One of my biggest fears came true today. A few years back I was lucky enough to have the most wonderful and sweet cat crawl through my window. We were immediate best friends and in time found him to be my soul mate, this piece that found me even though I didn;t know it was missing. In order to save money for travels I moved back home with my father and his depressed rescue dog named Dede. It was hard at first to adjust with this 100 lb beast of a dog but Franklin became part of this family and Dede and him found friendship and comfrt, neither of them would ever be alone again. My father and I are terribly close, I knew having Franklin there would provide him comfort in missing me and that Franklin was happy and able to roam about and hunt in a way he never could with me in the city. This evening my father contacted my by skype to tell me Fanklin had been ran over. I am in shock and can not
understand such a mundane way for such an amazing creature to pass on. I mean he knew how to play fetch and hide and sneak, he knew not to go into the road. His life was ended, and he was alone. Now my father is ridden with guilt and there is no one to console him.I am really struggling with this because many people do not understand the pain created by the loss of a pet. He was my closest friend and I had all these romantic thoughts of coming home to him and starting my regular lfe after traveling. I have only been gone over a month and stil have at least a year of travel. I write this hear because I have no where else to go. Has anyone dealt with this? Why is life so unfair at times?

Jeannine, I've had several pets die, and even my son-in-law, while traveling. The "book answer" is that you must withdraw your emotional investment in another living thing but what that really means is that you must find a way to live without your pet. I understand your pain, our pets become part of the family and their passing is as painful as the passing of another part of that family. My thoughts and prayers go out to you.

This is close to my heart. My husband and I will be traveling for 6 months and leaving our dog and cat with carefully selected friends and family. They are not young but are still vibrant and healthy animals. I am terrified that something will happen to them while we are away. My fear is not about how we would cope with the loss but how those wonderful people who are taking responsibility for them while we are away (like your father) would cope. As a matter of fact, that is the only reason that we will only be gone for 6 months rather than a year. Many, many years ago, I had left town for a long weekend and asked a friend to watch my 2 dogs. Well the dogs got out of her yard and one was hit by a car and killed. I know, with all my heart, that this particular dog was never meant to live a confined domestic life and that she passed away truly free but I know that my friend will never see it like that and probably still lives with that guilt. I'm already racked with guilt at the possibility of something happening while I am away. Of all of the things that could go wrong during that 6 months, putting someone else through the death of my pet is the ONLY thing that actually weighs on my mind.

My condolences go to you and your father. Enjoy your trip and dont regret it for a minute. Very few people get to do what you are doing!

Hey there. I am SO sorry about your recent loss. The fact is, everyone deals with death differently, so it will be up to you to simply go through the process. You know the old saying, wherever you go, there you are. In January I had a brother that passed away very suddenly just two weeks before I was leaving for a six month trip. I had horrible guilt issues about leaving my family behind in this time of grief (even though I didnt live near them regularly), and too, taking a loss so heartfelt on the road which was supposed to be an experience of excitement, adventure, and joy. Well I learned that it was all of those things...exciting, adventurous, joyful, and at times, overwhelming sad when i would share emails with my family or have thoughts or memories of my brother. But you know what I really came to find? That the moments of sadness, of grief, were as beautiful and amazing as the moments of excitement and joy, because death is a part of life and we have both a curse and a gift as human beings, that we experience emotions on such an intense level. I think the most important thing is to embrace and accept the moments as they come, and never judge them or think of them as wrong, or be afraid of your sadness, guilt, or grief. All of those feelings go hand in hand with all the joyful ones we feel, too. To have balance is a great gift, and I think that dealing with death while traveling is actually a really beautiful way to see the whole cycle/circle of life....in seeing that no matter what, life does go on, both within us and around us. And that no matter what, we are a part of it, and that whatever we are experiencing, whether it be overwhelming happiness, excitement, laughter, companionship, loss, longing, grief....it is all simply a part of this awesome life. Try to accept your grief as something beautiful, to be embraced and not avoided, and I think it will help immensely! A pet is no different from a friend or family member if your love for them is as great.

My cat & best friend passed on a month before I left on my 10 month RTW & in a way I am relieved as I know he was not happy during my 6 month absence last winter & feel it is better he is at rest a bit prematuraly than being left in the care of others for such an extended period. Just my opinion but that's how I am dealing with the loss.

Did a page about him in my blog.