Adopting A New Dog While Grieving For The Dog Of My Life

Jasmine has been and always will be the dog of my life.


She's the one who turned me from somebody who thought dogs were okay into a dog person. Well, let's be honest here, she turned me into a dog slave.

Jasmine was not only part of my life, she was part of myself.

Her passing was as if somebody ripped the marrow out of my bones.

My grieving process has been messy and I don't consider myself qualified to give any tips on grieving.

The things that helped me the most were photo and video memories of our times together, and working with the animal communicator. That has been a big comfort to me. I was very thankful to be able to remain connected to Jasmine on spiritual level.

I was not ready to get another dog.

While hubby kept saying he missed having two dogs in the house, and that JD really wants somebody to play with, I felt that I needed a good long time before I'd consider getting one.

But as it turns out, Jasmine wanted me to do this.

And so I started talking about it, and we started seriously looking for a dog to adopt.

It had to be a Rottweiler, or at least a Rottweiler mix. After all, it was to honor Jasmine's memory.

And then came Cookie.


Cookie is a sweetheart on four legs. She truly is.

Could she ever replace Jasmine? Certainly not. Adopting Cookie was never meant to replace Jasmine, but to honor her. Cookie now has a new life, thanks to Jasmine.

Cookie gets to reap the fruits of Jasmine's labor. And I know that pleases Jasmine.

As adorable and loving as Cookie is, I found myself guarding my feelings. No, I didn't want to fall for another dog as hard as I did for Jasmine.

But Cookie's sweet soul has its way of getting under one's skin.

While the place in my heart that belonged to Jasmine will always belong to her, I found out there is some extra room in there for Cookie. Cookie doesn't need to take Jasmine's place in my heart, they can reside there side by side.

Does loving Cookie and being loved by her make me miss Jasmine less?

No, it does not. There isn't anything in this world that could do that. I tell you one thing, though.

I am certainly too busy now to have much time for grieving.

Cookie is a youngster who just discovered there is more to life than the end of a lead line. And she wants to make the best of it. Keeping her occupied and out of trouble is pretty much a full time job.

I still miss Jasmine just as much as I did before we got Cookie. But I have much less time to dwell on it.

***

Related articles:

From The End Of A Lead Line To Casa Jasmine: Meet Cookie, Our New Adoptee
And So It Begins Again(?) Our First Health-Related Heart Attack With Cookie 
I Didn't Know I Could Fly: Why Cookie Wears A Harness Instead Of A Collar
C.E.T. Oral Hygiene Chews For Dogs CAN Be A Choking Hazzard 
Our First Health-Related Heart Attack With Cookie: The Knee Or The Foot? 
Creative Solutions And An Incidental Product Review
Too Young For Pot: Cookie's Snack With A Side Of Hydrogen Peroxide

Memories Of Jasmine: House Training
The Wackiest Thing I Ever Did For My Dog 
Today, Jasmine Would Have Been Ten Years Old
The Bond That Cannot Be Severed 
Memories Of Jasmine: Camping 
Memories Of Jasmine: The Treasure Keeper
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Memories Of Jasmine: The Lost Forest 
Treatments Jasmine Benefited From The Most 
Memories Of Jasmine: Remix 4 
Memories Of Jasmine: Remix 3
Making The Last Decision
Memories Of Jasmine: Remix 2
Memories Of Jasmine: Remix 1
Jasmine's Last Happy Days Before The Final Crisis
The Last Act Of Love: Run Free, Jasmine
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It Just Keeps Piling Up 
I Always Thought That A UTI Would Scream It's Presence
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Jasmine's Neck Setback  
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Jasmine's Disc Injury: The Parole Hearing
Jasmine's Disc Injury: Mom, Why Can't I Go For A Walk?
Jasmine's Disc Injury(?) Day Three 
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OK, I Am A Sucker: We're Going Through With The SLIT 
Jasmine's Episodes: Back To The Allergies Dilemma 
This Is What Jasmine's Episode Looks Like
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Jasmine's Mysterious Swelling And Interdigital Cyst Update  
Is Crawling Under Things Some Kind Of Secret Physical Therapy?  
Is There No Place Safe? Jasmine's Acupuncture Session
Senior Sensory Systems Function: Zero Defects  
It Looks Like A Keeper: Jasmine's New Integrative Vet 
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Jasmine Doesn't Like "Doing Time"
Our Of Jail Free Pass
When It's Looks Too Good To Be True … The Lameness Returns
The Day Of The Treatment
First Time For Everything: A Healing Crisis(?)  
From Zero To Sixty In Four Days: Stem Cells At Work
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If It Was Easy, It Wouldn't Be Jasmine
Practicing What I Preach: Jasmine's Semi Annual Wellness Exam  
No Skimping On Oral Care 
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How Dogs Think (Well, Jasmine Anyway)
Jasmine is Vet-Stem's poster child!
Rant About Quality Of Life Versus Quantity, And Differential Diagnoses
Jasmine Is Headed For Her Next Stem Cell Treatment
Jasmine's Stem Cells Are In
Arthritis? What Arthritis? 
Guess Who Is An Ever-Ready Bunny And Really Liking The Bit Of Snow We Got? 
Don't Knock It Until You Tried It: Animal Chiropractic 
Jasmine's Fur Analysis
Back At Chiropractic Care 
Our Own Emergency Vet Horror (Part I)
Our Own Emergency Vet Horror (Part II) 
How The Oddysey Started: Jasmine's ACL Injury
Meet Jasmine

Comments

  1. I'm so happy for you and for Cookie. You are right, Jasmine wanted this - she knew the love you had to give and knew it could be put to good use. Cookie is one lucky dog...but I bet she knows that already.

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    1. Yes, she did want this, that's why we decided for adoption so soon. Cookie is the luckiest dog - she gets to live in casa Jasmine, with already trained bipeds.

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  2. Several of my pals have lost their heart dogs in the last year or so. I've actually be surprised (in a way that gives me hope) about how quickly each one has chosen to adopt again. Right now, as we continue Lilly's journey, I simply cannot imagine another dog at my side. In time, I'm sure that will change, but for now ... my sweetie-pup needs 100+ % of my energy.

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    1. I know, Roxanne. (((hugs))) What really helped me to do this was feeling, even knowing, that this WAS in fact for Jasmine. She wanted me to do this, I truly believe that. That's what made it possible.

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  3. Cookie is a lucky dog. Loving dogs is what we do; when one leaves us, they open a different spot in our hearts for a new furry friend. The ones that are gone are never replaced, but the news ones become equally as loved and cherished. It's my favorite thing about being a human.

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  4. The new pups don't replace our angel pups, but they help us heal. It was the same for me with Rita. I still missed Abby so much. I was still devastated. But Rita did help me work through the loss of Abby. You and Cookie are both lucky to have each other. Hugs.

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  5. Lovely post. We adopted Blue in the midst of grieving for Riley and we felt the same way - Riley helped us find Blue.

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