Back in January I wrote a post titled “Attention All Dog Lovers“. I had ventured away from my normal writing style to reach out to dog lovers because I definitely needed the prayers and support. In that post I shared with you a story of “Remi”, an English Mastiff who was a rescue dog that found his way into my sister’s heart.
Last December Remi was diagnosed with bone cancer and the vet was pretty grim with his findings. But the entire family chose to ignore the diagnosis and reach out to others for their prayers and support. Don’t get me wrong, my sister did everything possible for her beautiful boy but as the months went by he grew weaker and weaker. After watching him continue to lose weight and not have the energy to exist anymore, she made that dreaded decision we all hope will never come.
In Remi’s honor, I put a video together to share his life and his story with others. I hope you enjoy this tribute as much as I enjoyed putting it together.
May you rest in peace our precious angel. I know you are watching over us now.
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
The way he laid down with a cat on his leg can tell his kindness and gentleness. I found sadness in his eyes. He must gone through lot of precious experiences in his long life. I believe he is in a good hands now.
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You are definitely right Nassorn… He was such a gentle dog even though his size frightened most people. The cat was a stray that just continued to hang around because she loved that dog so much. My sister finally gave in and let him be a part of the family. He’s missing Remi now. Thanks for your kind words. I know he’s in a better place but his presence is terribly missed.
Thank you for sharing that beautiful tribute to Remi! I work with rescue dogs and have 4 of my own. There is something very special about rescue dogs and it is obvious Remi had that special quality.
Ah Karleen… As you can tell, Remi was such a special part of this family even if we didn’t have him for very long. I know for a fact that although he had a rough life starting out, the last several years he was here were the best he ever had. I appreciate your comment and I want to personally thank you for caring for these rescue dogs as well. That makes you a very special person in my eyes. Thank you!
Adrienne
Touching video, Adrienne…. our animals can be like children. I know ours are like that. So sorry for the loss of Remi.. he seems like an amazing dog and friend.
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Twitter: adriennesmith40
November 7, 2011 at 7:51 PM
Thank you Bob. Neither my sister or I have any children so I guess our animals mean a little more to us than some who do have a family. They are all we have and it was really hard loosing Remi. He was an amazing dog for sure.
Twitter: alexandra_cath
November 10, 2011 at 5:46 PM
Oh my gosh, Adrienne…
I just got a little sob watching your sweet family and Remi together. There’s something so special about these animal companions we are blessed to share our lives with, isn’t there? I get all choked up sometimes around mine. It’s extremely powerful how they teach us to love in different ways.
Wow…waterworks here.
I’ve lost animals before. It’s a horrible heartache, so my heart goes out to your family for having to see Remi go the way he did. It’s really awesome that you were able to capture some of the great times and smiles and put it to video for them, though. Very kind of you.
I’m sure it meant a lot to your Sister!
Thanks for pullin at my heartstrings girl. It’s really cool to see your versatility as a blogger in action here. You shine!
Much love to you!
Cat Alexandra
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Twitter: adriennesmith40
November 10, 2011 at 6:47 PM
Oh Cat, thanks for watching the tribute to Remi! Now you see why I voted it my most beautiful and suggested everyone get a hankie!
What a precious angel he truly was. I’ve always been a dog lover but this being my sister’s first one, I wish people could have seen the immediate change in her. Neither of us have any children of our own so besides our parents loving us, we’ve never known what it is to love something unconditionally until our dogs.
It’s tough to lose an animal Cat. I’ve lost one and it took me almost three years before I decided to get another one. To me it’s like losing a child and that in itself is like taking a piece of you. Remi was part of the family and we all loved him dearly. For the first year and a half with Debbie he was afraid every time she put him in the car that he wasn’t coming home. He had huge abandonment issues so to finally watch his heart relax was so reassuring. I hate that neither of them had more time with each other then they did. But he opened her up and showed her how to love. She now has another one that is a younger version of Remi. She’s a sucker now!
She did appreciate the video and how much we all rallied around him on the night before he left this world. She threw him a party and we all celebrated his life. He definitely was loved.
My pleasure and I’m sorry for making you cry. Those darn dogs will do that to you won’t they?
I appreciate you Cat, thanks so much!
Twitter: alexandra_cath
November 10, 2011 at 7:17 PM
I absolutely know what you mean about how our companion animals become our children! Girl, I’m on the exact same page! Mine are my babies and I sincerely doubt I could love a human child any more than I love them. I choose to be child-free (aside from my CA’s, that is).
I’ve found that even aside from being our kiddos, they really are amazing teachers. I think that they get into a part of our hearts that is asleep for so many…I can’t quite put my thumb on it, but I’m sure it has something to do with the unconditional love that they bring to us. So many times I have been swept away at their ability to “know” when I was feeling sad or empty about something and they just show up at the right time. It’s an amazing form of healing medicine, if you ask me!
I’m really glad that your Sis is awakened to the love of a CA. It’s so difficult to get over the pain of experiencing one depart from us, but that love is so permanent and so worth having experienced. I’m glad to hear she’s hooked on em now too. lol I am much the same way. I actually help a lot with a local rescue. I’ll share the info if you ever want to see it – I actually donated their blog and help with the upkeep and with fundraising…I’d keep more in my home with me, but I’m terribly allergic, so I have to only keep specific breeds in my home so that I am able to function.
*big hugs* I feel like I know you so much better having read this. Thanks for sharing so openly, Adrienne! You’re “TOPS” in my book!
Highest regards,
Cat Alexandra
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November 10, 2011 at 8:07 PM
That’s good to hear Cat, I still cry every time i watch that video. Brings back such good memories.
Wow, we are more alike than we think it sounds. Six years ago I lost my Cocker Spaniel, Blake, whom I had for 19 years. He’s actually buried at our family cemetery at the bottom of where I will eventually be placed. I even had a headstone created for him and it’s the best looking one out there. I have his picture on it too. He was such a special boy.
Animals have a unique sense to them, something like we women and our intuition. They pick up on certain feelings we generate which is why they are always there to help us when we are down. Their little hearts break too when they lose a close friend as I’ve learned through the dogs my brother has. Whenever they lose one, the rest of the kids mope around for days missing them. My dog did that when we lost my Dad. Blake loved my Dad so much but at least I know they are together now as is Remi too!
Without going into any detail, the nicest thing I can say about my sister’s experience with Remi is that once she got him, she grew a heart. We always wondered if she was really part of this family because she’s never been a very nice person. The switch was unbelievable and we even have a relationship now because we’re able to bond over the animals. It was truly amazing to watch Cat! I can never understand anyone who has a mean streak and can hurt a poor defenseless animal.
I admire you helping with the local rescue. I have a close friend that owns a pet sitting business and he takes a lot of them in that the rescue facilities have no room for. I wish I could do the same but I live in a small one bedroom condo and we can’t have more than two in any unit. I don’t know if I could be a foster Mom because I would want to keep them all. I adopted my sweet Kayla when she was four. She’s now seven and it’s as if I’ve had her her entire life. Gosh, I love that dog.
(((big hugs))) back to ya Cat! I knew you were a keeper and now I know why.
Thank you for sharing that with me too! I really appreciate it. You’re okay too girl! You’re “TOPS” in my book too!
Twitter: alexandra_cath
November 11, 2011 at 12:47 AM
Hehe Thanks for that, Adrienne!
I think we’re bringing back “TOPS” as a coolness title here. As much visibility as your blog gets, I wouldn’t be surprised if it begins trending on Twitter tomorrow. lol
I think we definitely have a lot in common. So cool to get to know ya here in bloggerville. And also glad that your Sis has shown that she’s got some things in common with you and your family. That’s really healing and amazing to know.
It sounds like Blake left a legacy and that he’ll be waiting for ya one day! I get a little nauseous when thinking that one day I may have to make plans like that for my Jolie and Mr. St. John (my dear sweet Tabby cat). I have to change thought-tracks or it makes me feel a little crazy…
Looking forward to sharing more in time about the 4-leggers in our lives that make our hearts sing! lol
You have a great night, Sister!
Cat Alexandra
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wow I could barely make it through the video, its been only 3 months since we got our puppy Sammy and the thought of losing him is just dreadful. Better enjoy each and every moment with him. I cant even fathom how your sister felt at that time… since the post was written a while ago, I am curious if your sister got another dog.
Twitter: adriennesmith40
December 8, 2011 at 9:29 AM
Hi Tanya, welcome!
It was really hard for her since at such a late stage in her own life this was her first dog. It was heartbreaking to say the least. She did wait and got a puppy at the end of that year. She was hooked with the love those dogs give us. She’s doing really well and this puppy looks a lot like Remi. He’s definitely demolished her home though! Last I checked, he’s now around 85 pounds and all puppy. She named him Logan!
Thank you for asking and enjoy your precious bundle of joy each and every day. The time we have with them is precious indeed.