Thursday, February 4, 2010

a heavy thing to share.....

if you ever been there
you know.


Last Minutes with ODEN from phos pictures on Vimeo.

63 comments:

Dan said...

im not much of a john wayne either it appears- that was intense..

circus leo said...

very sad. the time will come when i'll have to say good bye to my dog. i don't want this to happen but this is life i guess. thanks for sharing this max

royce said...

Thanks Max,

Extremely brave of them to put that out there. I still think of Ruby and how hard that day was every time I pass by the pet hospital on Broadway. I dread the day I have to do the same for Yogi. I know you have experienced it a few time so thanks for putting this out there. I would never have seen it otherwise.

Thanks again for the Curtis stuff too! I know that was not easy.

Royce

Liz said...

Tears shed at work on that one.

Luke said...

Id rather watch a car wreck then that. That was very difficult to watch. Life's truths are much too hard to swallow.

andy said...

thanks man.

The Breeze said...

i dread the day. That was one of the heaviest things ive ever watched.

ezPz said...

way to make me cry.

makes me miss alot of my old animal friends. not comparing it to this guy's experience, but I had to leave behind the dog I grew up with and the only two cats I had with my alcoholic mother, who told me later that they ran away and she didn't know where they went. that shit still kills me to this day.

but thank you for sharing.

Paul said...

beautiful piece

QUINN AVERY DAVIS said...

Horrible, and yet the time always comes. I did this, held my folks' dog Rufus when the time came, and helped to vet with the shot. Crazy mixture of emotions. He was old, in a lot of pain. Great dog, better friend. I helped to pick him up afterward. Words are useless, and that's why this type of video is important. I wish we could teach this love to cover all forms of life.

J.D. said...

thats the big homie woody. LBC.

Colin Downey said...

My heart goes out to you man..

jenibender said...

It's just such a heartbreaking part of life. I went through this almost years ago. Having a pup that loyal, a best friend, it's an incredible loss. My heart goes out to him. Very intense film, but documented so well. Thanks for posting it.

kevinhog@aol.com said...

Hope you don't mind, I just had to post that onb my blog as well. Such a beautifull capturing of life and times...thanks

Kevin Gallagher said...

FUCK MAX...I just sat hear crying my eyes out....I remember making the call, that it was selfish to keep my dog SARA around...I called my vet, he would come by that night...so me and my kids climbed on the tractor and went out to this big oak tree in the back of our property. This is where we prepped her final resting spot... that evening I comforted her as he gave her one last shot...I then proceeded to carry her the longest 50 yd walk I have ever had to do... laid her on her favorite blanket and covered her up...... I swear not a day goes buy that I don't think about her..... Her collar and tags hang on my toolbox...

I'm still crying

Kevin

Graham Walker said...

Brave video, bought back many feelings, respect.

SDJose said...

I cried... Our dogs wait for us when its our time.

It hurts when they leave...hurts bad... but they leave us with a great love that needs to be shared with the next one.

Thanks for sharing that.

"LOUIE" said...

Thats was heavy shit. Tear jerker. Made me call my three dogs over and show some love.

NATAS said...

Wow, Small things in Life have the biggest impact on you!

Mcfunkd said...

my dog Saboo, gave me 14 years of happiness.i was thankful for that. 3 years, ago i went through that exactly, i looked at his eyes and didn't blink. he was my hearing dog and deserved every bit of respect of my being. i swear he shares apart of my soul. i feel your pain brother...

dave herr said...

heavy indeed.

mpk said...

it has been a long time since anything made me feel, thank you for sharing

Marcos FKC said...

Thanx Max !!! My dog is my best friend and i know that he is on my side always that i need him.
These things happens because this is the life, but it's so hard and painful.
Thanks to show the people that these small things normally are tbe biggest things.

max schaaf said...

thanks to everyone for checkin that
and the comments

Big Dirty said...

That was tough to watch Max, but truly beautiful. Twisted my guts up watching him carry Oden, thats how I carried Dezal out of Briones the day I lost him to Heat Stroke....

Miss ya Big D and Knuckles...

richmurdoch said...

Should be a warning on this post - "Dont watch at work on the sly - you'll choke up and get glassy eyed and your colleagues will wonder why you're so upset about work!"

Thanks Max, been desperate for a dog for my 27 years and even though this is so sad it wont stop me getting one when my situation is fair on the dog. They definately have a job to do and they do it so well.

Zito said...

thanks for posting that max. ive had my pup for only a year & a half now but he has been the best friend i could ever ask for. i dread the day he has to leave me worse than my own death.

i didnt cry at my fathers funeral because of the so many times he broke my heart... but i cried watching this because i know my dog gives me nothing but love & loyalty.

sw said...

one of the hardest things to do....

Unknown said...

shit that was harsh to watch, make sure to love and care for your dogs!

deputyvanhalen said...

Thanks Max.

Davidabl said...

At the beginning of it I thought the guy was talking
about his Dad. That tells you a lot.

broken vespa said...

Man this is heartbreaking stuff,sat here with tears rollin down my face.
Stay strong my friend stay strong.

gayco said...

it was a hard video, i had to think off my two best friend i had to put to sleep last year...but i guess that if you had tears i your eyes,than they were really best friends....thanx max for sharing,greets gayco from holland

razorhoof said...

Hard video to watch. Everyone out there getting ready to get yourself a dog remember one thing, the 1000's of dogs in shelters that can really use a break. My wife and I got our 3 year old coon hound Amos from Tennessee last June, trust me when I say he knows what we did for him. He was pretty beat up and covered with scars on his legs, but in just a couple months hes already gaining a bunch of weight. Nothing better then spending time with him, there are plenty of these stories and dogs out there. Help one out.
-josh

blacky said...

just did the same thing a few months ago.
pretty hard stuff. thanks for sharing.

a pink tie said...

you cant describe how much a dog can mean to you, this video comes very close though. i cant think about the day i will lose my first and only dog, a lot of tears, good tears though, thanks.

Devil Chicken said...

I lost my best friend last summer. I had just landed in NYC when I got a text from my wife to call home immediately. Our 12 yr. old aussie was dying. This came from out of nowhere. I was playing ball with him in the yard the day before and he was great. I booked a flight home as soon as I got off the plane. I felt bad for all of the other passengers, because as I was waiting for the plane to take off I was sobbing. I was picked up at the airport by one of the vet techs from the hospital. They kept him alive long enough for me to get home and say goodbye. Not a day goes by that I don't think of him.

Thanks for sharing this.

Royce said...

Heavy stuff.

Spank said...

Max,

Thanks for making an old man sob like a lil girl with a skinned knee on a gloomy Saturday morning..Like everyone else has already said,HEAVY STUFF!

Losing anything is never an easy thing to
do,but all good things must come to an end..Though whatever it may be will be gone,the memories of the goodtimes you shared will last a lifetime.

Thanks for posting it..RIP Oden

chrisrosehart said...

What a documentary.
I choked. I cried. I'm still going through the emotions.
And especially with the song by Bon Iver - Baby.
RIP Oden.

Thanks for sharing that.

RAGERKEVIN said...

That was heavy man.. I cried.. we lost our dog about 1 year ago.. worst day ever..

Unknown said...

Man, that just brought back some serious memories, thank you for posting.

badbully said...

i know...
i do the same thing 2 weeks ago,
Pog's was is name,french bouledogue
be proud of our dog,

Pascal from France

jay said...

the weight of the world rests upon that needle, and never a love so pure will return. uncondional love is pure and only bestowed in our dogs, may they rest in peace. thanks for the post and a walk down memory lane.

Skylar said...

Sorry I had to watch this.. not sure why it was even posted. Seems a little too private. I'm in the minority on this one though I bet. Fuck it.

Unknown said...

That was too heavy. I experienced the same with a beloved pet just last May. Cat or dog, the animals are here to love us unconditionally. Putting my cancer-stricken cat down was one of the hardest things I've ever done, and this film was almost a frame by frame depiction of what I went through. I wish you all the best...

Washingstonian said...

When I'm done crying I'm gonna go home take my hound for a run.

I remember when two of best friends had to put down their dog back in New Hampshire. We waited till sunset and rolled a huge joint.

Greg and Nick went up into the wood and dug a hole, crying. After watching the sky burn from blue, to pink to purple, they called Roxy up into the woods and each gave her a hug.

I remember at the time wondering how they care so much about a dog that someone left at their house years ago? I also remember wondering how they could handle the sad business with such grace.

A few minutes later I heard the lone gunshot echo through the trees. I didn't ask who pulled the trigger but just kept silent.

I watched Greg and Nick walk slowly down the hill, one with a rifle and one with a shovel. You tend not to see real stuff happen too much these days.

Thanks for posting that Max. I needed a dose of appreciation for everything that is real about life, even the tough stuff that can be hard to face.

Unknown said...

I've never really owned any pets so I can't relate in a literal sense, but that still made me cry. Thanks for posting this. It was brutally real.

Throttle Merchants Photo said...

been there, so familiar. toughest day ever for me

RR said...

it doesn't seem to matter how tough we think we are, shaved heads, covered in tattoos, scarred from life, riding skateboards or motorcycles, whatever. I was in full on tears at about 2 minutes and still haven't stopped. My two best friends in the world are sitting here staring at me trying to get me over it and get me to throw a ball for them. This was one of the hardest to watch, most moving things I have ever seen on the internet.

Sometimes we all forget how short life really is and that we need to take advantage of every single second we have. Dogs have another purpose in the world, that I am convinced, and even as I type this to a stranger and to a stranger and his story of his dog, I am choking back my own tears for your loss. My heart goes out to you man. RIP Oden...some day we will all be reunited one way or another.
Thanks for the post...I am going to spend the rest of my night with two giant balls of fur that know me better than anyone.

jessiestar said...

February 4, 2010 I put my own 12 year old Egor dow, he was my best friend and taught me so much. we lived side by side for twelve years and i never thought i'd see him go. as his health began to deteriorate i knew i would have to make the same choice. the only thing that consoled me was that putting him out of his suffering was the right choice. It was the saddest day of my life, but it helps so much to know that others go through it as well. Thank you. xoxoxoxo to all dogs

Unknown said...

l've seen that movie twice in the last 12 months. it's never easy. great film, phos pix! RIP. Bisquit Lee & Mary Jane...

Limlam said...

Been looking after a dog thats getting close to this point, not the owner but its still more than gut wrenching, a tough video to watch.

Unknown said...

ah, man.

that made a lot of tears come out of me. Hula's got bone cancer and I am going through the same thing. she's got another month or so I think, but I look at her everyday and think how lucky I've been.

really nice little film.

j

Kosha said...

Man, I feel his pain. My dog Maggie was diagnosed with lymphoma right before Christmas, and our vet thinks she might only have a month left. She's my best friend, and she stood by me through the death of my father, a bad divorce, and everything in between. I cherish every day that I have with her...

Thanks for posting this!

..................................... said...

thank you for this....
It makes me appreciate the amazing, unconditional love between an owner and his dog...

Sethro said...

only thing i can add is...oden, my lil boston terrier delia and everyone elses lost companions are waiting, unconditionally, they know what the bonds means...make sure you put another in their place...after a year,i adopted 2 bostons that needed a home..not replacements,just the next cycle..delia is still with me..collar round my ankle everyday...be strong...the love a dog gives you is the strength inside you...sorry bout the ramblin on...

abes.f. said...

I've been to a few funerals and have been choked up, but when i had to put my boy Mac down, I cried for days. Still keep his collar on my bed post.

Sorry for everyones lose.

camerabanger said...

Unconditional Love. That is what makes this as sad as any human drama can be. "...if you ever been there you know." what else is there to say?

Davidabl said...

I've seen it a couple of times now, and read thru all 59
comments. And I gotta say that i guess it doesn't matter who we learn life's lessons from, just so long as we learn life's lessons. It does say something about us that we learn these lessons from our dogs and not
from the people around us.

NealzG said...

Tough to watch, brave to publish...
Dogs are trully great friends.
I know, I've been there 3 times. You'll always remember and it hurts at the most curious times.
Be strong, he's in a better place.
Remember the joy he gave.

Joey Leather said...

Thank you. That was hard to watch, brought back old feelings. Thanks for sharing that.

michael said...

ike was my constant companion of ten years and a month before the birth of my first daughter i came home to find my 130 lb heart on the floor unable to stand. carried and delivered to the vet in sebastopol her stethescope found no pulse nor his searching eyes upon my face a release until i spoke" farewell my old friend, go and thank you for being a part of my life" upon which he immediately did. his bowels released as my heart crushed. my then pregnant wife and i sobbed and left. a few days later i recieved this card "those who choose to surround ourselves with lives even more temporary than our own, live within a fragile circle, easily and often breached. unable to accept its awful gaps, we still would live no other way.we cherish memory as the only certain immortality, never fully understanding the necessary plan...." Sue Buxton was the vet and i cant convey this story with out sobbing. much love fellow human. its back in the ring for us all. NEXT?