We put Harriet to sleep last night. The hospice-level pain management wasn't working (couldn't sneak meds into her — such a valiant little spitter), and she was getting worse, fast.
She was the best dog ever. I mean that with all my heart. She was the first dog I ever really loved. The hearts at Chez Hehu are collectively broken and today it is hard to take a full breath.
YOU, my darling readers, know what this kind of loss means. There are pets that we cuddle and love, and then there are the Truly-Special Where-Did-You-Come-From You-Crazy-Wonderful-Thing-You animals (Digit falls into this category, of course).
Thank you for your love. It means so much to us.
So sorry. Hugs from the East Coast.
I am so sorry to hear that Harriet has passed on. The loss of a pet is heartbreaking, I know. I still miss my sweet baby Bella every day since we lost her in May. I am so glad Harriet had a happy life with you all. Big Hugs all around.
I’m so sorry for your loss. I know it’s always a difficult decision, but it IS the most humane one. I know Harriet had a long and wonderful life.
Oh no, Rachael. I’ve been following the news of Harriet’s decline with such a heavy heart, knowing what a devastating loss her passing would be for the whole Hehu family. I’m sending warm thoughts to you and Lala and hoping that Harriet gets greeted in doggie heaven with lots of her favorite things.
My thoughts are with you…
Oh sweets, Sandra and I send our condolences. Hugs and smooches.
I am sorry for your lost. Run free sweet Harriet, rest in peace.
Oh so sorry. She was a most excellent dog. Hand squeezes for you and Lala.
I’m so sorry. The last year has been a terrible one for pets in my family and the loss of a family dog that was 4 years ago still hurts my heart, albeit less than before. Know that my thoughts and prayers are with you both and your other pets who will mourn her as well.
Many hugs from a pet-lover who understands.
I’m so glad I got to meet Harriet and her wonderful softness in person. And I’m so sorry for your loss. Hugs to you and Lala and the rest of Chez Hehu family.
I am so sorry to hear this. I’m glad that she received so much human love in return for boundless puppy love.
i have no words for you. love to you all.
Wishing you peace and comfort. My heart is with you.
I know just what you mean about the crazy-wonderful. That tongue-up-the-nose photo says it all.
I wish I could hug you for real, lovey. But you know I’m thinking about you and wishing you and Lala every bit of gentleness and love you both deserve at such a rough time as this. Take care, you two.
Oh, I am so sorry. That is such an incredibly hard thing. Big hugs to all in the HeHu House.
I said this on FB already, but I am so, so sorry. This is very sad indeed.
Condolences from Iraq…
I am sorry for your heartache. Hugs to you all at Chez Hehu.
That sucks. I am so sorry for your loss.
I’m so so sorry.
Oh, Rachael, I am so sorry, and also proud of you for making the right decision. You proved your love for sweet Harriet by giving her her freedom. Big hugs to you and your gang.
Sorry to hear about Harriet. It’s never easy. She was your angel on Earth and now one above in Heaven. She’ll always be a part of you. xoxo, Kim (Christy’s Kimi) and Jeff Leto, and Jack the Dal.
Rachel–so sorry to hear that Harriet is gone.
I’m so, so sorry, Rachael.
I’m so sorry to hear about Harriet. My thoughts are with all of you today.
oh Rach, I’m so, so sorry for your and Lala’s loss. Harriet was such a fantastic dog, and she obviously had a wonderful life with you. Hugs to you and your entire household – I’ll be thinking of y’all today.
I am so sorry to hear about Harriet. I’ll give my miniature schnauzer Morgen an extra hug tonight, in Harriet’s honor. And I’ll be thinking about you, Lala and the menagerie.
Oh! So sorry to hear, hugs to all of you.
My heart is so sad for you-the love we have with very special once in a lifetime animals is beyond compare. When I lost my beloved horse, I had a friend carve a granite river rock with his name and the words “Rejoice that he ever was”. Rejoice that she was your Harriet-I know you will.
My heart goes out to you both! Hugs from me.
Surrounding you and yours with love, and giving our Bud extra special pats today. I will miss your Harriet. She was a love.
I could see this coming, but I’m still in denial a little. It’s so unfair that the animals we love as family members don’t have human life spans. Such a good soul in such a little dog. La would bring her to our grief support group and she’d go around comforting and delighting everyone. Dog of love, dog of romance, dog of mystery… she was the best.
So sorry for your loss. I heart the Hehus.
Big Hugs!!!!!
I’m so sorry to hear that. I’m glad she brought you so much joy–I’m sure you gave her the same.
with having to put Theodore Edward Bear {my teddie bear}to sleep at the beginning of March, i can relate to your sorrow. i still cry when i think of him. much love and hugs for your lose
We love you and your crazy menagerie, and we loved Harriet. She was a good dog and had a good life. You did the right thing but it still hurts like a bitch. I’m crying with you.
Oh Harriet, I enjoyed your sandy tromps at the beach almost as much as if I were there! May there be many beaches and dogs to play with wherever you are.
Rachael, I’m so sorry that Harriet is gone. Hugs to the Hehu family.
That is heartbreaking – I’m sorry & know that you & Lala and the rest of the family will miss her dearly. I have a 14 yr old dog and we are dreading the day that we are in a similar situation.
So sorry for your loss.
Oh what sad news. She was so lovely.
I remember thinking how sweet she was when I met her, nearly three years ago now.
Many hugs xx
Hugs. I’m so sorry.
Sarah
I’m so sorry. I know that empty feeling. Sendidng you both hugs while you grieve for your great girl.
I still miss my sweet Sarah and spend some time each day looking at the memorial I made for her.
So very sorry for the loss of such a loved animal.
Mystica from Sri Lanka
Peace & love from Bonnie & Clyde (a pair of well-loved Schipperkes on the East Coast) and their family.
Harriet was special and truly became a part of our lives too via the blog. She will be missed.
So sorry. I’m very glad you had a dog like Harriet in your life though.
Aw. 🙁 That is the saddest news. Hugs to the Hehu household.
What a horrible choice to have to make, but I know you did what was best for Harriet. That’s the truest definition of love. Hugs to everybody.
Sending you and Lala lots of hugs.
So sorry to hear this. Harriet was an awesome dog. Sending hugs to you
So unbelievably sorry that she is gone. Yes, I do know what this loss means. She was a precious family member. IMHO, it makes no difference whether they wear bare skin or fur. The loss hurts, all the same.
My heart goes out to you.
May all your lovely memories help ease the pain. I’m sure Harriet felt the feelings were mutual.
Ah, honey I am so sorry to hear of the loss of dear Harriet. The passing of a pet is so very hard to process. May the wonderful memories help to heal your heart.
So sad for all of you. Harriet had the best possible life, filled with love and walks and silliness.
Oh dear Harriet. Extra love to you and Lala today. Be good to yourselves, and to the rest of the pack.
Oh, sweetie! I’m so sorry. Love to you and Lala.
Following the Twitter feed, I had a feeling something was wrong. I’m so sorry for your loss. You guys are wonderful for giving her such a great life, and making such a hard decision. Copious hugs and love.
Sweet dreams, Harriet!
I’m so sorry for all of you.
You are the best pet parents around. You are so right about the One True Pet. Harriet will never be replaced, and I am so glad you got to love her!
I’m so sorry about Harriet. I’ll keep you and her in my thoughts today.
I’m so sorry. abrazos
Guys I am so sorry…peace and love to you and yours.
I lost my special special back in January. I feel for you. Hugs to you all.
I’m so sorry. Love to you both. I only met her a few times but she sure was one sweet long girl.
XO
I’m so, so very sorry to hear of the loss to your little family. I’ll be thinking peaceful thoughts for Harriet and the rest of you.
Was thinking as I was running and decided to make a donation in the name of Harriet Hehu to the UC Davis Veterinary School-it is the one true resource for us in Northern CA and it does so much for so many animals. Having had dogs and a horse treated there, I can say it deserves(and needs)all the help it can get. Harriet can pass her love on to other dogs that way and live on in helping them. Go to http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu- and they have a pet loss support group on line that is at vetmed.ucdavis.edu/petloss.
So sorry to hear about your sweet Harriet.
Oh, I’m so sorry for the whole Hehu household. Sending lots of love your way. xx
So so sorry 🙁 We have lost one dog this year already and the other continues her battle with cancer.
Hugs to you all and your furry friends.
So sorry to hear this. Much, much sympathy to all at Chez Hehu.
My sympathy to your entire family, two-legged and four.
I’m very sorry to hear your sad news.
I’ll be thinking of all of you in Chez Hehu.
By strange coincidence, I was just thinking, while walking in to work (half a mile) about our dogs, in particular about the ones who are gone, how their lives ended, how short their lives are, how we love them and choose to have them in our lives even though it hurts so much to lose them. Reading your post just now, reminded me of what I was thinking earlier, how it feels to look back, sad and happy. I know you will be there someday, still sad but the happy comes back.
So sorry for your loss.
Oh, sweetheart, I am crying for you guys. I am so sorry for your loss. Please know that you did the best and most courageous thing you could do for Harriet. I know that doesn’t make it easier or less sad, but it is important to remember.
Lots of love to you and Lala and all of the animals.
I am so sorry, Rachael. Hugs.
I’m very sorry for your loss. Love the happy pics of Harriet.
Oh, I’m so sorry, sweetie.
I’m so sorry. I’m sending a lot of love to you, Lala and your other babies.
I’m so sorry 🙁 I always enjoyed your posts about Harriet, she sounded like such an awesome dog.
Losing a dog is such a terribly hard thing…My love to you both.
Ah, tears in my eyes. Brings back the memories of all our pets that have gone. Much love and peace to you all…
Sending you my love. I am so sorry for your loss.
I’m so sorry to hear about Harriet. Those Truly Special companions give us the most joy, but cause the most heartbreak when they have to leave us. 🙁 {{{Love}}} to all at Chez HeHu.
So, so sorry to hear this sad news. Anyone who has ever really trully loved a pet and lost them knows what you are going through. The thing to remember is that Harriet had an amazingly wonderful life and you were blessed to have the opportunity to share it with her at the deepest level.
Hugs from up north.
So sorry. Only just heard as hubbs is now half-way through his John O’Groat’s to Lands End cycle.
All pets are beloved; they know it and you did the right thing. Be strong.
(and buy chickens…)
Hugs to you all–I know that, even though you had been anticipating this (and that little joker had been making your hearts stop for quite a while), it is such a loss. When I am in charge of the world, our pets will live as long as we do….
Hugs to you and Lala and all the fuzzyfaces. No doubt she knew how much she was loved, just as you know how much she loved you.
I’m so sorry to hear this. Harriet was such a sweet sweet dog. She will be truly missed. Bex and I send our condolences. Our thoughts are with Chez Hehu. *hugs*
I understand your pain and sorry you have to hurt so much.
Hugs to you and Lala — I hope you can take some comfort in the wonderful memories you have with Harriet.
i’m so sorry for your loss.
hugs to you all.
Oh, I am so sorry. I do know how much it hurts to lose the furbabies we love, and how much more it hurts to lose the really special ones. It’s been 2 1/2 years since we had to put Shiva to sleep, and I still want him back, purring in my lap. Harriet is now waiting for you at the rainbow bridge, happy and healthy and in no pain.
You are all in my thoughts.
sending you all at Chez Hehu a big hug and keeping you in our thoughts. And sending a big stinky kiss from my pooch Fanny too. xoxo.
Blessings to you and yours…
in this time of grief, be sure to take extra good care of yourself!
Hugs from all of us…
sigh.
I am SO sorry for the loss of your dear Harriet. We lost our beloved Pagan last Friday after a short battle with highly aggressive cancer, so I know all too well the pain your hearts are feeling. Hugs to you and yours.
Oh, I’m so very sorry.
I’m so sorry.
How heart breaking. Every once in a while we have a pet that spoils all subsequent pets of the type because they can’t live up her. I have lost a dog and a cat in that category and had many good ones afterward, but not that special. Hugs.
Rachel and Lala, know that our dog lovin’ hearts are with your whole clan. SO glad you have such great photos and memories of your Beloved Harriet. You gave her a good life, and a good home, and a kind journey to the next life.
Oh, Rachael, Lala and all furry Hehu house members…my heart goes out to you. Bless Harriet’s little soul for all the love she brought into the world. Big virtual hugs!
Love to you and Lala and the rest of the crew . . . I’m sitting here with tears pouring down my face and I can’t even look at the rest of the comments. I’m so, so sad.
I am so sorry for your loss. You did such a lovingly brave thing for her even though it is hard, hard, so very hard to make that decision. I have loved reading about your outings with your sweet Harriet.
My heart breaks for you and Lala. Take care.
oh Rachael, I’m so sorry. Big hugs to all of you.
I’m so, so sorry. I know just how awfully hard that is. Wishing you strength.
Sweet sweet Harriet. I am so sorry she is gone. But I am so happy she had you and La for as long as she did.
I’m so sorry for your loss but oh so glad you got such a wonderful life with Harriet.
Horrible for all of you, but you’ve made the only decision a loving owner could under the circumstances. So many hugs and loves to the Hehu house tonight.
A quote I recently read, “It came to me that every time I lose a dog, they take a piece of my heart with them. And every new dog who come into my life gifts me with a piece of their heart. If I live long enough all the components of my heart will be dog, and I will become as generous and loving as they are.” credited to Cheryl Zuccaro
I am so sorry for your loss. I knew Harriet only through your photos, but it was easy to see what joy she found in life, and brought to yours.
And she had the prettiest eyes.
I’m so very sorry to hear about Harriet. Losing a beloved family member is absolutely heartwrenching. My thoughts go out to you. Harriet was a lucky girl to have such loving people in her life.
So sorry. I’m crying.
I’m so, so sorry….
I’m sorry I never to meet Harriet. My hand and my heart go out to you and Lala – saying goodbye is hard, even when you know it’s the right time.
I’m so sorry…Hugs to your family…
I’m so, so sorry. I know how difficult it must have been and how sad you must feel, even as you know you did what was best for the sweet dog. xxx
I’m so sorry for you and LaLa – but Harriet was loved, and she loved you – that’s something special.
I’m so sorry that you had to say good-bye to Harriet, but you did right by her letting her go when you did. *hugs*
I’m so, so sorry for your loss of Harriet.
((((hugs))))
(((((hugs))))
What a wonderful dog she obviously was.
I am so, so sorry about Harriet!
I’m so sorry. Harriet was so beautiful. Take care.
My condolences to you and Lala. I’ve never owned an animal like that, though I’ve been friends with one. You were lucky to have known her.
We lost our tiny 22 yr old Shi Tzu two weeks ago.
She came to our house six years ago as a family hand-me-down ditzy old senior citizen doggy, and tried to participate in whatever the other pets were doing, even though she had NO idea what was going on, ever. Sweetest little dog I’d ever met.
It’s hard. But protecting them from pointless suffering at the end is a blessing for them, and a heartache for us.
Hugs to you all.
Please accept my condolences on the loss of Harriet. She was a wonderful dog, and I so enjoyed the stories and pictures about her on the blog. How can someone so small leave such a big hole in our hearts? With much sympathy from Kate and the furbabies in Phoenix
Oh, darlings, I am SO very sorry to hear of your loss! Go swiftly, Harriet, with tongue lolling, and meet your joyous welcome!
Oh, sweet muffins, hugs and hugs to you and Lala. I know how hard it is to lose a dearly loved pet. I hope for comfort and peace for you as you adjust!
I’m so sorry for your loss. Harriet was clearly a wonderful and much-loved dog. I’m holding her and all of you in my thoughts.
I wish I could be eloquent but really, what can I say, it’s so damn hard to lose them when they go isn’t it. She was so beautiful. Hugs and love to you all from Northern Ireland
I’ve been away from the internet for days, so have only just read about Harriet. Sending much love to you and Lala, and long distance hugs.
I am so sorry to hear about the loss of Harriet. Your family is in my thoughts.
I am so, so sorry. This October will be 2 years since I put down my precious Maddy, sweetest yellow Lab ever.
I never knew Harriet but from your blog, could sense the silly, sweet thing she was. I know that hole in your heart that you’re both living through now. It is so, so hard.
I wish for you good healing and good Harriet memories.
I’m a week late but am just catching up with my blog reading.
Lotz of Love ‘n Hugs to the whole family!
I’m so sorry to hear about Harriet! I will always remember her as a very sweet, friendly, adorable dog! You guys are in my prayers.
Dear two of you, Rachael and Lala:
I am sad to learn that Harriet passed away… what a nice and friendly dog! She loved both of you and you were excellent and loving caregivers. I admire both of you for your honesty and truthfulness. Take care. xx Giulietta
Hugs!!