I always thought it would be hard when something happened to Zack, our 9-year-old Golden Retriever. He was well-mannered, loving, gorgeous, and truly a “member” of our family. What I didn’t anticipate was how soon something would happen, or just how hard it would be.

Although my parents had Collies as pets, dogs were never allowed in the house. Things were different for Zack and my own family, however. We not only let him in, we took him with us on rides, hikes, school picnics, church programs, and just about anywhere else a dog was allowed. Although rather rambunctious as a puppy, Zack eventually settled down and matured into what my husband called the “Elder Statesman”. With his graying muzzle and friendly ways, Zack found his way into the hearts of just about everyone he met.

I remember the day Zack disappeared as though it was yesterday. He went for a little tromp in the woods with our other dog, and simply didn’t come back. We live in the country, and there is a stream not too far from our house where the dogs loved to wade. There were also deer to chase, and a small pond nearby where, if the dogs were lucky, they could scare up a Canada goose. Sometimes I wish we had put up a fence for the dogs, but they loved to run and we hadn’t had any problems.

It was late in the day when I got home from work and found out that Zack was gone. My husband had to leave for work, so I sent my two teenage boys through the woods in a circle, calling in vain for Zack. But our beloved retriever, aka Zackie, Sad Zack, and a zillion other fond little names, never came home. We posted pictures all over, offered a reward, combed through the woods, banged on doors and called every vet and animal shelter in the area not once but many times—but never did find our “puppy”.

It’s been 8 months now since we lost Zack, and our family has learned a lot from the experience. We all grieved in different ways. I cried for what seemed like a whole week. My husband felt like a black cloud was hanging over our house. My sons didn’t shed any tears that I saw, yet I caught them tromping aimlessly through the woods more than once, and both were willing participants in the many rides we took looking for Zack. Through it all, I feel like I learned some very interesting things.

Lesson #1: Others Could Share Our Pain

Through this experience, I have learned that there are an awful lot of dog lovers out there. People I don’t even know share my pain, for many of them, like me, have lost a beloved pet. I have been a dog lover for as long as I can remember. As a child, when I was in trouble with the rest of the world, I would often literally go into the “doghouse” with our Collie. He was always glad to see me, and no matter how unloved I might have felt at the moment, he never seemed to care. I always knew that I loved dogs, and that others did too. But I was amazed at the depth of emotion people showed when I told them about Zack. As much as losing him hurt, it helped to know that others cared and connected with what we were going through.

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