For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for April 19, 2024

RIP Farley :(

In the original run of this strip (from 28-29 years ago) this may be the saddest strips of them all.

The loss of a pet you really love is just like losing a child…

Oh how I wish he had survived. I’m crying.

Very heartbreaking arc, rest in peace Farley

This story arc just gutted me

Well said, John. Well said.

The strip was never the same to me after this. I still read it, but it was no longer a favorite. I was shocked at the time to discover that a comic dog had such a personal emotional effect on me. (I have to admit that I also never liked April again….)

Ours died on Christmas Eve afternoon, and we were having a big party that night.

This is hitting harder than I expected as I lost my dog yoshi last month. I knew it’d hit a bit harder.. but it’s just.. hard to hear things like “I didn’t know a heart that big could stop beating” and not think of my little friend.

That said.. as painful as this is.. it’s also letting me see how beautifullyt his arc captures the loss of a pet. This sums up how even when you KNOW the end is probably near for an older pet.. your never ready for it. And you never will be.

I also like this charcter stuff for John: seeing the strip in a large rformat you can see the quiet grief on the poor guy’s face as they talk. He saved his daughter barely, but he’s likely blaming himself as much as the poor toddler he fished out of the raging river, when the truth was there’s nothing he could’ve conciously done: the ignoring april thing was an honest mistake and not his alone and Farley was old. But it’s human nature to beat yourself up after a loss and it’s something John will carry with him. And sadly.. so will april.

Elly seems really nonchalant about losing one who was a member of the family for 14 years. And she goes ballistic over the smallest of mishaps!!

Well, it’s comforting to know there’s a special place in Heaven for Farley and other beloved pets.

It makes you wonder if they secretly blame April, I hope not

As I wrote several days ago, this strip is human. Unlike Family Circus, Blondie, and other such strips, Lynn Johnston made the choice to let her characters age and all that goes with it ‘For Better or For Worse’. She knew, and was reminded by her sister-in-law who was a vet, that Farley was getting too old so she planned this story for a long time. These are still challenging times but timing was bad for the first publication 29 years ago to this day because that was also when the Oklahoma City bombing happened. But the beauty of this wonderful strip has always been that despite the sad and tough times, there still can be joy and humour in life.

Farley was a good boy, a very good boy.

They need to make an April proof gate latch. She let Farley next door to make Edgar and then she popped the latch to float the boat and took Farley out.

John, he crossed the Rainbow Bridge with no regrets. You gave him 14 years of love and comfort. No dog could have asked for anything more.

We do not get to see John do canine CPR and we do not get to see John at the veterinarian. Instead we get to read about John telling Elly what happened. If John is a good guy, then everything he is saying is true. Let’s do a little fact-checking:

In order for a veterinarian to determine the cause of death, the pet owner would have to pursue a necropsy. It is unlikely John would get this answer about a heart failure so immediately. That casts some doubt as to whether John is relaying the information to Elly truthfully.

As mgl179 pointed out last Tuesday, John could have a reason for covering it up. He may be trying to avoid an accusation of child endangerment or the endangerment or abuse of an animal. If that’s the case, then maybe John is faking his visit to the vet and just telling Elly something that he could not possibly know that quickly. Elly wouldn’t know the difference.

That leaves Elizabeth, who helped John. Elizabeth was outside when April found the toy boat and she was outside when John came out. What was she doing outside where she did not notice April leaving the yard? I have my suspicions (Anthony), but all we really know is that she was outside. However, if she was involved in something nefarious, then perhaps she would be willing to help John cover it up.

Does anyone else remember that when Lynn decided to restart the series, it was stated that there would be no deaths in it? I guess that will only pertain to humans.

I think this may be the saddest storyline that I ever read in the comic strips!

He died a hero

The cartoons of the previous days was about facts of life, some funny some sad.

Welp, time to get a rabbit.

Elly seems rather “meh” about all this.. almost like she’s glad he’s gone…

Didn’t Farley die before?

Beautiful <3 dogs are angels put on this Earth disguised as dogs

29 years later and this storyline still brings tears to my eyes. RIP Farley, you were such a good boy!

I remember reading this the first time through. According to the creator Farley was about five years older than English Sheepdogs normally live. She wanted him to go out heroically. I knew it was coming when Edgar appeared but, it is still upsetting.

This arc is brilliantly told and drawn to evoke so much emotion in so many people, including me.

I am not especially religious, but God MUST have a place for such dogs.

Rest in peace over the rainbow bridge Farley. Are you and Lupin having fun?

My heart hurts for them.

Okay, you have killed off two dogs while saving a child from drowning now. Let Far let’s son live a long life and die in his sleep. Poor April, she will blame herself for the rest of her life.

From Lynn’s Comments: Farley left the comic strip at a ripe old age and as a hero. It was a fitting end to a great character.

I lost my cat Riley last week. This strip and the Calvin and Hobbes chipmunk story highlight the impact our pets and creatures leave upon our hearts. Bless their hearts for being special to ours’.

Maybe its time for a little discipline of April? How many times have they told her to not open the gates?

It was good to take him to the vet, good dog, I didn’t think that such a big and noble heart could stop beating either!

So long Farley, you were a good boi, see you on the other side.

I did but love my dogs moreThe ungrateful b@stards

I shed a few tears this time as well. But, I did not have a clowder nor a pack, and this time I was able to hug some furbabies, and that made it all the better.

It’s hard, John. Been there, sort of.

I remember that end line!

I have both human and fur baby children. Obviously, if one of my human children died, I would be devastated. But many people are not blessed with human children, and for them their pets are more like children than animals. In either case, pets become an important part of FAMILY. And sometimes, a fictional character touches our hearts so much that they become “real.” We shouldn’t belittle or diminish the sense of grief or loss.

Comics should be humorous and a getaway. Not my favorite FBFW.

It is hard to have someone you love pass on, yet as we morn their loss we should also celebrate the love, joy and companionship they brought into our lives for all those years.

I read the comics to smile, NOT to be smacked in the face with grief. I got my real life for that. Thanks a lot Lynn Johnston. Done with your idea of comics.

right in the f*****g feels

Considering not reading this strip for a few days.

Arf, low whine, ears down, brave buddy

uh no, Farley’s gone!? :(

Is this a new story line or a repeat from several years ago?

RIP Farley. Take your place in the halls of Valhalla, where the brave may live forever.

We lost our two 16-year-old cats in January. Very sad!

Losing a pet is a pain that never goes away. A dog will never cheat on you, will never lie to you, will never steal from you and when you are at the lowest point in your life and all your friends have left you … your dog is still there at your side. His loyalty to you knows no limits. Your dog is the definition of unconditional love. Too bad no human could be like that.

Farley is alive as he ever was.

This is a bad example but there is a great deal of truth….take your spouse and dog and put them in the trunk of your car and leave them for about 10 min so…open the trunk and see which one of them is happy to see you and give you kisses?? Brutal-but true…

know the feeling…

crying my eyes out

@Argythree- Most definitely. When my cats passed away, I cried like a baby! The last one that I had, passed away right in front of me on my bed. Of course I cried, but I felt good knowing that I gave her and her brother a good life! But basically it was their time to go. My boy Samuel was 11 and went two years before his sister Isis at 13. And I never let them out! My first cat was killed by a car when she was only three. And like you said, people who don’t have and have never had pets, will never know and understand the joy of having them! They bring so much joy into our lives!

I was so hoping John would give Farley CPR and life would be restored….. I wonder how April will respond and be able to comprehend that her innocent actions brought this ending to be….

No tears? Gosh, Farley.. gone, after all these years ;(

April will carry that guilt, undeserved or not, for the rest of her life.

An enlarged heart is often a sign of trouble ahead.

Hypothermia due to icy cold water affects dogs the same as it does people. Happened to us several years back, our middle aged dog couldn’t resist going after sticks the neighbor’s son was throwing into the thawing lake. Before my wife saw what was going on, it was too late. So sad… We cried..

I lost my oldest almost two weeks ago. I think she must have had a stroke or seizure. After she ate supper she went in the living room. I went in and she was laying on her left side and her front legs were moving like she was running. She laid on a dog bed. I couldn’t tell if she was breathing and I called her name and her ears raised up. When she went out before bedtime she didn’t bark to get in like she normally did. She was still alive when we went to bed, but when we got up she had passed. I know my other two dogs miss her.

Time to hold Farley’s death over April’s head when she becomes a teenager.

I had to have my doxie Zoe euthanized a few years ago. She was sixteen and couldn’t walk any more, even to go relieve herself. I still remember her last few moments in the vet’s exam room, just after the tech had given her the injection via a tube. The last thing the pooch did was give a double-bark, her distress bark, as she felt the stuff take hold.

I know I did the right thing, maybe even later than I should have, but the sound of that bark lingers in my mind. If I were writing this on paper right now, it would be getting wet.

Knew this was coming and avoided it for a few days. Dealing with my own loss atm but not so deeply that I can’t sympathize here.

I remember reading this when it first came out and … man, I was gutted. Poor Farley. Good dog.

John. Farleys big heart didn’t stop beating, it just burst from all the love he had in him.

Amen to that.

I do wonder sometimes why dogs are more valued than people. There is plenty of praise for those who rescue abused dogs. Yet when I was spending a few bucks to sponsor a child in need, the usual reaction I got was “What difference is that going to make?” or “What a waste”.

P.S. This was not meant to be critical of anyone who donates to a local animal shelter. I think that is also good.

4 21 1995

RIP, Farley, furry friend

Ironically, there was nowhere near this outpouring of grief when Thelma Baird, Farley’s original owner, died in her sleep.

You never believe their hearts will stop beating.

I’m not crying. You’re crying.

She doesn’t seem too upset from Farley’s passing. Of course, had she paid attention to April, Farley wouldn’t have been put into the position of saving April from drowning at the creek.

Dog is God spelled backwards.

It’s how he lives among us and observes our everyday lives and how we behave and treat others – animals and humans and the Earth.

Very touching series, Lynn. It choked me up.

DANG IT LYNN! Why you gotta do this to us? I’m bawling at my desk at work now. RIP Farley! You were loved by so many!

Wowzers. Didn’t expect the turn the comments took. I can tell you what I told my vet when he thought it would be easier to just put my old girl down. I love that dog more than my ex-husband. She’s never lied, cheated or abused. So no, we will not be putting her down. That was 3 years ago.

She did change it this time like she said she would. Still a very sad ending. Hits to close to home.

Tears in my eyes. He saved April and went over the rainbow bridge- – sniff.

Yes it is!!! I’ve lost both.

I’m going to go peruse the strips from the last week in October 2008 now. When FBorFW went into reruns and Farley was reborn, it felt like a great wrongness had been righted. But here we are again.

I wonder if there will be a third go-round years from now?

I knew this was coming but it still hit me in the feels.

I wish the compassion we can give our pets when they are in the end of days was available to people. Everyone with a terminal condition should have the option to a dignified, pain-free death.

Some of you may remember when this arc first ran Farley was acknowledged in the Family Circus strip.

Just flag the troll – get admin’s attn – we don’t need the abuse or the aggravation – don’t empower them by engaging.

On the 28th, my oldest goat will turn 14. I know she had lived a good long life but I am in no hurry to let her go. She’s on medications now for arthritis and it’s helping her move better, but I am dreading the day she leaves me.

I cried for months over a Holstein bull I helped raise

Hit me hard 20 years ago and still when I reread the strip today

OMG, I gotta stop reading this arc. I’m still crying…

Today I learned from 2 dog walking neighbors that Charlie and Guiness had passed very recently. I believe they are the last of my late boy’s buddies. I miss my boy every day – since 12/12/21. My 4 kitties give me so much joy, comfort and companionship.

I remember the first time the strip went through this storyline in the 1990’s. Lynn was a guest at Comic-Con. Because the characters aged in the strip, she said that she knew she was going to have to deal with Farley’s age soon. When April went out to play, I knew immediately that it was coming and dreaded it. I’m glad he went out as a hero.

The next time April isn’t listening Elly can say, “Remember what happened the last time you didn’t do what you were told? Now Farley’s dead and it’s all your fault!” (Well she can, but she won’t.)

I was hoping she would rewrite this ending and have him survive.

April is going to need some therapy once she realizes her actions were responsible for Farley’s demise. Losing a beloved pet is traumatic enough, but also being responsible for that death is going to haunt her for the rest of her life, even with good therapy.

I’ve lost a furbaby that was 15 years old. I guess they can’t live forever……

So sad

Since this first appeared decades ago, I’ve thought it sad that Dr. Patterson, a dentist who surely knew CPR, didn’t at least attempt it immediately on his beloved dog. It often works. (I know – it’s just a fictional situation…but still…)

Ooooooo. sob sob sob. i understand the pain. i have lost a lot over the years and express my sorry and love to the family

I just lost another dog last saturday.

This was an email from my daughter after her 13 year old cat passed…. “ There is nothing sadder than going home with an empty pet carrier. “

The blanket part hit me hard. When my boy died, I wrapped him in a blanket, sat outside on a bench hugging him and waited for my husband to dig his grave. We had a Scottie statue which now sits on his grave in the yard. RIP Mick. I still can cry thinking of him 10 years later.

Comic strips should be funny and happy. Ergo, this would be a good one.

The Pattersons see a mad scientist

Mad Scientist: Mr. & Mrs. Patterson, I saved Farley! All I took was a simple transplant operation.

Pattersons then see an April-headed Farley and a Farley-headed April

I KNEW it, I knew it….won’t be long until this series ends and we start all over again….

Farewell, Farley… You were a very good dog…

Rest in peace Farley. Sad day indeed for this comic strip. Hope Someone tells the Pattersons about the rainbow bridge.

Dang you, Johnston! Gosh dang you to heck!

This was difficult for them but it’s even more difficult and expensive to watch your pet’s health decline and slowly die. See you tomorrow Lynn

aw … i lost my cat 3 years ago…Mischief was 22 years old … i know we’ll be together again

So sad!

Neither did we.

Please please please let this melodramatic soap opera end. Just horrid.

They do and it’s never a happy event…..

:( the only time a pet truly breaks your heart

It’s said that dogs don’t go to heaven. I don’t believe that. I’ve had dogs that I know belong there… more than I do.

…crying

I was truly hoping that Farley was going to be spared this go around. Rest in peace Farley you will be missed again.

Wonder if Lynn is reading all this over the past several days and enjoying all the attention she is getting!

Even though it was coming, it still pump a lump in my throat. Crikey.

I’ve seen this all before but it is still so sad… :(

i cant believe I’m crying for a fictional dog

I’m shedding tears for a cartoon dog, but he was so real to me!

The loss of a fur baby is harder than some human losses!