Saying Good-bye

It's hard not to tear up just thinking about all the clients I have lost over the years. It is truly the only thing I HATE about my job. As groomers we grow so attached to many of the pets we care for and at times it feels as if we've lost one of our own. I want to share with you all the story of my first experience with this kind of loss. It happened a good 10 years ago, if not more, but I still remember it vividly.
I had been working as a full fledged groomer for about six months when Ms. Satterelli started requesting me anytime she had Heidi groomed. By now Heidi was already a senior, but still a beautiful blue merle Sheltie. She was so dignified. She was one of those dogs that you could tell just by looking at that she was a soft soul. She was always such an easy dog to do. Never in bad shape, she came regularly for her bath and trim. Her feet were a bit deformed. They looked to be too long because her legs bent at the wrong point a bit too far. She was quiet and so easy to fall in love with. I looked forward to seeing her each time. As a young inexperienced groomer many of the dogs took advantage of me and acted up. Heidi was the quiet in a sometimes stormy day.
Where I worked at the time was open 7 days a week. It was a Saturday when I saw Ms. Satterelli walk in. I had groomed Heidi a week before and she lived about thirty minutes away so I was a bit surprised to see her. She smiled at me as she entered and I greeted her at the counter. She slipped a five dollar bill into my hand and said "I forgot to tip you last week when you groomed Heidi." I started to tell her she didn't need to make the drive just for a tip when she continued with "Heidi passed away in her sleep last night." I froze. I couldn't believe how quickly I melted into tears. I felt as if my heart had been torn out. Ms. Satterelli put her arms around me and started to console me. I mumbled an apology and told her I should be the one doing the consoling. She admitted to having cried most of the morning, but it was important to her to come tell me in person. I was so honored that she would think that much of me and realize how much I had come to love Heidi. A few months later I wrote her a letter and in it asked if she had any spare photos of Heidi I could have. About 2 weeks later I received a response with a picture of sweet little Heidi. We kept in touch and eventually Ms. Satterelli did get another dog, but she was nothing like Heidi. In fact Princess became a dog whose appointments I looked forward to only because I got to see her mom.
It's never easy saying good-bye. I think many times for me it has been hard because the owner hasn't understood how attached I had become to their pet. On the other side of that I have found that some owners feel I am one of the only people who have understood their loss. Losing a pet is not always something other people have much sympathy for.
After 12 years of loving and losing clients I can't say I have gotten or could ever get used to it. Now when a client tells me of their loss I send them a sympathy card. If any of the many poems I have seem to sound as if they might be of comfort I include copies of them. If I was present at their pets' passing (I have been there for many of my clients last veterinary appointments) I will try to cut a lock of fur and tie that in a ribbon and give that to the owner. There are also many pet loss support groups out there. My local vet hosts one as did the vet I worked for in another state. For many of my clients I will gently include the information about these support groups in case they need it.
I still have Heidi's picture tucked away in one of my photo albums. When I look at her sweet little face peering out at me from that photograph she still tugs at my heart. I still miss her.