I really feel for you. I do hope your mum takes him for you. This is what I wrote about one of our dogs. http://katesrichards.blogspot.com/2009/11/you-have-to-stay-ben.html (You have to stay, Ben).
It is heartbreaking and I cried countless tears, but slowly and surely you do recover. You never forget them though.
All the best
.......and I cried, just reading it!
beautifully written, but heart breaking to say the least - one has to be a animal lover to appreciate this - cats, in my experience can adapt to anything, change.....dogs tend to become so dependant on us, our smell our presence it is so much harder for them to cope without their 'parents'....especially if you have had them since a pup, we got ours at aged 5 weeks old.....could not even walk up or down our back door step, it was bigger than him.....
would always topple off! I knew then, come hell or high.....I would never give this little dog up, for any reason....
I must be honest, I would do it again in a heartbeat, but would be EXTREMELY worried.....our dog did the Cape Town to JHB, then after quarantine, JHB to Perth - then 2 years later - Perth to Auckland and Auckland to Tauranga.......major traveller!
BUT!!!............ I was chatting to one of the cabin crew ladies on our Air New Zealand flight and asked her about how the dogs handle in the hold......she admitted that is is FREEZING down there!!!!! I almost
Her dog almost died on route to the USA - where they lived a couple of years back, got terribly sick - Geez, did I feel SO guilty for shunting our baby all over the world, but, alas, he is non worse for wear for all those flights he had to endure........
My heart goes out to all owners who have to make this life altering change - as it really is, especially if you have children who have become great buddies with the family dog - it is like losing a part of you.
x