All dogs go to heaven

I was in first grade when I experienced the death of my first pet. Runt was a golden retriever/german shepherd mix who my mother saved from euthanasia as a puppy. My mom refused to let someone kill an animal simply for being the runt of a litter, so she snuck Runt back to her apartment in a beer box and gave him a good home for 14 healthy years. The morning my parents had Runt put down, they told my younger siblings and I he died of old age in the vet’s office waiting room. It seemed a more peaceful and understandable story to tell children.

Five years later, we finally convinced my dad (we had my mom sold right away) to get us another dog, and in July of 1996 eight-week-old Sneakers joined our family. We decided Sneakers’ name after watching her form a playful attraction to my sister’s converse high-tops on our first family meet-and-greet. Nothing seemed a more appropriate title for the big-eared beagle pup.

Sneakers became an integral part of our family from the beginning. She was a lovable puppy who tripped constantly over her ears and enjoyed cuddling under our blankets after her morning walks around the neighborhood. One of her most characteristic traits was the excited sideways run that she developed as a puppy. She loved people, and whenever anyone came to see her, Sneakers wagged her tail so uncontrollably fast that her entire backside wiggled back and forth, therefore causing her to run sideways toward her greeter. “Hello little sideways puppy!” we would say.

It is hard to believe 15 years have gone by since that floppy little pup came into our lives. My siblings and I have gone through high school and college, traveled across the world and back, and Sneakers never failed to give us an excited and welcoming greeting each time we returned home. Even this past Christmas, when her hearing was poor and her eyesight even poorer, her increased energy and brightened face showed us that she understood the whole family was together again.

Sneakers’ vet said it is time for a dog to move on when he or she stops acting like a dog. This week, we made the decision to give Sneakers back the peace she brought my family over the years. As hard as it was, we let her go in hopes that she could be somewhere better than here…where she could act like a dog again. Although part of me wished someone told me a story that Sneakers died peacefully of old age on the vet’s waiting room floor, I know she did die with people she loved, and she died in peace. It is said that multiplying a dog’s age by seven will calculate his or her age in people years. Sneakers would have been 105 years old if she were human, and I think that is a pretty good run.

Though she was weak during our visit this Christmas, Sneakers made every lasting effort to be around us as much as possible. Perhaps, she also knew it might be the last time we would all be together as a family. One night, she even attempted to climb the stairs to our bedrooms, though my brother found her halfway through the mission and carried her back to her first-floor basket. Her tired, brittle legs were in no condition for a 12-step climb.

Where do dogs go after they die? I wonder if there is a separate animal heaven where Sneakers and Runt are chasing butterflies together near a pond where my countless childhood goldfish are swimming free. Or, maybe there is one place every living creature ends up after they leave this world. Will I get to see Sneakers again someday if I make it to this place called heaven too? Today I described to my friend Megan the place I hoped Sneakers is now. “She is there,” Megan said. “Their souls are too divine not to be.” In the two days Sneakers has been gone, three beagles have crossed my path in the strangest and unexpected of places. Perhaps this is Sneakers’ way of letting us know that she is okay and not to worry about her anymore.

Not everyone understands the heartache that comes with losing a pet, but maybe we should find strength in knowing that our animals trust us – perhaps more than we trust ourselves sometimes – to do what is right for them. Dogs are among the most loyal of creatures. They will stand by their loved ones until the end, never questioning their place in a family. Sneakers knew we loved her, and not because we gave her treats and toys. She knew because we treated her as well as any other member of our family, and perhaps even better sometimes. So, with tears in my eyes I send a heavyhearted goodbye to my baby, our forever chunk-a-bunk, Sneakers. Keep running, little girl. Your feeble legs cannot stop you anymore.