The loss of a pet is always an incredibly difficult thing to overcome. When one makes a pet part of the family, it’s often overlooked how hard the emotional effect can be on the children of the family. So when Matt Olivarez went out to prepare the family pet for burial after it was euthanized, he was surprised to say the least when it got up and greeted him, apparently unaffected by the procedure.
The family was still recovering from the death of their grandfather earlier this year when the grief became overwhelming according to an article in Detroit News. And it was certainly not easy to try to explain to the children that their beloved pet, whom they had known since birth would have to be put down. But when Mia, the ten year old rottweiler was injected with a chemical that would put her to sleep without pain, Olivarez expected to never see her again. Mia had a lot more living left to do, however, and somehow managed to shrug off the chemical that was administered by a trained vet.
Stephen King’s Novel Pet Sematary deals with pets who are taken to a cemetery where they return from the dead. And in the case of Mia, it seems there was something looking out for her that had a similar result without the creepy aspects of the rest of King’s story. But was it anything more than a strong will to survive? Mia had been the only survivor of her litter, and had pressed through years of disease shrugging them off. And though Mia may always live with the pain she sustained with old age, Olivarez says he may not be able to live with the pain of losing her again. At least not yet. Mia has clearly demonstrated that she is not ready to die yet, and somehow continues to struggle on somehow immune to the injection she was given.
Stories of pets can always amaze us from the dogs who can return home after traveling hundreds of miles to the story of another animal who refused to die, later known as Mike the Headless Chicken. But this story somehow seems more human, as though it wasn’t only Mia who decided she still was needed by the family, but something else all encompassing and unexplainable. As though she had some unfinished business on this Earth, or maybe even years left to enjoy in her life.
What lies in store for Mia in the future? As the only thing we can all agree on about the future is that it is often uncertain, it would be difficult to say. But even so, a prediction about Mia that may not require any psychic talent or prescient powers would be if her toughness is any indicator, it seems she will be okay. And at least for now, her family will be able to still be with her. And while she may not be aware of how close to death she had been, it’s certain she will know how alive she is now.