Our Pup, Zara

I recently mentioned how 2014 was the year we said goodbye to our two year old dog, Zara but I didn't go into much detail, apart from this post which only told half of the story. I finally decided that it's time to open up a little bit and let you know more about what happened. 

Zara showing off her best puppy dog eyes

We weren't ready to say goodbye but unfortunately the world isn't always a kind place. 2nd June 2014 was one of the worst days of my life.  It was supposed to be a day full of happiness as my husband and I celebrated two years of marriage.  Instead we had to drive to Leahurst Campus at The University of Liverpool to see our beautiful English Springer Spaniel, Zara for the last time.

I previously posted about Zara here when we honestly thought she was on the road to recovery and we were through the worst but sadly we were wrong.  Zara ended up having several seizures caused by bleeding on the brain.  No one could tell us why she was bleeding on the brain but it could have had something to do with the clotting problem, which surfaced when we had her spayed. The bleeding could not be stopped and she deteriorated rapidly, to the point where she could no longer stand without the help of a sling. When we walked into the veterinary room she was still wagging her tail and over the moon to see us but it was obvious, even before the vets told us, that she was not going to recover.  Every bone in my body did not want to make that decision but we had to do what was best for Zara. The vets allowed us to take some time to say goodbye and she slipped away peacefully as we stroked her and held her tight. It was so hard to let go. 

Puppy Zara / Springer Zara / Muddy Zara / Loyal Zara

The untimely loss of our beloved Zara hit my husband and I extremely hard and is something that we still have to battle with every day. I never really had pets growing up and so nothing could have prepared me for the feeling of loss and helplessness that followed and overwhelmed me on a daily basis. I could just about hold it together at work and thankfully my close friends had pre-warned everyone in the office not to talk to me about Zara. This definitely helped as I was able to get on with my day-to-day job and talk about Zara as and when I felt up to it.  Some days were, and still are, harder than others.

It took us about 4 weeks to decide that we could not go on without introducing a new dog into our lives.  We are dog (and cat) people and coming home to an empty house was turning out to be the worst part of our day.  Your home should be your sanctuary and where you feel happiest and safe.  Without Zara our home felt empty and actually depressing. I was used to opening our front door to be welcomed by the happiest of pooches as she bounded up to me until I paid her some attention.  I've come to realise that this kind of welcome cannot be replicated in anyway by humans. It just can't. 

We started looking for a new puppy and quickly fell in love with little Luna the Springer Spaniel-cross-Poodle who joined our family in July.  She is an absolute delight and is just what we needed after several months of uncertainty and pain. If people tell you to wait before getting another pet, my advice is do not listen to them. Pets bring so much joy and if they can help heal a broken heart then that is only a good thing in my book. 

Luna at 3 months - our fluff ball

Zara was only in our lives for two short years but she was the best companion we could have ever asked for and as close to a child as my husband and I have had together. We loved her so much and we're grateful for all the fantastic memories she gave us. The unconditional love that dogs show is so special and I'm sure all you dog lovers out there will agree. Z will forever be in our hearts. 

Thanks for reading.

Claire x