Remembering Paka

The pink dogwood in our front garden is in full bloom. It's lovely - the highlight of the front yard at this time of year. This small tree holds a special place in my heart, not just for its intrinsic beauty but also because of how it came to be in my garden.

As I've mentioned before, being a veterinarian means that hand in hand with the joy that comes from having a life filled with animals, come days of sadness and loss. This is even worse when the animal that dies belongs to one of my friends. Paka was a special Samoyed dog who lived with my friend Alix. A couple of years ago she developed incurable liver disease. On a beautiful August afternoon, in her garden and surrounded by her family - both human and canine - I helped Alix to let her go. It was hard for everyone.

I'm a big believer in pet memorials. It helps to do something at a time of loss to celebrate the life of your animal friend. These days I make little hand knit, spirit baskets from the pet's hair. Many of my clients send me pictures and stories of their dogs and cats. Scrapbooks or videos are especially lovely and poignant. And some people plant flowers in their yard to remember.


A few weeks after Paka's death, Alix and her partner Hew gave me the pink Dogwood. It is a wonderful memorial. Every time I look at it I do think of Paka and I remember this sweet and gentle dog.