Goodbye Henley

8:10 PM







It's been almost two weeks now since we said goodbye to this shedding, drooling, goofy Newfie.  Henley had just turned ten which is pretty old for a giant dog.   But he had a huge mass in his belly.  It ultimately grew to the point it was pressing on his diaphragm and stomach.  He was having a hard time breathing and he couldn't eat much.  He weighed 150lbs last December and had shrunk to 123lbs.  He also had hip dysplasia and could not get up the stairs very easily.

We got Henley as a six month old pup.  We called him our sale dog.  The ad said "Newf pups.  Make offer."  We called and inquired why the ad.  The breeder said that they were older pups and he couldn't get his original asking price.  It was a good point since Henley weighed 75lbs when we got him.  He was born and raised in a barn.  He had no social skills and was not house broken.

But with love and training he became the wonderful, lovable, dog we knew he could be.  He was the most social dog and loved everyone (dog or human) he encountered.  Along came Corrine.  Henley became super protective of the baby.  We could put her in the pack and play in the yard and he would lay next to it where ever we moved it.

Corrine said her goodbyes before she left for school.  She hugged him, loved him and took pictures of him.  At the vets office I sat on the floor with him and loved him, stroking his head and ears telling him how much we loved him.  Thanking him for being a part of our family, telling him it was ok that he leave us.

Our house has a huge emptiness to it.  A physical emptiness as well as a loss of his energy.  He was larger than life in many ways.  He is in a better place, we know that.  It doesn't make it easier for those of us left behind.

You Might Also Like

4 comments

  1. Oh I am so sorry, I'm choked up full of sadness. Saying goodbye is so hard and I know your buddy was loved and had an awesome full life. 10 years is very very old for his size! I have a friend and their great dane is 10 years old which is unheard of!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am so sorry too--reading this brought tears to my eyes. Our pets sure become a part of our lives and saying good-bye is never easy. I am dreading that day regarding our Molly girl--Henley was lucky to have you!
    Hugs...
    xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  3. So sorry for your loss. I'm all teared up for you and also imagining when this season will come for my girl and her pup. Many years from now, but still. I'm not a dog person, but having one now (Birdy is my Anna's) I'm growing to love her, and I think for the first time in my 53 years understanding the love people have for their dogs. Sending hugs to you and your family. :)

    xo Lisa

    ReplyDelete
  4. So sorry for your family's loss :( We had to put down our first dog last September and it was one of the hardest things....

    ReplyDelete

I love your comments. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

GoodReads

Featured Post

My Path To Debt

My path to debt started when I was 20. It was my junior year at college and I had just bought textbooks for the spring semester. In each ...