At a Loss for Words

Losing someone or something you care about is always a traumatic event. Some people I know and care about have recently lost animals they've had in their lives for long periods of time and I understand the pain they feel about it. I totally understand the heartache associated with the loss of an unconditional love.

I wanted to share a recent experience. After a long day of thinking April was doing well, I was shocked to find out that she was not doing well and in fact in great pain and bleeding in to her stomach. I traveled to the vet to say goodbye to someone I've known longer than my husband. I was sad and my heart was breaking. I was talking to the vet - a great equine vet I want to mention - and he was explaining the situation to me through his perspective. At the time, I was more focused on April and spending time with her and half-heartedly listening to him in the background. He stressed how "If April was a valuable mare or had worth as breeding stock then he could see spending the $6-7K to operate but at her age and since she wasn't valuable he didn't see the point or worth". In my sadness and the heartache of the moment, I didn't respond but the more I think about it the more I get pissed off at the fact that to him because she was simply a family pet - a mare who was 26 years old she had no value and to me - she is absolutely priceless. To most people she was probably just a mare but to those of us blessed with the capability to love outside our species you can't put a price on that kind of unconditional love. I'm sad to see that someone who is entrusted with the care of our loved ones can be that business like and calculated with them. So, I'm sad and angry and just not really sure how to handle it. Do I really want someone that can be so cold in one of my worst times of need to care for my remaining pets? Doc Louie is great as a diagnostician but his bedside manner leaves something to be greatly desired.

Again, I think this goes to reflect just how as a society we have grown to devalue life so much on all levels. It is sad that even those we trust the most to care about those the most vulnerable see them simply as dollars and cents.

A still very heartbroken Pandora wishing the world was just a little kinder
XoXo