I lost my dog that I grew up with and spent pretty much every single day next to back in July. The silence in the house, the familiar locations she loved and would pull towards during walks, even just that presence of having something so happy and excited running up to you and around you. It's a pain that never truly heals, you just sort of go about life.
Losing a dog seems very much similar to losing a child. Something you take immense care of, put everything into making happy, knowing it's fragile; but in a way you end up depending on each other. It's especially hard when you see pets look so young and having to go, also aware that while looking young, 12 years is an old age for them. Yet the age never really changes them, does it? They might get a bit more tired, a little more lazy, but they never really change their perspective of life, holding their curiosity and enjoyment of the simple things.
I think it's an important lesson that we can learn from them, even once they're gone. The simplicity of a happy life.
The hardest thing about making the decision about letting Khan go was that he was still begging for food and wanting to be with us. But it got to a point where I could see he was starting to suffer. I kept on putting off the inevitable but we decided as a family that it just wasn't fair on him. Especially when he just couldn't get comfortable when lying down and getting up again was difficult too. I have to think of the good life we gave him. I don't know what his life was like before he ended up in a rescue centre, bu I know that his life with us was good.
I'm sure I'll miss him for a long time just like you miss your dog.