My wife & I are heartbroken and inconsolable. My beautiful little teacup Maltese, Della is gone form this world. It's been a week & I'm just now able to type this to you, my like-minded friends. I'm posting this as a catharsis in hopes that talking to you all about this will in some way gain me some small relief.

The thing that makes this so unbearable is the way it happened.

I was working in the garage last Wednesday with the big door open when two strays showed up & invited themselves in. I didn't recognize them & later surmised they must be homeless, possibly feral. One had on a sweater in June & neither had collars. I was trying to shoo them out of the garage & close it up. Once I had I'd planned to go out & bring them some water. I was unable to get both of them corralled & as I cracked the door to the house open to call my wife out for some help, the bigger of the two blitzed past me into the house. My little girl (all five pounds or her) sensed the intrusion in a second & went after the big dog, at which point he snatched her up & crushed her, all while I was trying to rip his face off to open his mouth. I screamed for my wife to get a gun, but it was over in seconds & wouldn't have made any difference anyway. I finally got him to release & dragged him by the face out through the same door they came in. It was all a blur & I'm not really sure how that last part was accomplished.

My poor little girl expired in the loving arms of my wife on the way to the vet.

I'm struggling with the loss, & I'm guilt-ridden that I was unable to prevent it or protect her. I just didn't see it coming. It was so bizarre.

I don't blame the other dogs and the second one just seemed to be following along, not otherwise involved. I think they'd turned feral, and I curse the person who presumably dumped them. After coming home from the vet I called animal control, but only got a blah, blah, blah message. They were closed.

Later I saw a post on the Nextdoor app about another of my neighbors who'd spotted them, but they got away. This was before I was able to post anything myself about my poor little girl. I did later post about it but they haven't been seen since.

Some time back I posted on a thread here that if I had unlimited funds I would buy & maintain a compound for any & all unwanted, unloved dogs, and staff it appropriately. This is in a sense how I've lived my own lived on a smaller scale, because all of our dogs have come as rescues of one sort or another.

This poor girl was also found lost & unclaimed by my exes other daughter & when she was unable to care for her we jumped at the chance to get her. She was so timid when we got her two years ago, she would hide under the bed for long periods. She finally got to feel secure with us & the other two dogs, & really came out of her shell. She was so loving & comical to see. She was truly a happy girl, I couldn't have been more blessed by her for the two years she was with us.

Thank you for being pet-lovers here & affording me the chance to get this off my chest. I know y'all understand. Sorry it's so long, there's just so much to say. Here's my lovely Della

You gave her a good home for the time that you had her. My deepest condolences on you loss.

Vinny,

I'm sorry for your loss. Don't know what else I can say.

That is truly heartbreaking.

It really hurts when we lose a beloved pet.

I'm sorry brother. I know what it feels like. Too many times, and too recently.

God bless.

Tragic story. Don't blame yourself for the results of mother nature. She is at peace and waiting for you at the Rainbow Bridge.

I am sick at heart, very sorry for you and your wife to experience this at all, and to have it happen this way... unimaginable.

I'm sorry.

For the love you showed that cute little furball and all she returned you, I am so sorry to hear your loss, given you were acting out of compassion to "stranger" dogs.

May God Bless you and your wife with peace of mind and heal your broken hearts.



I can only imagine your pain, and know I would still come up very short.

Sorry for your loss. My feline best friend and companion - Maggie the Cat - died suddenly on Fathers Day. The silence in my home is deafening.

Damn Vinny! How horrible, I can't begin to understand what you guys have gone through. I'm so sorry for your loss.

Nothing you could have known or done to prevent what happened. Your little girl is at peace and is in a very good place.
Mike

My deepest condolences! What a brave little girl!
Wishing you comfort and allow yourself to grieve.

quote:

My poor little girl expired in the loving arms of my wife on the way to the vet.I'm struggling with the loss, & I'm guilt-ridden that I was unable to prevent it or protect her. I just didn't see it coming. It was so bizarre.I don't blame the other dogs and the second one just seemed to be following along, not otherwise involved. I think they'd turned feral, and I curse the person who presumably dumped them. After coming home from the vet I called animal control, but only got a blah, blah, blah message. They were closed.

I am so sorry, I have pretty much exact same story except it was my boyhood dog, never trusted or liked a dog from that day forward. Don't blame yourself too much, this was in no way your fault, it was the dogs and more so their owners or former owners.

I'm so sorry for your wife, I know the feeling of holding your dog as it's last breath is let out and looking down in dismay at all the blood. Hold her a little extra tight tonight.

So sorry for your loss, especially in such a tragic manner.

So sorry for your loss.

So sorry

Sincere condolences on the loss of your brave little girl.

So sorry to read..............

Our pack is very sorry for your loss.

that sucks my condolences