For Her

Good Morning, lovely reader.

I wanted to take a moment to explain my 24-hour absence. Yesterday I had to say goodbye to my companion and best girl, Belle. Belle was a black lab-mix that has been along my side since she was 5 months old. She was a perfect pup that alway kept watch over me; sleeping at the foot of the bed. She loved taking road trips, and didn't even mind when I sang too loud to the radio.

We discovered Belle's cancer four months ago, and put her through two surgeries since. The tumors continued to grow, and things took a turn for the worse nine days ago. I finally had to make the decision to end her pain.

Seeing her suffer was one of the hardest things I've had to do. While I won't go into the details of her symptoms, I CAN tell you how it has affected me in terms of my veganism (since this seems to be the appropriate venue). I know that seeing her in any capacity other than her happy, tail-wagging self has just confirmed that I never want to see that kind of misery again. In addition, I don't ever want any animal to suffer at my hand (or by my request, or for my "taste") EVER AGAIN.

People who don't believe that animals can understand pain, physical or emotional, are simply shutting their eyes to what's right in front of them. Ignorance is NOT bliss, it's just ignorance.

"To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die."
-Thomas Campbell

'Bye for now, my sweet Bella. Until we meet again...