How awful.
Here is a dog story: difficult child had two Rottweilers. No matter where he went or what he did or who he lived with (even us) those two huge dogs came with. One of them developed cancer. difficult child took him in for surgery, but the dog died anyway. Beginning the day Cleetus died, a little, grey bird began pecking all along the outside ledges of the big windows at the front of the house. The next morning, it was there, again. It was there all day. I don't know where it went at night, but it came back with first light the next day. Both the dog and the cat were going crazy trying to get at this bird. If husband or I walked over, the bird would tilt its head right at us and keep trying to get in. difficult child called that night and told us Cleetus had died. Still the bird kept it up. The next day I talked to difficult child again, and told him about the bird. We wondered, like anyone might, whether that could be Cleetus, coming home.
And you know?
After that conversation, we never saw the bird again.
I believe that dog protected difficult child through all the horrible places he has been, and I THINK I believe the dog's spirit wanted us to know he was not there to see to difficult child anymore.
He was a wonderful dog.
I am sorry for your grief.
What a horrible loss.
Barbara