Certainly, there are many times our lives are overtaken by sadness. The death of an elderly family member, the sickness of a spouse or a child, the loss of an heirloom due to a natural disaster, or the cancellation of the perfect event. But this week, when I was at the veterinarian with one of my sick dogs, I was undone.

As a dog person, I get almost as upset when one of dogs is ill, than when one of my children was ill. Admittedly, I was stressed as I sat in the waiting room clutching my Cavapoo, Bader. Then I saw her: grim-faced, older woman walk through the front entrance cradling an old dog.

“Right this way, Mrs. Carson,” said the receptionist, as he lead her to an examination room.

“Shit,” I thought, “I’d been in that room last summer. The euthanasia room.” Water dripped down my cheeks.

“Dr. Suze, this way.”

I followed the receptionist back, while my friend carried Bader. After examining Bader, the vet decided the vertigo was due to an ear infection. “We’re going to treat both of her ears and prescribe a low-dose steroid to clear up the infection. We’ll take her back to our lab and do a Valley Fever blood draw too. We’ll bring her out to the waiting room when we’re through.”

“Whew,” my friend, G, said, “That’s a relief.”

“Yep. An expensive one too.” Just as we sat down to wait, we heard the unmistakable wailing of human pain. It was so mournful that I felt I was intruding on someone’s sorrow. “G, I’ve got to step outside.”

Through the large glass windows, I saw a very distraught woman exit that room. As she walked outside, I mumbled, “I’m so sorry.” What else could I say? She certainly wasn’t ready to hear: all dogs go to Heaven.

She shook her head.

There was a time when I had only one dog, not six. When she passed over the rainbow bridge, my emptiness was unbearable. I hope that woman had another dog waiting for her at home to ease the pain.