Biting The Bullet

I found it interesting last week to learn that Bullet sold at an auction for $35,000.  That would be the taxidermed famous German Shepherd of the late Roy Rogers.  I didn't watch the Roy Rogers show, but I grew up hearing about the amazing Trigger and Bullet from my dad, who was a fan of the show as a kid.  I wonder if Roy thought about what would happen with those two beloved pets' bodies so long after he'd passed away.

The story of the auction of Trigger and Bullet, along with many other pieces of memorabilia from the show made me think about a few things.  As a kid, when my pets or our livestock passed away, they were usually buried there on the farm.  My dad dug a hole and buried our pet, then later we'd visit the grave after it was filled in.  Only our horses weren't buried there, because that was a much bigger hole than my dad wanted to dig.  They were sent off to the foundary. 

As an adult, I've lost two beloved dogs.  It's never easy to lose a beloved pet, but it's been a much different process.  Both of them had to be put to sleep at the vet's office and then they were sent from there to the crematorium.  A few weeks later, we'd get a call to go and pick them up, which for me is almost as difficult as making that decision to let them go.  It's comforting to have them back at home, but it's also hard to see that the furry body that you've loved so deeply in life can be reduced to the contents of a small wooden box.  It's sobering and heartbreaking. 

When I read about Bullet being sold at auction, it made me wonder.   What if I'd had my beloved dogs taxidermed and kept them here with us?  What would happen to them after I pass away?  They have been priceless treasures to me, but would they ever be bid on at an auction like that?  I don't know, but it did make me think a bit.

A good friend recently lost her bull terrier to a heart attack at her house.  It was still cold out and they couldn't dig a hole to bury her.  Someone told her that a local funeral home also did pet cremations, so she decided she'd take the dog there.   I should mention that this dog's name was Gabrielle, since she was known as The Warrior Princess.  She was a tough little dog who did not like frou frou or frippery of any kind.  She also had a wicked sense of humor and was an extremely funny little dog. 

The call came for her to come and pick Gabby up from the funeral home, so she went on her lunch break to get her.  She walked in and it was funeral home quiet.  After looking around and calling out at the door with no answer, Kathy walked through the home, looking for someone.  Sure enough, the funeral director appeared out of nowhere on what seemed to be some kind of hovering platform to scare the beejeezus out of her.  After recovering her wits and assuring herself that she did not wet her pants, she told him that she was there to pick up her dog.  The man smiled kindly and lead her into a showroom where they had a variety of urns and boxes to choose from if she so desired.  She paid him for his services and then he handed her the dog's remains, in a fancy gift bag with fancy tissue paper sticking out the top and all artfully arranged with fancy ribbon. 

Kathy told us that she just cracked up laughing.  She was laughing so hard that tears streamed down her face.  All she could think of was that Gabrielle, Warrior Princess, would never have been adorned with such frou frou in her life and that she surely must be laughing to herself at the Bridge at the thought of all that fanciness.  She left a note for her friend who comes to let the dogs out (and who was with Gabrielle when she passed away) and told her that Gabrielle was sitting in her favorite chair the next time the friend came over to take care of the dogs.  Sometimes in the midst of loss, we get a laugh when we need it the most.

All of this makes me curious.  What do all of you do with beloved pets when they pass away?  Has anybody ever taxidermed their own pet?  I've heard some rather funny stories over the years about things that different things that have happened with other people after pet loss that have made me laugh and wonder.  I know that it's a very painful time when you lose a pet, but also that it can be a time when you remember a lot of wonderful stories and moments from your life together.  I also think that most of our pets would want us to have those happy times pieced into our hearts after they've gone.  So, feel free to share any remembrances that you have.