrange things for Thursday morning. Then, I called work and took Wednesday off. We spend the next day as a family, seeing to Harry's every whim. Cuddling with him, giving him treats and otherwise loving the heck out of him. Then, Thursday morning, before anyone else woke, I carried him to the car (not easy, given he weighed 90 pounds) and we snuck away.

I wasn't sure if I would be able to stay with him until he was resting, but somehow I found the strength to do so. And, I'm so glad I did. I held his head and pet him while his breathing slowed and swear I saw for at least a moment a glimmer of appreciation in his eyes. I practically ran back to the car where I bawled for a good five minutes before I left the vets.

We had him cremated and I went back in a few days to pick up the remains. When I picked up the box, I knew he was truly coming home just by the weight of the box - it really was him. He now rests on a shelf in our living room and we still talk to him from time to time.

A few months later, we got a new puppy, which unfortunately ended badly. We got him from the local shelter and quickly lost him to Parvo. We still had another dog, Odie, and were contemplating sticking with one. Then, in February, we fell in love with a black Lab mix and brought her home. She's no Harry, but she seems to finally fill the hole that was left by him.

My prayers are with you and your family that you will remember Shanny well and that you may see her passing not as a loss, but as an opportunity for your family to grow.

Re: Shannon Ohara of the Orkdomain

Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2008 4:14 pm
by Chris Todd
John,
Sorry for your loss. And you did it right friend. As I read this thread Sun. Pm all the memories of my past animals came flooding back to me. I remember sitting in a 5th grade classroom watching the clock as the Vet appointment my mother set for my trusted Smokey came and went. I knew then that from then on, if at all possible I would be present at the end of my animals life. Many say that they can't bring themselves to be present during this time, but to me this is part of being a responsible pet owner. I would want them there for me. I've hand dug graves, and been present for my animals last moments for the years since that day in class. Cats, dogs, a Mule....doesn't matter. Favorite blanket, favorite old Carhaart coat....I am there with my smell, touch, and companionship :wink: as they get their freedom from their pains. For me it is the right thing to do. It helps give me closure, and you too I hope.

Re: Shannon Ohara of the Orkdomain

Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 6:06 am
by Yogie
So sorry to hear of this John.
I like everyone else here have had to deal with loosing a dog.
My farm dog died in our arms after being hit by a car about 35 years ago. I decided then I'd never have another animal with a shorter life span than ours because everyones going to deal with this sometime down the road...
Just my way I guess :roll:
My dad lost his Newfoundland a couple years ago and it was rough on everyone in the family.
That's the only time I've seen my dad cry in 48 years.

Re: Shannon Ohara of the Orkdomain

Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 4:46 pm
by dgrapes59
John,
I have attempted send my thoughts and prayers your way several times over the last few weeks, each time emotions have taken over. I am sorry for your loss and you should take comfort in the time you had and the respectful way you handled things. I have two Llewellin Setters and one, Rudy, is 13 years old, he has been a family member and faithful hunting companion since the day we were blessed with him. He has slowed down over the last year and last season I only hunted him in small fields and around abandoned farmhouses. I got the same feeling the last time I hunted with my Grandpa, somehow you know it is the last time.
In mid-summer the Vet diagnosed him with a stomach tumor and didn’t expect him to make it until the opening of this hunting season (1st of Nov.). Well, he made the trip to NE for opening week, though in the back seat of my truck, I know he appreciated being there. He went along for his last trip around all our beloved hunting places, though only as a spectator. He still has spunk and the tail wags as high and fast as ever, but does have a “bad day” every few weeks. The Vet said I will know when it’s time, as has others. I have not been in this position before and pray for strength when the time comes.
My sincere condolences and thanks for sharing your experience and adding some comfort to someone else soon to be in your shoes, David