Coping with the loss of a pet can be one of life's most
difficult experiences. It's not easy to say goodbye—even when
you love and protect animals for a living. That's what Paul and
Jean Irwin discovered when they decided it was time to put to
sleep their twelve-year-old dog, Portia.
As president and CEO of The HSUS, Paul has seen thousands of
homeless animals on his many tours of local animal shelters.
But years ago, on a trip through the Michigan Humane Society's
shelter, a tiny, malnourished puppy caught his eye. No more
than six weeks old, she sat alone in the middle of a large dog
crate. She was so small and sick that Paul couldn't tell even
what breed of dog she was. But when he stuck his finger into
the crate, she mustered the strength to come over and greet
him.
The shelter staff had rescued the puppy from a Detroit
street corner on a freezing winter night. But because she was
suffering from frostbite and was severely malnourished and
sick, the shelter staff planned to euthanize her.
When Paul returned from his trip, he told his wife, Jean,
about the puppy he just knew he had to adopt. With Jean's
blessing, Paul called the shelter and convinced the staff to do
their best to nurse the scrawny pup back to health so that he
and Jean could give her a home.
What Paul and Jean thought would become a 12-pound Chihuahua
mix turned into a forty-pound bundle of speed who loved nothing
more than chasing down tennis balls. "But she never got over
the fact that she had almost starved to death," says Jean. "She
always wanted to be first in line for food." Portia grew into a
wonderful family pet and a companion for the Irwins' two other
dogs.
Twelve years after her rescue, arthritis attacked Portia's
hind legs, making it very painful for her to walk. At first,
the Irwins carried Portia around the house, but they began to
realize that this time they couldn't save her.
When the staff of The HSUS learned that Portia had been put
to sleep, they made a donation to the Kindred Spirits memorial
program. The Irwins were comforted by the sympathy card they
received honoring Portia's memory. Shortly afterward, Jean made
a contribution to Kindred Spirits to honor the passing of a
friend's eighteen-year-old cat.
"Kindred Spirits is a wonderful program," says Jean. "You
can make a contribution that supports hundreds of animal
protection programs while letting someone know that you
appreciated his or her pet and understand how important the pet
was to the person." Knowing that others understand and
appreciate the special bonds we have with our pets makes
bearing the loss of our kindred spirits just a little bit
easier.
