Why does it hurt so much??

My sickly dog doesn’t share my biology but the news of his ill health had taken my family aback. If he’s only a dog & valued less than a human and terminally ill, why does it hurt so much?

Decision to adopt him into our family was deliberate. We took care of him like our own – fed him, bathed him, played with him and took him to the doctor etc. He talks to us, which no one hears except my family. He can tell us when he is hungry, when he wants to be loved/ played and go potty.

He became a family - appeared in our family photos, accompanied us in the car during our travels, guarded our house fiercely when we were gone and always welcomed us with wagging tail and drooling tongue to tell us he missed us.

To us, it is all about our relationship with him. As much as anyone like to remind us, we know that he doesn’t talk but we can hear him and that’s all it matters to us. We know that if we hadn’t, someone else would have adopted him and cherished his life but we are glad we did what we did then.

Irrespective of the impediments, when adoption could blossom itself into such a beautiful relationship, it is painful to see the same relationship breaking down due to illness. We want to enjoy our time together because it’s all about a relationship of accepting each other unconditionally.