Jessica Hsuan Coping With Pet Loss: “It’s the Quality of Life That Matters”

Jessica Hsuan (宣萱) loves her pets. A huge supporter of the Society for Abandoned Animals (SAA), Jessica wants nothing more than to see her beloved family live to the fullest. Nine years ago, she did an interview with six of her dogs, all which were adopted. Nine years later, she brought with her only three dogs and two cats—no more, no less.

“I used to have six dogs,” said Jessica. “I couldn’t give them enough attention, so now, I limited myself to having only three dogs and two cats at a time. When one leaves, I’ll bring another one home.”

Last year, Jessica’s Tang dog Do Do passed away while getting surgery for her paralyzed diaphragm. Jessica was devastated, but she eventually overcame the loss and welcomed a new member into the family—7-year-old Boom Boom, who she adopted from the SAA. Adopting mature dogs like Boom Boom is uncommon, but this is Jessica’s way to continuously give love to her pets, and to give these dogs with a new home and a new life.

Jessica shared, “Boom Boom was very obedient in the first two weeks, but she quickly got used to her surroundings and started to pick up fights with Scooby over territory. Their fights got really bad and bloody—Scooby even bit BoomBoom in the ear.”

In January, Jessica discovered that her oldest dog, 11-year-old Liu Liu, was feeling ill. After surgery, it was discovered that Liu Liu was in her final stage of liver cancer. The veterinarian said Liu Liu only had a few more months to live. Jessica blamed herself for not discovering it sooner, but the veterinarian said Jessica wouldn’t have known anyways, as animals have the tendency to not show weakness when they’re sick.

“Liu Liu never said no to food, but her appetite completely changed after getting liver cancer. To get her to eat, I had to constantly change her menu. She didn’t like to eat in the dog bowl, so I found ways to make her think that she’s eating out of my plate.”

Jessica was well-aware that Liu Liu didn’t have much time left in her, but for Liu Liu’s happiness and comfort, Jessica did as much as she could to heal her. “I consulted professionals, researched online, and asked my friends. After taking medication, Liu Liu found her energy again. I was so relieved to see her so happy.”

To take care of Liu Liu, Jessica willingly canceled a three-week trip she had planned with her friends in January. “I already paid and booked everything, but after hearing her condition, I couldn’t leave her. If I leave, she’d die.”

Jessica told her friends that as long as her dog’s still around, she wouldn’t be able to leave. She wanted to be with Liu Liu until her final days. “Unless it’s for work,” added Jessica. “There’s nothing I can do about that. When I was in Malaysia, I asked my maid to put me on speaker phone so I could talk to her.”

Through the years, Jessica has dealt with the deaths of eight dogs. On how she copes with their passing, she said, “First off, you must learn how to let go. Once you reach a certain step, you’re going to have to let everything go. Do the best to your ability to help them. Don’t have regrets. That is the most important thing. They will all eventually leave you. As long as they leave before me, then I will have no regrets. If I left before them, who’s going to take care of them?

“We’ll all pass on eventually,” Jessica continued. “Being happy is what we should all strive for. It’s the quality of life, not the quantity.”

Liu Liu passed away peacefully on June 7. Jessica left a message dedicated to Liu Liu on her Weibo, expressing that she has left for the rainbow bridge. “There is no more pain and suffering. We will meet again someday. Thank you for loving me unconditionally. I will never forget you. You will always be in my heart!”

Source: Mingpao

This article is written by Addy for JayneStars.com.