Dear Family & Friends,
We had our precious beagle/shepherd mix Trish "put to sleep" on our laps Saturday
May 27th,2006 at Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston. We were very fortunate to be able to have her cremated later that
morning (at a place that we didn't know about until we were en route), because the crematory that we'd taken Smokey to &
that we'd been misinformed the night before was open, was actually closed on weekends - we also learned en
route there. We'd introduced Trish to several different Vets in hopes of finding one who'd be willing to euthanize
her at home early in the morning, so that she could then be cremated & returned
home all in one day.That was impossible to line up,however,so we took her into Boston on our way to Middleboro
& then back to Lynn.
Like other pet parents we dreaded it & cried & stumbled numbly through the day not wanting
to face it.
Our friend Bonnie adopted her from an animal shelter in Sandpoint, Idaho on December 11th, 1991 (where
she'd been for 5 weeks after being abandoned). Her original name was "Sis", she'd had a litter & was estimated to be about
2, which made her about 17 - or well over a 100 in dog years, when she passed over.
Smokey, Lori & John gave her a home in August of 1999; so we had her almost as long as Bonnie &
her boys did.
Having been brought up with cats & adoring them, John didn't realize how much
more of a commitment dogs were; & it took him a while before he was
really willing to give her everything that she needed & deserved.
However,Lori knew how dedicated one should be & always gave Trish the best life possible.
She was both unstintingly committed to caring for her & cleaning her bed towels & keeping all our clothes
free from dog hairs by constantly using pet hair pick up rollers.John's patience didn't usually extend to painstaking
hair rolling, although he'd constantly scrounge for discarded bags at the store.
He found that having a dog in the suburbs introduced & connected one to neighbors & strangers
in a greater way than cats did.She made our worlds smaller & more approachable.
Trish was diabetic & required 3 meals, 2 shots & at least 3 walks a day. She was a very
sensitive, gentle & peace loving soul that liked dark quiet resting places like those found in the
cellar with John & feared & hated raised voices, lightning & thunder & fire works & would keep
us awake at night when this occurred.
She had many resting places around the house & always kept us disciplined about her meals & walks.
We enlisted the services of a fine dog walker,John Lussier, but it often wasn't possible to get
a sitter;
so Lori stayed with her when John travelled. When she wasn't a bouncing pup in spirit, she had an
exquisite beauty & dignity as did Smokey & Dominique. It was tempting to try to smother her with affection &
treat her like a lap dog by holding her on ones lap or belly, but it didn't last long since it wasn't comfortable for
her.
Besides an assortment of dog pads,towels, bags, bowls etc.,she got special food, supplements & regular
visits to the dog groomer & Vet for checkups, urinalysis strips & acupuncture & even a couple of chiropractic
adjustments.
She also got some special massage from our wise & caring friend Sylvia.
As time went on, it became increasingly difficult for her to see or hear much & to lie down due
to her arthritis; but she kept on plugging away. Murray's string step stool proved to be an excellent support for her food
bowl.
We're in the room now, waiting for the moment & our hearts say
"No; we can't let this beautiful presence disappear",
but the head knows that it must be so.
"Look away, I can't see those eyes
when the light leaves them. It's too much".
We won't behold this soul again until it's our turn to go.
Lori's voice broke afterwords as she grieved & said:
"Our baby's gone, Johnnie; our girlee's gone."
"I Saw my Lady weep,
And Sorrow proud to be advanced so
In those fair eyes where all perfections keep.
Her face was full of woe;
But such a woe (believe me) as wins more hearts
Than Mirth can do with her enticing parts."
(John Dowland)
Later it was time to find Smokey's & Dominique's ashes &
mix them with Trish's in the urn that we'd mixed Albert & Loretta's remains in
&
then the ash was put in special containers to later be spread from.
John got Dominique, a beautiful high strung mature black domestic short hair cat
with white bib,
from an animal shelter in Gloucester, Massachusetts in January of 1981 &
she died on December 10th, 1990. She was his companion & he used to sing the pretty French
song
"Dominique" from The Singing Nun (Sister Sourire) [the #1 1963 Billboard Magazine hit] to
her.
Smokey was a fearless neighborhood Maine Coon cat &
Loretta Sr. let him in from the cold in November of 1989.
We didn't know how old he was either & he had feline AIDS.
He was seriously ill several times, but also lived a good long life.
He liked to do things like sit on a pillow on Lori's lap, when she groomed him,
keep an eye on the yard, while hiding inside L's driveway flower bed &
interrupt John's work by sitting on his desk papers.
He also had special perches around the house,
was very dearly loved & deeply grieved.
It's difficult to imagine life without a pet; but having one, then letting go is so painful,
that we may eventually decide that we just can't go through it all again. However,
the need to be concretely needed gives one roots in an impersonal & strange world.
They were at the core of our family & life together;
and now we're merely a couple & the house & car feel empty.
It's time to smudge the place,change the energy & reinvent our lives.
We are & aren't pet parents anymore,
but are finding comfort in reading Kim Sheridan's amazing book
ANIMALS AND THE AFTERLIFE, which Sylvia gave us.
We'd like to thank all those of you who cared about our pets
& who give & have given us your condolences including
our neighbors,family & colleagues &
Jennifer, Mary Ellen & Nancy for cat & dog sitting &
Elizabeth,Georgie,Nancy,Pam,Sylvia,Kathy & Donna,
for cards, kind words, flowers & dog grooming &
John Lussier for his pictues of Trish & excellent dog care - often at very short notice
We thank all the wonderful people who helped us care for Dominique, Smokey & Trish,
including some not mentioned or forgotten, and we also want to specifically thank
the most important professionals, who were:
The staff of the Cape Ann Aid Association &
Drs. French & Reid of the Cape Ann Veterinary Hospital (for Dominique)
Drs. Ternes,Ricksgers & Willard & the staff of The Feline Hospital in Salem &
Drs.Thomas & Young & the staff of The New England Veterinary Clinic (for Dominique & Smokey)
Dr. Armstrong & the staff of the Sandpoint, Idaho Panhandle Animal Shelter &
Dr. Rockwell & the staff of the Atlantic Veterinary Hospital &
Drs. Edelbaum & Freedman & especially Dr. Rotner
and the rest of the staff of the Hawthorne Animal Hospital (for Trish & Smokey)
The staff of Angell Memorial MSPCA Animal Hospital
The staff of Foxboro's Pet Memorial Park and
The staff of the Middleboro Angel View Pet Cemetery & Crematory
Gratefully & with Love,
John & Lori Pearson-Hart
Postscript
It's quite ironic & regrettable & I apologize for forgetting to mention Frank Whitehead. Lori
& I thank Frank for his loving care of Trish. She used to make a beeline to his office near the entrance to Pine
Grove Cemetery whenever we were close. Frank gave her bones & sometimes walked her & put his Santa symbol on her collar
& dog bone jar, so that we'd remember his love for her. Frank dearly loved to hang out with Trish & she with him &
Trish caused Lori & I to meet & become friends with the Whiteheads.
Thank you so much Frank.
