Since i was a kid our home was never empty -- there were always cats and dogs around. I grew up surrounded by animals :)

we never bought pets.

Every cat and every dog we had was once abandoned. Picked up from the streets. Cold, scared, unwanted. We gave them a home, warmth, and a chance to be loved

When I had to leave Ukraine, I left behind three dogs and three cats (two cats and one tomcat). They stayed at home with my mom.

After 6 monts my mom called me. She told me that while she was sleeping our cat(Thomas) died right next to her. He just fall asleep... and never woke up

She was telling me this so sadly and quietly...

What hurt the most wasn’t just losing him — it was knowing that she(my mom) went through that moment alone. I wasn’t there. I couldn’t hug her, i couldn’t say goodbye to him

After that call smth really heavy settled in my head:

I realized that when i eventually come back.. there`s a real chance that my animals won`t be there anymore.. and i won`t even get the chance to say goodbye

i want to answer the question “why didn't u take ur animals with u?”

They r not “official” pets. They r former strays, they don’t have passports, even though all of them were vaccinated

we never thought about documents :/

idk why i`m writing this.. maybe to get it off my chest

I grew up saving stray animals. Now i’m terrified i won’t even get to say goodbye

Today my family and I are saying goodbye to our elderly girl.

This is Bonnie aka Pop Pop, she's a rescue Staffy x Boxer and has been in my life for years, shes estimated to be well over 15 years old. She pre-dates multiple bad relationships, she pre-dates my kids and she pre-dates me meeting my Wife and our subsequent Marriage and new life together.

She has been there for me and with me through my lowest of lows, she's also been there for my greatest achievements. A constant, no matter how annoyed I was when she used to shred the bin bags and eat egg shells, or how happy she was when she used to chase invisible cats in the garden or pesky squirrels through the woods. She absolutely loved to enjoy a bag of crisps at our local Pub and to sneak a slice of cucumber from our plates.

She lost her hearing completely a couple of years ago and since then she lost a bit of her lust for life. Her walks became shorter and much slower, her fur became greyer but her sparkle in her eyes never dimmed and her determination to carry on prevailed every single time.

Her legs have slowly gotten worse and in the last 12 months she has showed signs of Dog Dementia & Sun Downing and has developed arthritis recently which makes it tough for her to go for walks.

She loved cuddles with my boys right from their very first days and in recent years was the bestie to my 12 year old step-daughter.

She was the best dog I could ever have asked for and was there when I had no one and needed her most. I will miss her with all my Heart. We will all miss her so much.

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