I promised him that I would take care of myself and that I would strive to be half the person that he was.
My darling Forbes left his body today. Heaven is richer. I am empty.
He was an extraordinary dog, dearly loved by many. He was so empathetic and
such a healer. He had been a stray in Georgia before we adopted him in 2012.
He was part of every Main Street Vegan Academy class from the second one in
late 2012 to class number 30 in 2019. And even after we moved to Zoom he was
next to me on the couch for all the classes.
He was a quintessential New Yorker, walking these streets, riding subways,
buses, and taxis, frequenting dog-friendly stores and sniffing many parts of
Manhattan. He loved chasing his little basketball down our long hallway and
running from the elevator to our door; finishing up with a good roll-over
back scratch.
He was diagnosed July 19 with a rapidly proliferating cancer of the blood
vessels. It was such a shock because he showed no signs of being unwell,
even though his lungs were so full that they removed nearly 12 ounces of
fluid and gave him, and us, these past precious weeks. He had been seen by
the vet regularly and had been there two days prior for a temporary
orthopedic issue, but this disease was so diabolical, it just hid.
One grace through this awful siege was that this cancer was not painful.
Even though his breathing was more rapid than normal, he enjoyed life this
past 13 days. He had more subway and bus rides, visits to Central and
Morningside Park, and two more visits to the Black Lab Cafe, which he loved
but which we only discovered a few weeks ago. The last couple of days, he
was definitely moving more slowly, but still enjoying walks, meals, treats,
belly rubs, visits from special friends, and just hanging with Mommy and
Daddy. We cherished every minute.
This picture was taken this morning and he didn't even look sick, but he
was.
A kind and patient veterinarian did the euthanasia in our home, so he
died in the arms of both his parents. We had a ceremony with readings and
candles and holy water, but mostly we just told him how much we loved him
and to follow the light because he was going somewhere magnificent. We also
told him about the people, dogs, and cats, that we knew would be there to
greet him.
I promised him that I would take care of myself and that I would strive to
be half the person that he was. We will have a memorial service, so if you
knew Forbes and will be in the New York City area In late August/early
September, let me know and I will tell you when that will be.
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