Bear!!

This is my Bear! Some of you may recognize the picture from the video just below this post. I made it yesterday of him eating a cell phone. Before I started the video, I took this picture to use as his introduction. After the movie was finished, every time this picture would pop up it made us all giggle. But now--24 hours later--it makes me sob!

I took Bear Bear in this afternoon to have him put down. I feel tremendous guilt over this but it needed to be done. He was getting older and starting to get aggressive. He is a Rhodesian Ridgeback--and they are known as African Lion Hunters--and let me tell you--I could totally see my Bear taking down a Lion. That's why his aggression started to worry me. I currently have a 6 inch bruise on my leg where he bit me--and I have 4 kids. So it really had to be done, he was losing bladder control, bowel control, he had cataracts and I think he was starting into arthritis which was making him a grouchy dog.

As much as I keep saying this--it is still the hardest thing I've ever done. He died in my arms--and honestly--I know where he is, I know he is happier there, free and finally getting to run.

I just read over at Amy's blog about her having to do this very thing today, and she wrote such an amazing tribute. I'm not able to write that yet--I'm still feeling tremendous guilt. But hopefully soon, I will be able to sit and pour out my heart about what a wonderful, sweet pet he was--because as hard as he was--he was loved. And best of all--he had people who will cry over his loss and will miss him!