A pet grief memoir
A Week Too Early, A Day Too Late
Loving Them, Losing Them and Finding Your Way Through Pet Grief
by Kylie Hammond
Buy on Kindle A$9.99 · Kindle eBook
Who this book is for
- Anyone who has loved an animal and is now learning to live with the quiet after they’ve gone.
- Anyone still turning over a final decision, wondering whether it came too soon or too late.
- Anyone who has heard “it was just a dog” and knows in their heart it was so much more.
- Anyone thinking about loving another pet, and quietly afraid of what that love might mean.
The story
About the book
A deeply personal account of the dogs who shaped one woman’s life, and the grief that followed when she had to say goodbye.
From a Golden Retriever named Troy in childhood Perth to Max, Cisco, Ruby and the irrepressible Ben, Kylie Hammond tells the story of a lifetime lived in the company of dogs. There is humour, companionship, regret, difficult veterinary decisions and the peculiar silence of a house after the dogs are gone.
At its heart are two farewells just weeks apart: Ruby’s sudden death on Christmas Day and Cisco’s quieter goodbye. One left Kylie wondering whether she had waited too long; the other whether she had acted too soon. A Week Too Early, A Day Too Late is for anyone who has loved an animal enough to know that the last decision is rarely simple, and that grief does not follow a timetable.
There isn’t one respectable way to mourn an animal, and there certainly isn’t a deadline.
I stopped expecting myself to bounce back because somebody else thought enough time had passed.
I no longer think that a difficult day means I have gone backwards.
With love to
Meet the dogs
Troy
“He was about eighteen months old, fully trained, a champion and an absolutely magnificent Golden Retriever.” “Troy taught me about loyalty.”
Max
“Max taught me lessons I wish I’d learned more gently.” “If there had been a dog version of Vogue, Max would have been on the cover.”
Ruby
“Ruby showed me a kind of tenderness that is difficult to describe.” “Ruby would bark as though she was a fearsome guard dog, despite being, at heart, a complete cuddle bug.”
Cisco
“Cisco gave me the feeling of being understood without having to say a word.”
Ben
“Ben is teaching me that life can surprise you again, even after you’ve convinced yourself that the best part has gone.”
From the book
The heart doesn’t have a fixed number of spaces. It can make room without asking anyone to leave.Chapter 11, Love Doesn’t End When They Leave Us
We make these decisions with imperfect information and hearts that are breaking.
The author
About Kylie
Kylie Hammond grew up in Peppermint Grove, Perth, with a Golden Retriever named Troy, and has shared her life with dogs ever since. An executive coach, she now lives at Sanctuary Cove on the Gold Coast with Ben, her Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
This is her own story, told with honesty, humour and a great deal of love for the dogs who shaped her life.
Troy · Max · Ruby · Cisco · Ben
For anyone who has had to say goodbye
A gentle, honest companion for the days after, and a celebration of the dogs who make our lives what they are.
Buy on Kindle · A$9.99
Also by Kylie Hammond
Fabulous at 55
My personal formula for healthy living, confidence and feeling fabulous in midlife.
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