29/07/2026
A post by Dr Karen Becker - a hero of mine for the work she’s done in holistic dog health and nutrition. A tribute to all the dogs that love us unconditionally every day. 💔
My dog died today.
And as I sit amongst the sharp shards of my broken heart, I feel immense loss. And love. And gratitude.
We have relationships with other species because they give us something extraordinary we don’t have with humans; we connect in ways we can’t with our own kind.
If you’re lucky enough to have an animal trust you, and love you, they flesh out parts of us nothing else can. And then, all too soon, they die.
We choose to fall deeply in love with things with remarkably shorter lifespans, which means, by default, we’re signing up for serial pain (this also explains why I became an exotic animal vet first, caring for tortoises and birds with an 80+ year lifespan… to avoid the inevitable as long as possible). But eventually, deep calls to deep, and the brave choose to care for blessed creatures with exceptionally shorter lifespans, meaning we knowingly embrace serial heartbreak.
Because along with excruciating loss, there’s so so so much love. And our potential for incredible growth and evolution—if we can stop and absorb all the invaluable lessons.
Our animals help us become the best, most forward versions of ourselves, if we lean into what they’re trying to teach us, and guide us toward understanding. This is the work; to see the potential for expansion through the ache of knowing what’s coming.
I helped my beloved transition today.
My heart is eviscerated, again.
So why do we continue to love 🐾 so deeply? Because the soul connection with an animal is supernatural. And we are better humans after interacting with animals. And they are cherished, unique gifts. How can we be so lucky?
Thank you, sweet boy, for teaching me and the world so much… 18.5 years is a job well done, see you soon, on the other side, precious Homer. 💫
