This is my Bear! Some of you may recognize the picture from the video just below this post. I made it yesterday of him eating a cell phone. Before I started the video, I took this picture to use as his introduction. After the movie was finished, every time this picture would pop up it made us all giggle. But now–24 hours later–it makes me sob!

I took Bear Bear in this afternoon to have him put down. I feel tremendous guilt over this but it needed to be done. He was getting older and starting to get aggressive. He is a Rhodesian Ridgeback–and they are known as African Lion Hunters–and let me tell you–I could totally see my Bear taking down a Lion. That’s why his aggression started to worry me. I currently have a 6 inch bruise on my leg where he bit me–and I have 4 kids. So it really had to be done, he was losing bladder control, bowel control, he had cataracts and I think he was starting into arthritis which was making him a grouchy dog.

As much as I keep saying this–it is still the hardest thing I’ve ever done. He died in my arms–and honestly–I know where he is, I know he is happier there, free and finally getting to run.

I just read over at Amy’s blog about her having to do this very thing today, and she wrote such an amazing tribute. I’m not able to write that yet–I’m still feeling tremendous guilt. But hopefully soon, I will be able to sit and pour out my heart about what a wonderful, sweet pet he was–because as hard as he was–he was loved. And best of all–he had people who will cry over his loss and will miss him!