westernplainsanimalrefuge.org

Several months ago, one of our volunteers discovered her dog, Annie, was terminally ill. Annie was a big part of her family, and she, her husband and three kids started to prepare for Annie to not be in their day-to-day lives. They watched as Annie slowly declined, and it was a difficult thing for everyone.

The family also has another dog, Jane, who was Annie's best friend. The two of them played together, slept together and hung out during the day when the family was at work and school. The family knew that Jane would have a tough time adjusting, too.

They made the decision that it was important for them to be a two-dog family. They started looking at available dogs online. Amanda, our volunteer, knew that she'd know the right dog when she saw it. And that's exactly what happened. She found a border collie mix rescue dog on the internet. She was a little nervous at the prospect of looking at another dog. Would it have the mellow temperament that she wanted for her family? Would he get along with the other dogs? Could they handle having three dogs for a while? Would he be easy to train? Would Annie feel like she was being replaced?

She and her family, including Annie and Jane, went together to meet the new dog. From the moment she saw him in person, she knew he was the right dog. There was a tense moment when Annie, who tended to be a little dominant, growled at him and let him know she was the boss. The new dog showed that he was not a threat, and Annie was content.

Once at home, a remarkable thing happened. Marley, the new dog learned his routine from Annie. He took on some of her behaviors, and she took on some of his. Marley learned to come and get his owners when he wanted to go outside, and Annie learned to put her paw on her owner's lap and lay her head down next to it affectionately. Annie's health, which had been on a steady decline, perked up. She wagged her tail and had energy she hadn't had in a long time. She was happy, and it showed.

When Annie did finally get sicker, it was very quick. When she did quietly pass, it was incredibly sad for the whole family. There were lots of tears and sadness, but having both Marley and Jane to take comfort in made the transition a little easier for everyone. And now, when Marley puts his paw on someone's lap and lays his head down, they have memories of Annie, too, in him.

Adopting an animal after the loss of another animal is a very personal decision. Some families need time to grieve. Others adopt another animal, and it helps them to deal with the loss. It's not possible to replace a lost pet, but sometimes the hole that's left in your heart can be filled by loving another animal. There are no "right" answers, only what's right for you.

If you do lose a pet, I urge you to adopt a rescued animal from a shelter. When you adopt from a no-kill shelter, you make room in that shelter for an animal that may have been euthanized at another shelter. To find a no-kill shelter near you, visit www.nokillnetwork.org.

If you are in Kansas, or if you don't mind traveling to us, please visit our website, www.westernplainsanimalrefuge.org to see the wonderful animals we have available for adoption.