I came across a Facebook post this morning and the woman that wrote it is asking folks to share it so that’s why it’s being duplicated here. This woman is to be commended for being so courageous and open with her experience.

I do not have a blog. If I did I would post this there, as this will be lengthy. I keep things here on Facebook pretty light and post about my crazy, funny family life. I am posting this for 2 reasons. First, I see more and more pictures of babies with their pups. I am absolutely not saying there is anything wrong with that… I do it, too. Second, I am noticing my son being more and more aggressive with Daphne, our amazing white lab.

Putting together these pictures and writing this post brings up so many emotions that I really never wanted to feel again. I have realized, that when faced with it, the pain never goes away, ever. I can put myself in that hospital again in my mind like it was happening now. It’s a horrible, heart wrenching feeling.

Our gorgeous Scrappy suffered constantly from ear infections. This we knew. We have a pool and there was no way to keep him out, he loves to swim. Oftentimes I would come home and he would be alone just doing laps… So funny!! He was on meds for his ear infections but I became lazy on taking him to the vet which seemed like constantly. I started splitting his pills in half so they would last longer. Why? To save a buck? Shame, shame, shame on me!! I assumed he learned to live with the pain… I mean, why keep swimming? He was a smart dog!

THIS WAS/IS THE SWEETEST DOG ON THE PLANET!!

Hey, I consider myself pretty sweet too but I snap on occasion.

I was not home when this happened, I was on a shoot. I got a call from Tom saying he was on his way to the hospital, he told me what happened. I could not understand? I got in my car and drove. I don’t think I said a word to Britt, who was with me. My mind was numb. When we got to the hospital Brittany was ahead of me when walking into the room. She tried to stop me from entering. I have never felt that kind of pain in my heart, never. It is a different kind of pain when it is your child. The pain was crippling, hurt me to the core. When they stitched up Zach I had to leave the room because they had 2 nurses holding him down and the doctor straddled over him. I seriously thought I was going to faint. Daddy was with him, Zach was not alone.

Zach was playing with Scrappy… Sitting on him and reached forward and grabbed both of his ears, hard. Scrappy snapped. In about 5 seconds he ripped my son’s face to shreds. It was knee jerk. Kind of like when someone steps on your broken foot, you lash out.

Dogs can’t yell, they can’t curse you out or say ‘OUCH!!’ It was a knee jerk reaction from the sweetest Golden Retriever that would actually die for Zach. It just happened.

When we came home from the hospital I went to the backyard and looked at him and just cried… He cried, too. He felt awful, I know he did.

Because the hospital considered this a mauling, it was reported and he was to be put down. Within 24 hours animal control was at our door for quarantine. He did his 14 days. In the meantime my mom, who happened to own property in Texas at the time (but lives here), made a massive plea and campaign to keep him alive and she would take him to Texas (he is with her still). This was granted.

I can’t tell you enough how this was such a blow to our family because Scrappy was family, he was not just our ‘family dog.’

I am sharing these pictures after all of these years because if your animal is trying to tell you something, please listen. If your dog swims regularly there is a good chance they will have ear infections. Be proactive, listen to their eyes… They really want to tell you.

I LOVE my pets so much and I have learned so much by this experience. I ask, no I beg, that you share this because I wish I would have paid closer attention. Please, take your pets to the vet, the clinic. Anywhere where they can get the help they need because they do love you so much.