• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Little Learners
  • Unschooling
  • Adoption
  • Family Fun

Life With Joanne

#FloridaBlogger | Photo-taker | Native New Yorker | Wife, Mom to 3, Mom-Mom to 2, Pet mama to 4 cats + a 22 yr old iguana | #RealLife

You are here: Home / Daily Joanne / The Hardest Part About Being A Pet Owner {In memory of TJ}

19 Comments

The Hardest Part About Being A Pet Owner {In memory of TJ}

Share6
Tweet
Pin4

Last night, my husband Billy, our youngest daughter Jacqueline, and I had to make the hardest decision a pet owner can make. Although to be honest, TJ made the decision for us. Over the last 3-4 days she has been eating less and less and the last 48 hours she has refused all food, which also makes it hard for us to give her the daily meds she needs.

My two dogs, TJ and Mini are sisters, miniature poodles from the same litter, and they celebrated their 15th birthday in April of this year. My mother bought them when they were 8 weeks old and she gave Mini to my husband & I as an anniversary gift. She and her husband Tony kept TJ. They named her TJ to combine their initials, Tony and Josephine.

At that time we shared a two family house with my mother and Tony so Mini & TJ were together everyday. Soon after we moved to Florida in 2002, my mother bought a house next door to us so again, they were together everyday and they loved running back and forth between our two houses. After my mother crossed over on 07/07/07, TJ came to live with us and her sister Mini.

Mini + TJ

TJ + doll

sisters

TJ had developed heart problems last year and even with daily medication her quality of life started to decline in the last couple of months. She’s lost a lot of weight over the last month and she’s been eating less and less food. Over the last 48 hours she stopped eating completely.

Last night we made the decision every pet owner hates to have to make. TJ spent her last night in her home, surrounded by love, not only from her humans, but her sister and our one year old cat Mini-Me who she and Mini rescued last August when he was 10 days old.

minime

tjmini

This morning Billy and Jacqueline took her to our vet, a place she’d been going to for the last 12 years, even since we moved from NYC to Florida. My husband and daughter were with her as she crossed over, holding her and comforting her.

She brought so much happiness into our lives with her adventurous and kind spirit and we will always keep her in our hearts.

TJ

When our vet told us we could lay her to rest on our property or have her cremated my husband called me, and through his tears, asked me what I wanted to do. We decided to bring her home and create her final resting place in our backyard, a place where she loved (and I do mean LOVED), to chase the squirrels that invaded her domain on a daily basis.

Billy came home to prepare her spot, while my daughter & I gathered items to put in with her. Jacqueline wrote a letter to TJ from all of us, and we also included rosary beads and a butterfly which represented my mother. We wanted to sprinkle some of my mother’s ashes with her and we keep a smaller size of her regular urn for times like this.

IMG_7392

IMG_7428

IMG_7505

Update: A few days after I posted this, I received the sweetest sympathy card from my vet. I just love them and they’ve been wonderful to all my pets.

IMG_0006

IMG_0007

 

Rainbow Bridge

Share6
Tweet
Pin4

Filed Under: Daily Joanne

About Joanne Greco

Joanne Greco is a wife, mom to five and pet mama to four cats + a 24-year-old iguana. On her family lifestyle blog, Life With Joanne she writes about Florida living, adoption, unschooling and more.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jenny @ MyLittleMe says

    December 8, 2014 at 7:12 pm

    I’m so sorry for your loss. We have had to make that hard decision once before.and having 2 cats now, I’m sure we’ll have to make it again.

    Reply
  2. Heather W says

    December 2, 2014 at 12:58 am

    Oh goodness. My heart goes out to your family right now. Hubby and I got our first dog a little over a year ago. We fostered and decided to keep another dog just a few months ago. I can’t even imagine how it would feel if I were in your shoes. Our pets are so much more than just “animals”. They’re like furry little children. She’s running over the rainbow bridge now, free and without any pain.

    Your resting area for her is so sweet. Hugs to you!

    Reply
  3. Ciera says

    November 29, 2014 at 7:57 am

    Bless your heart! Losing a pet is such a tough thing. I cried like a baby when we lost our dog Harley (he was run over in front of our house). (((HUGS)))

    Reply
  4. Debbie Denny says

    November 29, 2014 at 2:11 am

    I am sending hugs to you and the family. I know that sense of loss.

    Reply
  5. Rosey says

    November 24, 2014 at 10:44 am

    I’m sorry to hear you lost your TJ. 🙁 That is always such a hard time to go through. It’s clear from the pictures though, that she was very loved by her humans and her animal family too.

    Reply
  6. Danielle says

    November 24, 2014 at 4:29 am

    This is absolutely the most touching, beautiful post I’ve read all week. Thank you for letting us be a part of your journeys with TJ. Rest well, TJ ~*

    Reply
  7. Anne says

    November 24, 2014 at 2:24 am

    So sorry to hear this, it is such a hard decision to have to make. It is nice that you were able to find a spot for her in the yard she loved.

    Reply
  8. Lois Alter Mark says

    November 24, 2014 at 12:13 am

    I’m so sorry, Joanne. I know how horrible it is. We had to make that decision for our Newfy two years ago and we still miss her every day. Sending you a big hug.

    Reply
  9. Mama to 5 BLessings says

    November 23, 2014 at 11:53 pm

    Joanne, I am SO sorry about your loss. It has to be hard without her. How is her sister doing? Hugs.

    Reply
  10. Giveaways 4 Mom says

    November 23, 2014 at 10:26 pm

    I am so sorry for your lost. I can imagine that this was a very hard decision to make.

    Reply
  11. WendysHat says

    November 23, 2014 at 4:37 pm

    I’m sorry for your loss. What a cute dog. Although I am not an animal lover, my daughter is and I see how happy it makes her.

    Reply
  12. Amethyst Moon says

    November 23, 2014 at 3:22 am

    I’m so sorry for your loss. My heart goes out to you and your family. Take solace in knowing what a happy home you gave her .

    Reply
  13. Christine Luken says

    November 22, 2014 at 8:10 pm

    I’m so sorry for the loss of your fur baby, TJ. Our kitties are like our kids, so I understand your pain. Every time I read that rainbow bridge poem, I cry. My vet sent it to me when my cat Shady died back in 2002. I still miss him!

    Reply
  14. Debbie L. says

    November 22, 2014 at 6:49 pm

    Oh Joanne I am so sorry for your loss. When a loved pet passes there is such a void in your life. We lost Dozer in April and to this day I still think about him every day – missing him so much. In my prayers I told Dozer, Bo and Blackie that TJ has joined them. I asked them to find her and take her with them in their journeys – making sure she is not alone.

    Reply
  15. Carla says

    November 22, 2014 at 5:39 pm

    I’m so sorry for your loss. You can take comfort in the fact that you gave her an amazing home where she was well-loved, and that she had a wonderful life. <3

    Reply
  16. Jessica Harlow says

    November 22, 2014 at 4:11 pm

    It is always so hard to lose a family member and you and your family did a wonderful job of celebrating her life. Just remember she is at peace and happily looking down on her family here. Some day you’ll be reunited. <3

    Reply
  17. nicole says

    November 22, 2014 at 3:55 pm

    That is so sad, I am sorry for your loss. I shared your post with my fiancé and it was a sad moment for the both of us. We lost two dogs in the last 5 years and now we have two, Spikey 4 and Honey 10, Honey gets sick here and there. We had her since she was 8 weeks old, we can’t even imagine life without Honey. Honey was a gift to my daughter now 20 and she loves Honey every time she comes home from college Honey sleeps with her. My mom passed in 04/12/02., my fiance’s mom passed 8/23/14 sorry for your loss.

    Reply
  18. Dawn says

    November 22, 2014 at 1:56 am

    I’m so sorry for your loss.

    Reply
  19. Jacqueline says

    November 22, 2014 at 1:36 am

    Our baby girl, Rest in Peace TJ.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Click to hear my welcome message to you!

https://lifewithjoanne.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/welcomeaudio.m4a

Interviewed + Quoted

Topics

  • Little Learners
  • Unschooling
  • Adoption
  • Family Fun
  • Florida
  • Travel + Adventures
  • Recipes, Dining + Food
  • Home Sweet Home
  • Landlord Life
  • Growing Up Brooklyn
  • Blogging Inspiration

Imported Blogs

  • An Unschooling Life
  • Forever Parents

Let’s be friends!

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • TikTok
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent Posts

  • Christmas Lights + Decorations in Brooklyn [Dyker Heights] {pt. 2}
  • Christmas Decorations in Brooklyn NY {pt. 1}
  • Day Trip To St. Augustine, Florida
  • Mint Muddy Buddies [ Fun Snack To Make With The Kids]
  • Day Trip: Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park
  • Fun Day At The Florida Aquarium
  • Butterfly Festival at the Ocala Library

Copyright © 2023 | Privacy | Terms | Disclosure