More than pets, they are family, that's how we animal lovers consider those beings that come into our lives to leave traces that last forever in our hearts. Such is the bond that exists with our pets that we would never want to go through the pain of having to say goodbye to them, but it is a fact that sooner or later becomes a reality.

I am going to tell you a story, one of the many that I have had to live and that marked me forever. When I was newly married, we did not have children yet, a little dog came into our lives that we baptized with the name of Frida, she was a gift that we received when the dog was about two months old, she was a mongrel, small breed, playful, very restless, she never got tired, running from one side to another all the time. She was always ready to go for a walk, she was always getting into mischief, if you were careless she would break a shoe or any object that caught her attention, she was always happy, and she was our faithful companion.

She was always waiting at the door to go for a walk, or if she heard the keys she was the first to get ready to get in the car, because she was small she could fit in anywhere, she did not suffer from dizziness and was friendly with everyone, full of sympathy.

On one occasion, we went on a trip to Caripe, and one night, it was a little late after 10 pm, we took the opportunity to visit an aunt of my wife who lived nearby, we walked, and as always Frida accompanied us, we greeted and they invited us to come in for some coffee because it was getting cold, we sat on the porch of the house to talk. In an oversight, Frida got loose from the dog leash and ran around the house, after a while she appeared playing with something strange that she took out under a piece of furniture, to our surprise she was chewing a rat poison that had been placed to kill some mice that were hanging around the kitchen, in that house they did not have any kind of pets, so there was no risk of any accident happening.

We were all in shock, I quickly went out to remove what was in her mouth, checked her and confirmed the worst thing that could happen, she had eaten the mouse poison. I quickly ran to the kitchen to get some edible oil to give her to drink, hoping that this would help cut the effect of the poison.

Those were moments of anguish, because we did not know if it would work, I had heard about the oil from a person who had something similar, but I was not one hundred percent sure that it was effective, since we did not know the amount of poison she had consumed.

It was already very late at night and we had no way to communicate with a veterinarian, so that he could give us indications to be able to help her in the most appropriate way, Frida was confused, she did not understand what was happening to her. When I gave her the oil to drink, she vomited everything she ate at that moment, but there were traces of the poison left in her stomach. The toxin was very potent and fast acting, Frida was small and fragile, she began to stiffen and cry, she knew that something bad was happening because we all talked to her in anguish, and she just wagged her little tail.

While she was slowly fading away, she was trying to stand up awkwardly and walk, but the amount of poison left in her stomach was what ended her doggy innocence, her tearful look was a very sad farewell, without understanding what was happening, she was gone. With deep pain I took her in my hands and hugged her to say goodbye.

The next day, I looked for a place near the house, next to a tree, to bury her with one of her favorite toys. It was a very sad moment for all of us to lose our mischievous Frida, even today as I write these lines the wonderful moments we lived with her and the misfortune of having lost her in what was supposed to be a pleasure trip come to me. Every time we return to Caripe, we approach the tree where our beloved Frida was planted forever.

The pictures I show you in this publication are of those beautiful moments we spent with her.

When we lose a pet, we are overcome with sadness, we are never prepared enough to say goodbye to a loved one.

This sad story is my entry for the Hive Pets community contest. You can learn more about the contest, here.

Más que mascotas, son familia, así consideramos los amantes de los animales a esos seres que llegan a nuestras vidas para dejar huellas que perduran por siempre en nuestros corazones. Tal es el vínculo que existe con nuestras mascotas que no quisiéramos nunca pasar por el dolor de tener que despedirlas, pero es una realidad que tarde o temprano se hace presente.

Les voy a contar una historia, de las muchas que me ha tocado vivir y que me marcaron para siempre. Cuando estaba recién casado, aún no teníamos hijos, llegó a nuestras vidas una pequeña perrita que bautizamos con el nombre de Frida, fue un regalo que nos hicieron cuando la perrita tendría como dos meses de vida, era mestiza, de raza pequeña, juguetona, muy inquieta, nunca se cansaba, corriendo de un lado a otro todo el tiempo. Siempre estaba lista para salir a pasear, siempre estaba haciendo travesuras, si te descuidabas rompía un zapato o cualquier objeto que le llamara la atención, siempre estaba feliz, y era nuestra fiel compañera.

Estaba siempre pendiente de la puerta para salir a pasear, o si escuchaba las llaves era la primera en alistarse para subir al carro, por ser pequeña se acomodaba en cualquier lugar, no sufría de mareos y era amigable con todos, llena de simpatía.

En una oportunidad, fuimos de viaje a Caripe, y una noche, ya era un poco tarde pasadas las 10 de la noche, aprovechamos de visitar una tía de mi esposa que vivía cerca, fuimos caminando, y como siempre Frida nos acompañaba, saludamos y nos invitaron a pasar a tomar un poco de café porque estaba haciendo frío, nos sentamos en el porche de la casa a conversar. En un descuido, Frida se soltó de la correa y echó a correr por la casa, al rato aparece jugando con algo extraño que sacó debajo de un mueble, para nuestra sorpresa traía masticando un veneno para ratas que habían colocado para acabar con unos ratones que merodean la cocina, en esa casa no tenían ningún tipo de mascotas, por ello no tenían riesgo de que pasara algún accidente.

Todos quedamos en shock, yo salí rápidamente a quitarle lo que tenía en la boca, la revisé y confirmé lo peor que podía pasar, había comido del veneno de ratones. Rápidamente corrí a la cocina a buscar aceite comestible para darle a tomar esperanzado de que esto pudiese ayudar a cortar el efecto del veneno.

Fueron momentos de angustia, porque no sabíamos si funcionaría, eso del aceite lo había escuchado a una persona que le ocurrió algo parecido, pero no estaba cien por ciento seguro que fuese efectivo, ya que no sabíamos la cantidad de veneno que había consumido.

Ya era muy de noche y no teníamos como comunicarnos con un veterinario, para que nos diera indicaciones para poder socorrerla de la forma más adecuada, Frida estaba confundida, no entendía lo que le estaba ocurriendo. Al darle de tomar el aceite, vomitó todo lo que se comió en ese momento, pero le quedaron restos del veneno en el estómago. Ella empezó a decaer rápido a pesar de haberla socorrido, la toxina era muy potente y de acción rápida, Frida era pequeña y frágil, comenzó a ponerse rígida y llorosa, ella sabía que algo malo estaba ocurriendo porque todos le hablábamos y ella solo movía su colita.

Mientras se estaba apagando lentamente, ella intentaba ponerse de pie torpemente y caminar, pero la cantidad de veneno que quedaba en su estómago fue lo que acabaron con su inocencia perruna, su mirada llorosa fue una despedida muy triste, sin entender qué pasaba, ella se fue. Con profundo dolor la tomé en mis manos y la abracé para despedirla.

Al día siguiente, busqué un lugar cerca de la casa, junto a un árbol, para enterrarla con uno de sus juguetes favoritos. Fue un momento muy triste para todos la pérdida de la traviesa Frida, aún hoy mientras escribo estas líneas vienen a mí los maravillosos momentos que vivimos con ella y el infortunio de haberla perdido en lo que se suponía sería un viaje de placer. Cada vez que regresamos a Caripe, nos acercamos al árbol donde quedó sembrada para siempre nuestra querida Frida.

Las fotografías que les muestro en esta publicación son de esos bonitos momentos que pasamos junto a ella.

Cuando perdemos una mascota, nos arropa la tristeza, nunca estamos lo suficientemente preparados para decirle adiós a un ser querido

Esta triste historia es mi entrada para el concurso de la comunidad Hive Pets. Puedes conocer más detalles del concurso, aquí.