Truman Curtis Pet Condolence and Support Group

25/02/2023

28/12/2021

Merry Christmas!!! 🎄 ❤️

19/11/2021

Scary. I’d never even heard of this stuff.

In New York, a concerning outbreak of leptospirosis has prompted local veterinarians to urge caution to pet parents everywhere.

16/06/2020

Sweet, sweet Chance, the Bichon Frise who was gifted to Lori when she was in high school, died a little over 2 years ago. And precious Truman Curtis left us only a year ago. The grief of losing both was and continued to be overwhelming. Tears still come to my eyes and a huge hole is left in my heart at the loss of both. But, because I was so close to Truman - my “hidden” treasure, his loss continues to be totally irreparable.

Every day I question my judgement of not getting the mri done when it was first needed. (Well it was $1000 and that money does not grow on trees). Could Truman have been saved if that mri had been done?
I will never know - but every single day I question if the end would or could have been drastically different. The question haunts me day and night.

And so, to anybody whose precious pet is sick, or just not acting quite right, I feel that I must say that choices are sometimes very hard to make. Take your baby to the vet if something seems amiss (it took us months to get Truman’s diagnosis).
And don’t give up until the end.

Tears spill from my eyes as I write this - and, if all possible, I hope that by sharing my pain - I can prevent the same from situation happening to another loved pet and those who ❤️ their baby.

I rocked Truman with lullabies playing in the background as he died. The question every day until I, myself, leave this earth, will be - could I have done anything different that would have changed his ultimate and untimely fate?

* a few days ago my neighbor found what she thought was a bird nest that had fallen out of a tree. Alas - it was not a bird’s nest but baby bunnies. Watching this video reminds me of how precious any life can be.

06/05/2020

Just found this cute picture last night. Truman so loved Chance. He would cuddle up to him to sleep. Truman only lived a year after Chance’s death. Although he had numerous health problems, including the brain tumor that killed him - I think the stress of Chance’s loss was also a factor in his death at age 9. Can’t help but cry as I read this.

10/04/2020

It has been a little over a year since Truman died. He has certainly been missed. My family sent me this orchid last year when he died. It has re-bloomed a year after he left us. It brings tears to my eyes

16/03/2020

A year later I still miss my little Truman every single hour of every single day. There is a fleeting relief that he is no longer in pain or is suffering, but the loss still nags at my soul and tears easily flow, sometimes when I see another dog ~ others when I just think of my precious little baby. I offer no apologies for my tears, as to have had him, even for too short a time, left an indelible mark on my soul. In my mind each tear shed represents a memorable moment in his life. May God bless his little soul.

06/03/2020

The one year anniversary of Truman’s travels from my arms to doggie heaven is upon us. I’ve dreaded the day for months - and even though I know he’s in a better place - where he is no longer sick or in pain - I still can’t help crying when someone even mentions his name.

Photo of Truman in 2017 following ACL surgery. He was such a brave little doggie ... and was always my inspiration.

22/02/2020

No matter how long they are gone they will always be a part of me. From the left: Truman Curtis, Chance and Kodie

04/02/2020

I am sad to announce that another of our family dogs, George Tiernan of Atlanta, left his earthy home this evening to frolic among the stars with Truman Curtis, Chance, and many other cousins and friends. George was sweet, beautiful, and was loved by many. He will be be missed.

01/02/2020

I guess I will have to take my doggie memorial tree down sometime between now and next Christmas. Ha!

01/02/2020

To mourn is also to celebrate a life, a love, a special bond.
Poor Chance was a pet store dog that no one wanted, as he was beautiful but quite large for a Bichon. And so he was gifted to Lori one Easter afternoon by friends who knew how much Lori loved dogs. Chance never really got the concept of using the great outdoors as his potty spot, but besides that - he was perfect.

01/02/2020

Next week I will mourn the 3rd anniversary of the loss of our precious 17-year-old Bichon Frise, Chance. As I lay here and look to find pictures of my sweet Chance, I find myself mourning his loss while cherishing the 16 1/2 years we spent together. Chance and I went through a lot together and he will always be missed.

26/01/2020

These pictures of Truman were taken toward the end of his life. It has been almost a year since he had to go to doggy heaven. Poor little Truman. He is missed.

19/01/2020

Truman Curtis a year ago. How I miss my tiny little Truman

06/12/2019

Chance in the whirlpool bath...

the last 2 weeks of Chance’s life were difficult and he was in pain. He slept quite a bit, but did enjoy his time in the whirlpool bath. Sometimes I put him in his little basket several times in one day.

God bless my sweet Chance...he was such a nice dog.

26/11/2019

I finally decided that I must clean out the closet full of Truman’s “possessions,” as well of those of our Bichon Frise, Chance, who died 2 years ago. My plan was to donate their possessions. It didn’t happen. Instead, I created a memorial Christmas tree. Lesson learned: be kind to yourself during the holidays. Cherish your memories. Each day with your baby was a blessing.

12/11/2019

Little Truman November of last year. That was before he was diagnosed with the brain tumor. By then however, there were nuances in his behavior that were beginning to indicate that something was really wrong.

24/10/2019

the universe speaks...
This morning I unexpectedly found these old Jeffrey Campbell booties in my closet. They were a bit beat up but I decided to wear them anyway. Less than an hour later Facebook sent this photo of Truman with the booties - from 2012!

24/10/2019

Although my little Truman died months and months ago I must admit that I miss him no less than I did the first day he was gone. I try to fill my life with important activities that will help others, but little Truman is always somewhere in my thoughts.

03/10/2019

Once again, I must apologize for failing to post anything for a couple of weeks. I was deployed to Texas following Tropical storm Imelda, which dumped a few dozen inches of rain on parts of Texas that had never quite recovered from Hurricane Harvey.

While at a recovery center I met up with a very nice lady who had adopted this adorable little dog. The poor thing had been rescued in a culvert while just a pup.

Such a friendly little thing, tears first came to my eyes as I petted him, as thoughts of Truman flashed through my brain. I put my tears aside, however, long enough to get this photo....
...which also represents the thousands of people whose lives have been turned upside down by Imelda. Many of these people have or had pets and many are looking for a new place to call home.

14/09/2019

This is Milo. He almost killed Truman...

We had bought Milo, a Lhasa apso from a friend who bred Lhasas. She had assured us that her dogs had no violent tendencies.

Not too long after we got Milo, Truman came to our house to live. Poor Truman had severe separation anxiety and had to leave Lori’s New York apartment because he barked the entire time she was gone.

Prior to Truman’s arrival we had noticed that Milo was getting increasingly violent. Anything would set him off and he would start biting a person.

One Sunday morning I had gone to Hampton to sell my mother’s piano. I got an urgent call from Mike. Milo had gone for Truman’s jugular and he was bleeding. Mike rushed he and Truman into his car and, while holding pressure against Truman’s neck, practically flew to the emergency vet in Newport News where I was already waiting. We rushed Truman inside and, thankfully the injury was not significant enough to kill him.

Not long afterwards Milo was given away.

Truman had several other close calls that I’ll write about in the coming months. Honestly, I have no idea how he survived a couple of them.

Does anybody else have near-miss story to tell about their pet?

02/09/2019

To all who follow this page: I may not be writing much for the next few days. I am a volunteer with the Disaster Mental Health group of the Red Cross and have been deployed down south to assist hurricane victims. Please keep those of us who choose to do this work in your thoughts. Thanks!

29/08/2019

Truman may have been small and sickly but he still lived a charmed life. Many still remember him as a store dog, where he ran to the door and greeted each customer. We even had a birthday party for him at the store and guests got their pictures taken with him! Occasionally I see former customers and they always ask about Truman. Many tell me they still have and treasure their birthday party photo!!!! Little Truman is gone but he certainly made a big impact in this world. God bless his tiny soul.

27/08/2019

“I believe all animals were created by God to help keep man alive.”
-Iwao Fujita

14/08/2019

Chance, my 17-year-old Bichon Frise, died two years before Truman. Poor Truman. He had such issues with separation anxiety - he never really got over Chance’s death.

10/08/2019

Truman Curtis died of a brain tumor in March. He was nine years old. I was devastated...and still am. You see, this little 4 pound Yorkshire Terrier was unique in all ways. He was beautiful and sweet and soft and I loved him dearly.

Truman was a store dog, a traveler, a friend. He visited the dying and the newly born. He had half a dozen handbags that I had adapted to his doggie needs. We cherished those bags...because he was able to go with me most anywhere - never being a bother to others, as he silently slept inside his bag.

Truman never seemed warm enough. I can still feel him nuzzling himself safely in the crevice of a knee or an elbow, and especially my back, as he always sought the soft heat of a human body.

Truman Curtis was kind to all...he never knew a stranger. He flew on planes, rode on busses, and traveled thousands of miles on car trips.

But the poor little thing was sickly from the the day Lori brought him home from a New York City pet store. He had a collapsing trachea. And was terrified of being alone. In fact he had a multitude of health issues over the span of his life, but for some reason I thought he would never leave me.

The day, however, came when he was walking in circles. By then the vet could see the tumor through his eyes. And the circling continued, getting worse by the hour.

I knew I had to let him go. And so I did, as I cradled his tiny body, swaying to the lullabies softly playing in the background...looking into each other’s eyes...until his little doggie spirit left his sick little body.

I cry for him. I cry for my loss.

There will never be another Truman Curtis in my life.

08/08/2019