October 10, 2007
Lori Darling
Written by Jenna Petersen in Jaunty PostA couple of weeks ago, I was talking to my Mom on the phone and I got some news that wasn’t unexpected, but was sad. The little dog that I had picked out in 1990 had passed away, peacefully, after a stroke. She was nearly 20, bless her little heart, and had never realized she wasn’t a puppy anymore.
We named her Lorena, after the character from Larry McMurtry’s book LONESOME DOVE. The character was played by lovely Diane Lane. She was a whore who was looking for a way out of Texas. She hitched her star to undependable Jake Spoon before she was kidnapped by Indians and rescued by Gus McCray, the former Texas Ranger played with great aplume by Robert Duvall. The character was tough, but broken.
The dog was neither. Our older dog, Lady, always thought she was a left over puppy from the litter she had earlier that same summer and treated her that way. The two of them were great pals until Lady departed a few years ago. She was also great friends with my brother’s dog, Havok, who took turns knocking Lori over and tossing her a rubber ball, which they would pass back and forth with great gusto.
The cat just took out all her aggression on Lori. But Lori kept trying to be friends with the cat.
I remember her big, long-tongue kisses. Snake tongue. She could French kiss with the best of them. She would also occasionally let out a scream like a woman. Seriously. It was terrifying.
All in all, I remember her as a bouncy, sweet little dog who liked to lean on guests and never demanded much more than a few little pets on her soft, soft head. She lived a cushy little life there at my parents’ house and it was her time. Now that she is gone, there are no pets at all left over from my childhood. I suppose it’s just one way of life going on.
Did you have a favorite childhood pet?
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Shana Says:
Oh, Jenna. I’m sorry. I know you’ll miss your dog. Actually, I like the cats I have now (have had for 12 years) the best of any cats I;’ve owned. They are good friends and companions.
Margo Maguire Says:
Jenna, I’m so sorry about your little dog. It’s hard to lose a pet, even if they’re far away.
We never had pets as a kid. My mom was the daughter of a veternarian and, during the depression, he often got paid in kind … the pick of the litter. And then she worked for him during the summers. By the time she married and had her own household (and a gaggle of kids) she did not want another critter.
So here I am, with 2 big dogs and 2 cats!
Taryn Raye Says:
So sorry to hear about your dog. I’ve lost many a pet through the years and it never gets any easier when they go.
Right now I have 1 cat, Miscellaneous, aka Mizzy or Miz. She’s my baby girl. Got her while I was pregnant with my daughter because my husband worked long hours and my stepson was gone to his mom’s half the time, leaving me home alone. Mizzy got me through the lonely days when it was just little ol’ pregnant me.
Growing up I had my share of pets, mostly strays that were dropped near my grandparents house in the country. My first dog was Macaroni when I was 3 and I still miss him. Much later, in my teens I had a dog named Tinkerbell who died(car accident) and since then I’ve found it hard to imagine having another dog. That’s why I have an indoor cat now.
AndreaW Says:
Jenna and Clarisse, I’m so sorry to hear about your loss.
My family had a white toy poodle named Mitzi when I was growing up. She was more than a pet, she was our friend. And I miss her.
Robyn DeHart Says:
Oh, Jenna, I’m so sorry. It’s never easy to lose a pet. I had cats when I was young and it still makes me sad to think of them. Now we have the two brats. Baxter I had before I met The Professor and he is so my cat. He’ll let me do anything to him and he loves to sleep on my pillow and play in my hair while I try to fight for my half - although he takes up most of it. Sydney we got about a month before we got married, she was a rescue kitty from the street and she’s a total scrapper. She loves table food and hates to be held, but she does love attention, just all on her terms.
Kathryn Smith Says:
Hugs, Jenna and Clarisse. I lost my Roxi dog when I was 18 and have never gotten over her. A few years ago we had to have Harley, the cat I took in when I was 20, put down and I still get choked up when I think of him. Right now we have two cats, both of whom are in their early teens and I cannot bring myself to think of losing either of them.
brownone Says:
Oh Jenna, I’m so sorry about your dog!!
We have never been “animal” people and the only pets we ever owned were fish. I got my kids a turtle about three years ago and every year in January we have a birthday party for him. His name’s Uncle Harris. I don’t even know HOW the kids came up with the name, but it’s pretty embarassing when we tell people we have a turtle named uncle harris. My husband actually talks to him. (Actually, his aquarium is on our kitchen island and sometimes when I am doing the dishes I find myself talking to him also.)
Clarisse Says:
You guys are so sweet. If you live long enough you lose a lot of pets. Little Lori was one of the easiest ones, not because we didn’t love her (and indeed she was a very lovable dog as long as you learned to avoid the snake-like tongue) but because she lived such a very long, very healthy life. She was still bouncing around like a puppy two days before she died (She was totally deaf but she never listened when she could hear, so that wasn’t really much of a loss). It is weird to think that Jenna was 14 years old when Lori came into our life though. Pets, like children, are certainly the markers of time’s passage.
I lost my heartbreaker dog, Havoc, a few years ago and I still can’t even talk about it without tearing up but she died too young and she suffered. Like Kate’s Roxi, Havoc is the dog I will never get over.
Jenna Petersen Says:
Like Clarisse said, Lori’s death is sad, but she was so healthy and happy in general that you can’t be too devestated by it. I mean, she was 18. That is like 235 in human years or something.
Yes, the only way she’d come inside was if you shook the biscuit box. THAT she could hear. LOL
catslady Says:
Oh so very sorry
Our first dog was a beagle that we had for 12 years and was our baby. I can still see her face when we had to put her down. Our next dog was the most loveable mutt ever and we had her for 17 years but the last few wern’t so great for her. I now have cats (7) and the oldest is 16 and I know her time is coming soon. For all the sadness, they give such joy to our lives and I can’t imagine not having animals around me.
Helen Says:
I am sorry for your loss Jenna and Clarisse I have lost a few of my pets over the years and I miss them all I always get so close to them.
Helen
Kimberly Logan Says:
I’m so sorry to hear this, Jenna. I don’t know what I will do when I lose my fur baby. My family had dogs when I was growing up, but though I loved them, I never got attached to any of them the way I have my Skittle.
My sympathies to you. It’s always hard to lose a pet, but especially when they’ve been around for so long and have been a big part of our lives. Hugs!
J Perry Stone Says:
This whole blog is making my heart ache something terrible.
To be honest, (what with three of my grandparents still alive), the loss of my sheltie, Nessie, was by far the biggest tragedy of my adult life.
She was nine and the sweetest thing ever.
She died at the beach, in my arms, with me whispering in her ear as she passed.
And as Forest Gump says, “that’s all I have to say about that.”
Georgie Lee Says:
I cannot read about people losing their beloved pets without crying. I’m sorry to hear about your dog Jenna.
I grew up with a white toy poodle named Fifi. She was 18 when she died and that day was a hard one. At the time I hadn’t lost anyone in my family so like J. Perry, it was my first big loss. She was the smartest dog out of all the dogs my family has had since. My parents filled the empty nest with little dogs so I have a lot to compare Fifi to.
My current love is a semi-bald Cairn Terrier mix named Wiggins. He is my husband’s first dog so it will be a really hard day for my husband when we have to say goodbye(which will not be anytime soon if I have anything to say about it).
ladydawgfan Says:
I’m sorry about the loss of your dog. It’s so hard when they cross the rainbow bridge.
My childhood pet was a cat named Tabby. We got her when I was 4 and she passed when I was almost 23, so she was a part of my entire childhood. She was truly her own cat. When she was two, she lost her hind leg in an accident at my uncle’s house. She never missed it. She could chase mice and birds, climb trees, and run around with the best of them.
She also knew when one of her humans was sick. When I was 10, I had a severe kidney infection that had me laid up for several weeks. Tabby never left my side except to eat or use her box.
She was a wonderful cat, and I was priveleged to be one of her human staff members.
Jenna Petersen Says:
Thank you all for coming by today and sharing your wonderful pet stories. They are such great parts of our lives and it was really special to read everyone’s thoughts. RIP Lori-Lori-Lu.