“It’s not a part you play in their lives – it’s a connection,” Ilda Rodarte says softly, recalling the comfort her beloved pet offered during long days at the office.
Rodarte, a San Angelo resident since 1997, sits on her daughter’s couch while I talk to her. Her daughter’s two dachshunds curl up with her: one draped across her lap, the other pressed up against her leg, offering a comforting presence.
They settle with her as she reminisces about Maya, her late pet whose memories fill the room – heartwarming, yet still more than capable of bringing tears to her eyes.
Meet Maya
Maya was a 3-pound teacup Chihuahua, and she and Ilda were inseparably bonded. Ilda took Maya home in 2007, 3 months old, and from that moment on, the pair did everything together.
“When I got her, she was just a pup and I was working in an office. I talked to my boss and told him I had this teacup chihuahua and I didn’t want her to be alone. He was nice enough to let me bring her to work with me.
“So, I’d put her in her little carrier and take her to work. She would just sit under the desk, with me for eight hours a day, every day for ten years. She brought me peace.”
Ilda isn’t alone in finding comfort in Maya’s presence at the office.
According to a 2021 case study from the National Library of Medicine, the highest perceived function of pets in the workplace is to reduce stress, reported by owners, managers, and non-owners alike.
Ilda also saw the positive reactions from others in the office, including clients.
“Clients would come in to talk to my boss, and they would always stop to say hi to her, because they knew her… You had to let her come to you, but she loved people.”
At Ilda’s longtime apartment complex, Maya was popular too, with neighbors stopping to greet her and asking permission to shower her with affection. According to Ilda, Maya never barked and never bit. She had a charming attachment to her favorite little blanket, and she brightened everyone’s day.
But things didn’t stay this way.
Considering Your Companion’s Quality of Life
Near the end of 2022, when she was 15 years old, Maya’s health started to decline. By the end of 2023, she had lost vision in both eyes, required hand-feeding, and had significant trouble moving around. It was clear to Ilda that something was wrong, and that tough decisions might be approaching.
“You could just tell she wasn’t herself. Up until the very end, she was always active. She would run to the door when the doorbell rang.
“But then, the doorbell would ring, and she stopped running… She wasn’t the same Maya anymore. And it got worse and worse.”
It wasn’t until a frank but loving conversation with her daughter that Ilda was able to make the determination to put Maya to sleep.
“My daughter said, ‘Mom, you can’t see what others see. You see Maya through the eyes of love… she is not doing well.’”
With the guidance of her trusted veterinarian, Ilda made the courageous, heartbreaking decision to say goodbye to Maya.
She believed she was doing the right thing for her beloved companion, but that didn’t make the day any easier.
“That morning, Maya ate, she drank water, she was even perky with me. It was almost like she was comforting me, telling me it’s okay – that I had to do it. She gave me courage.”
After Ilda and Maya exchanged their final goodbyes, Ilda returned to her daughter’s house, where her dogs were waiting, ready to comfort her. She said it’s like they knew something big had just happened and that she needed the extra love.
What made it so hard, she explained, was that Maya wasn’t just a dog – she was her trusted, faithful companion ‘til the end.
Ilda is not alone in her grief. Loss is something all pet owners will experience in their lifetimes.
Grief is Grief
Bringing a pet into our lives means accepting that loss may one day be part of the story we write together. Standing by them during their hardest moments – making those painful choices on their behalf – is an admirable way to show gratitude for our time together, and to honor the bond we shared.
According to one 2019 YouGov study, 88% of American pet owners consider their pets to be part of the family. Forty percent said they believed these tough end-of-life decisions are the most challenging part of pet ownership.
Owners like Ilda aren’t just saying goodbye to a dog: they’re closing a book with multiple chapters that has been written with love over years.
They’re saying goodbye to nighttime snuggles and silly moments of laughter, long days of work with them at their feet, emotional support after the hard days, a reason to get outside and be active, and a companion who has been there through thick and thin.
These losses cut deep, and they deserve to be honored in a similar way to losing a family member.
In the U.S., on average, employers are offering 3-5 days off for bereavement time after losing a family member – if they offer any time at all. Yet anyone who has experienced profound loss knows that grief can be unpredictable – and it certainly doesn’t magically vanish after a 3–5 day time period.
The same can be said for the pain that comes with losing a pet. Unlike the loss of a human loved one, there likely will be no memorial service, no community support, and limited understanding from outsiders about what makes it so hard.
People might even dismiss or invalidate your feelings of grief, making this experience feel even more lonely.
But the truth is that grief is grief. It doesn’t discriminate by species. We should do our part as a community and as a larger society to recognize and appreciate the gravity of pet loss and why a person may need space to mourn.
Whether you’re granted time off or not, losing a pet is never easy.
Ilda offers this gentle advice: “Cherish what you have, and live in the moment with your furry companion. Live without regrets and know you gave them a good life.”
Today, surrounded by sleeping pets, Ilda holds onto the connection she shared with Maya, shaped by a lifetime of unconditional friendship. And she treasures every moment.
