Yesterday I wrote about how anyone can start making money from the $50 billion pet industry. The post was inspired for two reasons… the first was that I just started a new pet site of my own a few months ago, and the second reason is because I love pets, especially the five dogs that I have had during the last 13 years of my life.
Unfortunately, yesterday we had to put down my first dog, Timber, who was diagnosed with cancer a few weeks ago. A younger picture of Timber and Wolf is to the right, Timber is the one on the bottom. For anyone who has a pet, or had to put down a pet of your own, you will truly understand the value of this post, while many of your without pets probably won’t understand.
For most people, having a pet (especially dogs) is just like having a child. They are there for you better or worse, and will always stand by your side. As a a pet owner, your pet is no longer a “pet”, but now a family member. As we continue to see the pet industry burst through the $50 billion annual spending, this really gives a great understanding of what pet owners are willing to do for their pets, whether that be pet food, toys or even the hefty medical bills that come along with many pets.
Wouldn’t you do anything to save your dog and keep them happy?
About My Dogs: Timber, Wolf, Sandy, Rocky & Foxy
Over the past 13 years I’ve had many dogs, Timber was my first. I still remember the day when I came home to see her running around in the front yard with my parents. She was an Alaskan Malamute, and while she was purchased at a local dog store, she originally came from a puppy mill, and being a larger dog, she suffered from hip displaysia most of her life, which made it hard for her to walk and run like most dogs, especially being a larger 100+ pound dog.
As mentioned, Timber was my first dog and we got her around the same time I started getting serious with making money online. She was always there for me during the “firsts” of my business… sitting under my desk during a lightning storm, laying by me during the late night hours while pumping out ad campaigns, or just there when I just needed someone by me. (Remember the feeling of getting your first C&Ds, and not knowing what to do? 
)
Soon after Timber, we got another Alaskan Malamute named Wolf, then several years later we brought in a foster dog named Sandy, who was extremely sweet and ended up joining our family. You can see a picture of Timber, Wolf and Sandy during their best years together below. Everyone would always stop by and be amazed by our dogs, as they looked like a pack of wolves.
Timber (on grass), Wolf (on concrete), Sandy (on steps)
Just like Timber suffered from hip displaysia, so did Wolf. All dogs combined, the cost of hospital bills easily passed $50k over the years, but it didn’t matter, as we would do anything for them to keep them healthy and with us. Wolf and Sandy ended up passing while in the hospital for immediate care they required, and Timber was the first of the three that we actually had to decide a day to put down, which was a horrible and grieving process at that. Yesterday was that day, and after weeks of family never leaving her side, it was best for Timber to leave us before she was in any immediate pain or danger something worse.
After moving out from my parents house years ago, we took in Reena’s dog, Rocky (pictured on right), who lived to be around 15 years old. After a year of taking in Rocky, he was also unfortunately diagnosed with cancer, but we made the most of the time we had with him, and eventually had to put him down. One of the massive benefits to being able to work for yourself and out of your own home, is the ability to take care of and spend time with your pets and family. After losing Rocky, the house was extremely lonely and sad, so we took a trip to California to get away for a bit. It just isn’t the same when you have a family dog around for years, then nothing.
Going from having a dog to not, nothing is the same. A couple months after losing Rocky, we ended up looking through PetFinder and came across a dog named Foxy. Foxy has turned out to be one of the most amazing dogs ever. We can’t imagine life without her, and for myself, running a business from the house and being alone for most of the day is quite a task in itself, so it’s great to have someone like Foxy around. Foxy will always come into the office and lay down on her bed next to my desk, or start hitting me with her paw to take her out on a walk. The picture to the right is of her sitting next to me, wondering why I am looking at this weird screen all day! She keeps me on my toes and busy during the day!
In the end, all of my dogs have been amazing and special, and each of them were unique in their own way. Timber was my first dog and I can relate a lot of my early internet days to her growing up and being around my old desk at my parents house. Timber will greatly be missed.
This Ones for the Dogs…
It’s always nice to bring some personal stories to a blog and share stories with your readers, especially when they can relate. There is almost nothing worse than losing a dog that’s been part of your family for so long, but also nothing as great as to have had them in the first place.
For anyone who has been looking for a new pet and adding a four legged friend to the family, be sure to make PetFinder.com or your local adoption drive your first choice. There are so many amazing dogs out there who are waiting for someone to adopt them. The animals in pet stores are often from puppy mills which breed unhealthy dogs and continues to process of breeding dogs in bad living situations.
I leave you with a great quote from Roger Caras… “Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.”
Care to share any stories about your beloved pets?…
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