I hate it when the family dog dies.

My dogs have promised me that they will never die.

Sorry for your loss.

Now it's time to get a new puppy!

His dog up and died 20 yrs later he still grieves

I'm sorry for your loss, but I think it's good that your kids have this opportunity to learn about what death really is. As a society we've done a good job of insulating ourselves from death. Sure, we have fake death all around us, in movies, books and video games, but that just seems to make it more unreal.

I believe that we don't truly appreciate life without a real sense of death. We loose that connection to the continuity of human existence.

Pets are a great introduction to some important life lessons: responsibility, empathy, companionship, and even death.

I'm sure it was heart wrenching to have to tell your kids, but it will probably be good for them in the long run.

Thanks for the thoughts. I'm sure there will be another dog in our future. Anna was a rescue off the side of the interstate, the next one will be much of the same I'm sure.