"The one best place to bury a good dog is in the heart of his master." -Ben Hur Lampman

A common aspect of owning a dog—a part many rarely discuss—is the loss of a pet. It is inevitable, and the grief you will face is unavoidable, as you will most likely outlive your dog.

Recently, one of Miss Muddy Paws’ dear friends lost her best friend, a Basset Hound named Guernsey—the friend she could always count on when she was down, the one who warmed her heart, walked beside her, and always was able to make her smile no matter how bad she felt. In this instance, we at The Wet Nose can only express our condolences, and having been through this before, know this can be a devastating experience.

Everyone grieves differently. If you are facing a loss of a pet you might find many of your friends simply cannot grasp how painful it is to lose a pet, but only you can truly know the strength of the bond felt between owner and animal. I remember when I lost my beloved horse, Charlie, I cried almost non-stop for a week. I did not know it was possible to cry so much you ran out of tears and found yourself gasping for air. When my beloved mutt Sweetie went to the Rainbow Bridge my senior year of college I found myself running into a hayfield and crying into Milly’s fur for hours. Each time many people looked at me as though I was crazy, and I wish I had kept in mind then that “no one else has the right to judge your sorrow,” as no one else knows what exactly you are feeling.

“Not the least hard thing to bear when they go from us, these quiet friends, is that they carry away with them so many years of our own lives.” -John Galsworthy

“If there is a heaven, it's certain our animals are to be there. Their lives become so interwoven with our own, it would take more than an archangel to detangle them.” –Pam Brown

This post is dedicated to all the animals that left paw prints on our hearts when they left our lives.