Why can’t dogs (pets) live forever?

My beautiful Skuggi-friend passed away this Monday. 😢

He was 15-16 years old and he had a very good life, first with his previous Humans and then with me.

I met Skuggi in 2015 when I was homeless and did house and pet sitting all over Costa del Sol and Andalucia here in Spain.

Here’s an article about how we met and what happened: “Sometimes Life Takes an Unexpected Turn“

I took care of him on and off for months at a time when his owners were on holidays and traveling, and then just before COVID, in December 2019, they were going to the Canary Islands again over the winter so he was going to stay with me.

And then the Coronavirus pandemic happened and they got stuck in lockdown in Tenerife, and other things happened in their lives as well that made them have to go back to Iceland as soon as possible.

I was of course very happy to have Skuggi, and with all the stuff that was going on in the world and in their personal lives, a few months eventually became two years before we met again, and then they decided to give him to me, and that’s kind of the nutshell version of our story.

So I’ve had him for about three years as ‘my dog’ (although we didn’t know it at the time that he would end up staying with me), which has been such a blessing there’s no words to even begin to describe it.

He was the absolute perfect dog and companion, and it was heartbreaking to have to put him to sleep, but I’m also grateful that it happened the way it did, and I know without a doubt that our story together was orchestrated by God, it has always felt very destined, everything with him and our connection.

Everything happened so perfectly, the timing of everything, and how it all unfolded and happened.

God prepared us months ahead for his departure.

About six months ago he got sick, and his previous owners happened to be in Spain at the time, so we took him to the vet together and the prognosis was that he had an enlarged heart that couldn’t be cured, so we knew already back then that the heart condition would eventually get worse and then the inevitable would happen.

(In general, dogs with this condition are given 6-24 months to live, depending on age and other factors.)

So we were prepared to have to let him go when the time came, but I honestly think I healed him, because after a couple of healing sessions he didn’t have any heart issues anymore, he was back to his normal self and never had any issues again with his heart.

I healed him with my energy healing and I think changing his diet helped too (raw meat, vegetables and no salt etc, very healthy homemade food), so I think God created that episode at that precise time for both me and his previous owners as a way to prepare ourselves for his departure that would happen as the heart condition was going to be progressive and get worse.

It never got worse though, and I remember a particular time I gave him healing where I felt a powerful surge of energy coming through me and after that I never felt the need to give him energy healing again.

He was perfectly fine again, and was fine until the day before I had to put him to sleep, so we were all blessed by the hand of God in all this as there was very little suffering involved for him in the process.

I had prayed about this, that it would all happen in a kind and peaceful and harmonious way, and it did.

It was about a month ago that I discovered that he had a tumor in his throat.

I just one day noticed a very subtle change in how he ate his food, so I had a look in his mouth thinking maybe there’s something stuck in his teeth, and when I opened his mouth, I saw the tumor.

Up until then he had been absolutely fine, no symptoms or anything that indicated that he was sick, but because of where the tumor grew and because of his age we decided to let it be and not do anything about it.

(But of course he got medication that helped the swelling and any pain that he might have had.)

I could also feel intuitively that this was the way he was meant to go so I was at peace with it.

That was a month ago, and he was fine until the very end.

Here’s a video of Skuggi a day or two before I discovered the tumor:

Like most dogs, Skuggi was a huge foodie – He loved food.

In his last month of being in this life I spoiled him more than usual, he got to eat all his favorite foods etc and I had time to prepare myself emotionally during this time too.

Then last Friday morning I woke up and he was suddenly not feeling well so I took him to the vet, thinking that this is the day, but then he perked up and we decided to wait until over the weekend.

I knew it was a matter of days, I just knew it intuitively, and Saturday came and things were progressing but he was still happy, interested in life and other dogs, etc, but his breathing got increasingly more difficult and then on Sunday afternoon he no longer wanted to eat so I had to feed him small pieces of chicken and ham.

And then on Monday morning he was not feeling well at all, and also no longer wanting any food, so it all happened very quickly, and his only “bad” day was Saturday afternoon and evening, and Monday morning.

We had an appointment at 10:30 AM at the vet and I knew that this was the day it would happen so I spent the morning with him, talking with him, crying, and just hugging and kissing him and thanking God for the time I got to have with him.

He was such a blessing to me and in my life and I will always be so grateful that I got to have him and for the times we enjoyed together.

Even if he was a small dog (ten kilos) and old, he was so strong and full of vitality until the very end, he loved going for long walks, and his personality was so beautiful too.

Skuggi was so special and he had the best personality ever.

He had a sense of humor, he could be very funny, and so sweet and kind, and stubborn (or strong-willed, which I loved), and just so wonderful and perfect in every way.

There will never be another dog like him and his presence will be so missed.

I’ve had time to process everything in the past few days and I feel better now, but there’s still pangs of sadness that rushes over me every now and then when I think of all the little things we did every day that he’s not here for anymore.

But there’s more smiles now too, when I remember all the good times and the life we had together and the things we did.

Like when he always waited patiently for me to finish doing the dishes after dinner so he could have his ‘toothbrush’-bone that he loved, or how he used to greet me when I came home, and things like that.

Our everyday activities and routines that we had, our morning walks and places in nature where we used to sit and just enjoy stillness together, and so on.

Our life together was really beautiful and full of joy and happiness and I will always remember him and our time together with so much love and gratitude.

What a wonderful and awesome little dog he was!

Oh Gugge-Bugge, I will always love you and you will always live in my heart and be with me in Spirit. ❤️

Thank you for everything you gave me and for the time we had together in this life, it’s something I will always treasure and carry with me in my heart.

Rest in Peace my beautiful friend.

I love you forever.