Dear Jack,
It’s 4am and I can’t sleep. I really want to know what my boy went through at the end, not that it will help or maybe it would. I just want to hear that he didn't suffer too much.
It may reassure you that we are typically taken just before the impact of any final pain or incident. Any suffering was short-lived compared to the life he lived and loved with you and the life he is living now. It was a tiny moment in time. Did he know you loved him? That is the prescription that brings peace to everyone. If he suffered, he is not suffering now. His physical scars and feelings have long been healed and if he hurts, it's only because you are hurting in your own way. He is connected to you at the heart and he will feel what you feel. Keep feeling, keep growing, keep healing…
Love, Jack
Credits:
About this letter
This letter is part of Jack McAfghan: Letters From Rainbow Bridge. A reader writes at four in the morning, unable to sleep, wanting to know what their boy went through at the end and to hear that he did not suffer too much. Jack's reply offers reassurance.
What Jack says
Jack says that pets are typically taken just before the impact of any final pain or incident, and that any suffering was short-lived compared with the life lived with the reader and the life the pet is living now. He adds that if the pet suffered, he is not suffering now, since his physical scars and feelings have long healed, and that if he hurts, it is only because the reader is hurting in their own way.
If you are haunted by your pet's final moments
Many people lie awake wondering about the last moments of a pet's life. If you have specific questions about what happened, your veterinarian can often explain what your pet likely experienced. If the thoughts keep you awake night after night, talking with a counselor or a pet loss support group can help.
