Buddha-Bear Sterling 1.14.2013 - 1.17.2023
Our sweet boy, Buddha-Bear, was laid to rest and reunited with his soulmate, Luna-Bear, and his two feline siblings Panda-Bear and Teddy-Bear on 1.17.2023.
Buddha’s life wasn’t easy. He had several chronic and progressive health issues which we learned to manage for many years with the help of his amazing team of doctors. He required more care, more nurturing, and more vet appointments than any animal we’ve ever owned or known — which is part of what made our bond what it was. He was such a fighter and we fought beside him every day.
We gave Buddha the best 10 years we could and in return he gave us the best 10 years he could — from chasing pigeons as a pup, running up and down our NYC apt hallway, greeting and entertaining our neighbors, spoiling the neighborhood children with their very own walking teddy bear, long car rides, bayside sunsets and moonlit nights in LBI, apple picking with extended family, long road trips, hanging out at the bus stop watching the commuters, and sending the neighborhood kids off to school each morning — Buddha was treated like the mayor.
During his last year he miraculously survived GDV and continuously bloated more times than we can count. He recovered each time at his beach house on his deck, sunbathing, listening to the sounds of wildlife.
It’s a struggle without him; the void is massive and at times it feels nearly impossible to find normalcy without him, but we were blessed to have him and it was all worth it. Buddha was such a special and unique character…the kind you come across only once in a lifetime if you are lucky; we were truly blessed.
When his joy and quality of life dwindled to moments, we made the heart-wrenching decision to help him transition as peacefully and compassionately as possible. I sat on the deck with him in his final hours. He was safely enveloped in my arms until he took his final breath.
I’m heartbroken and will be mourning the loss of him for the foreseeable future, but I trust that he is in a better place, surrounded by love, running free, with endless amounts of popcorn and cheese.
Until we meet again at the Rainbow Bridge…..