Grieving the Passing of a Dog: The Bond That Cannot Be Severed

Losing a dog can be just as painful as losing a family member or a loved one. After all, many dogs are family members.

Jasmine’s passing hurt directly to the core. It was as if somebody ripped out a part of my heart. We will never forget Jasmine.

My eyes look for you but cannot find you
My hands seek to touch you but your fur is nowhere to be reached
Then I stop searching the world and look into my heart
And there you are, my love

“The Force is strong with this one,” hubby would say about Jasmine. And it’s true. She was a charmer and could make her way into anybody’s heart. She particularly did a number on me.

The last act of love

In the morning of April 12, Jasmine reached a level of suffering we could not allow any more. Not with the poor, uncertain prognosis. We set her spirit free from the body that failed her.

We fought through all her medical horrors because the prognosis was hopeful. But not this time. She was not improving and hope was slim.

Jasmine’s spirit was as bright as ever and wanted to go places and do things. But should would take a couple of steps and collapse, shaking. She couldn’t eat, she kept throwing up and this morning she was even able to squat to pee.

Run free, Jasmine, unbound from your ailing body. We love you so much.

The lasting bond

The bond between us grew strong and deep, to the core of my being. Can such a bond be severed by death?

I love Jasmine as much as I always have.

And even though my heart is bleeding from her not being physically here, perhaps love still connects us.

I have Jasmine’s photos everywhere and I keep going through all the movies we took. I have some of her living fur in a pendant around my neck and some of it in my pillow.

From our animal communicator

The day after her passing, I got an email from our animal communicator. She was writing condolences and she said that Jasmine came through while she was emailing me.

“I can tell you that she has made her transition and there was a male spirit that came forward to take her across. He comes forward and carries her across the bridge. Once on the other side he put her down, she just laid there for a few minutes as if getting her bearings and then I see her jump up to her feet, she gives a big shake, as if she is getting rid of all the pain and shedding the physical body, and she just ran in circles, free of the pain.

“She does understand all you have done for her and why. She tells me she knows how much you love her as she could feel it and she shows me an image of you kissing her head. Please know that she is at peace and she sends her love to you.”

Jasmine came through to leave a message for me.

It would be just like her, too, she was always very loving and caring.

Message from jasmine

But my heart kept aching and from my dark place, I contacted the communicator again, trying to reach to Jasmine. The response I got sustained me through the hardest time.

“She is able to pick up on your thoughts so she is aware of how you are feeling. I have shared with her what you have asked me to and she is showing me an image of her sitting in front of you with her head on your lap.

Still with me

“Jasmine wants you to know that she is with you when you think of her, she says that she is free from pain and she says she is doing good. She even shows me being able to jump over things and with this comes such a sense of freedom.

“Jasmine loves you very much and she is actually showing me 3 o’clock (although I cannot tell if this is am or pm) but she is giving me this time and I get the sense of her showing up at that time of day or something happens that makes you think of her at that time of day. 

“She is telling me that you still go to do things that were a “habit” with her and you mentally have to tell yourself that you no longer need to do this. She shows me an image of you feeling a bit detached from life at the present because she has left such a void for you as she was such a big part of your life but she is asking that you please get excited about life again because she tells me that you still have things to do and she will be right there inspiring you every day.

“Then her energy started to fade away which puzzled me and she said “look at the time”, it is 2:57 p.m. and she was on her way to be with you and she will continue to do this for as long as you want/need her to be there.”

Forever connected

I would swear that I could feel that our hearts are still connected through love. While my eyes and my hands search for Jasmine in vain, perhaps my heart can find hers and our bond can last forevermore.

When I reach out for her with my love, I can feel that we are still connected.

Jasmine, my dearest, you are the puppy of my life. I love you–always have, and I always will. I miss you so much. But I do feel that our bond cannot be severed.

When I don’t look for Jasmine in the world but look for her in my heart instead, I can find her there.

Related articles:
Losing a Heart Dog: Adopting A New Dog While Grieving For The Dog Of My Life
Adopting a New Dog: From The End Of A Lead Line To Casa Jasmine—Meet Cookie, Our New Adoptee

Further reading:
7 Self-Care Essentials While Grieving the Death of a Pet