Putting a dog to sleep

[J.Schmitt]

I had to make the hard choice today and have my angel of 12 years put to sleep. She was not suffering but she would have been and the light had left her eyes. I had to do the right thing for her but it sucks.

Sorry for your loss, My family too was just there on Jan 1 with our Golden -Cooper-11years, my son Colten, 18mo, looks around the house daily for him. That make it even harder.

[818-DVC]

I'm sorry for your loss. I had to put my best friend down of 14 years last month. It never gets easier. The one thing I tell myself is that no matter how sad I am, I will have the opportunity to have another best friend someday soon. We are really fortunate to be bestowed the opportunity to have several in our life time. Each one seems better than the last, as we learn better to treat them. I'm sure he is up there urinating on the giant fire hydrant in the sky, because all dogs go to heaven!

[DaninSC]

I swear I stole this form someone on this forum, and hope it doesn't upset them if I post it again:

If you have ever loved a dog, there are three days in your life you will always remember . . .

The first is a day, blessed with happiness, when you bring home your young new friend. You may have spent weeks deciding on a breed. You may have asked numerous opinions of many vets, or done long research in finding a breeder. Or, perhaps in a fleeting moment, you may have just chosen that silly looking mutt in a shelter -- simply because something in its eyes reached your heart. But when you bring that chosen pet home, and watch it explore, and claim its special place in your hall or front room -- and when you feel it brush against you for the first time -- it instills a feeling of pure love you will carry with you through the many years to come.

The second day will occur eight or nine or ten years later. It will be a day like any other. Routine and unexceptional. But, for a surprising instant, you will look at your longtime friend and see age where you once saw youth. You will see slow deliberate steps where you once saw energy. And you will see sleep when you once saw activity. So you will begin to adjust your friend's diet -- and you may add a pill or two to their food. And you may feel a growing fear deep within yourself, which bodes of a coming emptiness. And you will feel this uneasy feeling, on and off, until the third day finally arrives.

And on this day -- if your friend and whatever higher being you believe in have not decided for you, then you will be faced with making a decision of your own -- on behalf of your lifelong friend, and with the guidance of your own deepest Spirit. But whichever way your friend eventually leaves you -- you will feel as alone as a single star in the dark night.

If you are wise, you will let the tears flow as freely and as often as they must. And if you are typical, you will find that not many in your circle of family or friends will be able to understand your grief, or comfort you.

But if you are true to the love of the pet you cherished through the many joy-filled years, you may find that a soul -- a bit smaller in size than your own -- seems to walk with you, at times, during the lonely days to come.

And looking down at the place where your dear, perhaps dearest, friend used to lie -- you will remember those three significant days. The memory will most likely be painful, and leave an ache in your heart -- As time passes the ache will come and go as if it has a life of its own. You will both reject it and embrace it, and it may confuse you. If you reject it, it will depress you. If you embrace it, it will deepen you. Either way, it will still be an ache.

But there will be, I assure you, a fourth day when -- along with the memory of your pet -- and piercing through the heaviness in your heart -- there will come a realization that belongs only to you. It will be as unique and strong as our relationship with each animal we have loved, and lost. This realization takes the form of a Living Love -- this Love will remain and grow -- and be there for us to remember, always. It is a love we have earned. It is the legacy our pets leave us when they go.

[Neomet]

Sorry for your loss. We are day to day with my 15 year old Aussie. The first dog my wife and I got together, actually right when we first started dating. The move from the mindset of "his day will come sometime soon" to "Is today the day" is at times crushing. So in addition to my sympathies for your loss I also extend them for all the suffering you went through leading to this day. It is of course the ultimate proof of how well they loved us and to my mind absolutely worth it.

[Atlgentlegiant]

Thank you everyone. I took my other puppy in today, ok he is now 50lbs so not really a puppy anymore at 10 months, and brought her ashes home. The vet did a paw print and the vet wrote a card (by hand) so my angel is fully home. I just could not stomach having her chucked in some landfill or a mass cremation. We should treat our companions as we hope to be treated.

[G34 CORDY]

Man this is making me tear up at work, I can't imagine losing my dogs I don't have kids so they are in my eyes. My wife and I have 3 daschunds and it will be a dark day when we have to take that trip to the vet I don't think I could handle it. Iam very sorry for your loss just remember they are with you in spirit.

P.S I work in the oilfield and had to take a walk away from the rig to compose myself its hurting me thinking about it.

[Guest Ouag]

One of the hardest things I've done. We don't own them God just lends them to us. Put my black lab Buddy down last year after he lost his fight with cancer. I think of him every day.

On the bright side we have a new little black lab girl named Spirit, she is the apple of my eye.

It will get better but never forget, remember what Mark Twain said

"never trust a man that does'nt like a dog"

regards

[KentG]

Thank you everyone. I took my other puppy in today, ok he is now 50lbs so not really a puppy anymore at 10 months, and brought her ashes home. The vet did a paw print and the vet wrote a card (by hand) so my angel is fully home. I just could not stomach having her chucked in some landfill or a mass cremation. We should treat our companions as we hope to be treated.

I have two urns on my night stand and a third in the future for sure. Maybe more. Bringing home the urn is actually a sense of bringing our friend home. I pet the two of them almost daily along with the furry head in bed. It will get easier now. I have cried more over my two pets on the nightstand than I have over pretty much any person I know.

I hope you get some closure now and remember the good times.

[JimmyZip]

I lost my hiking dog last year. I smiled as I read this, knowing that this will not stop you nor I from making the decision to do it all over again. I say this as my 11 month old Australian Cattle Dog lays in the bean bag beside me. I can never seem to forget all of the dogs I brought home. If you brought it when I was a kid, as we lived in an undeveloped area, you could keep it as long as you took care of it. I do not know what my parents were thinking letting my sister Sandi and I have all those damned dogs and cats. Damned poor but lots of pets. I have never been able to live without a dog. I just can't. They fill a space that no one else can seem to. I not only think that we have changed the dog evolution wise, but that they have changed us too. We belong together.

[Got Juice?]

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.

There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together.

There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.

The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

Author unknown...

[Got Juice?]

I still shed tears from my first Giant Schnauzer I lost when his back end went on him. He was 14 years old which is a very old man for a GS. I have another GS and they are incredible.

That said, I believe why we refer to canine's as dogs.

They love us when we deserve none

They keep us company when we are alone

They keep a watchful eye out for their family unit

They wag their tails not their tongues

And all for a little food and water.

After all these years and many canine companions I now know why we call them 'Dog' It's GOD spelled backwards... and when things get tough, our 'Dog' is always there for us.

And I challenge anyone to try and refute that.

There was once a man who died in his sleep. And on the path to heaven, there were 2 gates. The man passed by the rickety worn down gate, and proceeded to the mile high pearly gates and asked the man there if this was heaven. The man at the pearly gates said 'why yes sir this is heaven' As the man started towards the threshold, he stopped and asked the gatekeeper if his faithful dog was to be found inside. The gatekeeper replied 'I am sorry sir, but we do not allow dogs here'.

So the man left the pearly gates.

As he was walking to the rickety gates, tears flowing from his eyes, he spied the gatekeeper leaning against the rickety ramshackle gates, and when he was close enough, the disheveled gatekeeper said 'Pardon me, but why are you so sad?' The man replied 'well sir, I just went to the gates of heaven and I was told I was welcome, but my dog wouldn't be there, so I did not enter'

The old decrepit gatekeeper replied 'well son, we do allow dogs in here, and I am sure that your dog will be in here'.

So the man, looked at the old gatekeeper and said 'I don't care of this is what hell is, I did not abandon my dog in life, and I will not abandon him in death, may I enter?'

The old gatekeeper replied, "Woe to the man who dies without the love for his stalwart companion, of course you may enter, and this truly is heaven"

The man said 'I thought the other place was heaven?' Whereupon the gatekeeper replied 'what kind of heaven would it be for a man if his loved one's weren't here"

And I believe it.

[shopgun]

I am so sorry for your loss. My wife, Kathy and I have been there 8 times and it is NEVER easy. We have two now and will have more in what future is left to us. We could not imagine life without dogs. It hurts when they go, It would be unimaginal without them.

[MikeSLC]

Sorry for your loss.

Better to go a day early than a day late.

[Mikethor]

Sorry for your loss, cannot add anymore as it has been covered by others. The pain does go away eventually but you never forget.

We put our pointer to sleep last year and my shepherd is 11 so his time is close - those of us who still have our dogs make sure we appreciate every minute with them.

[Reroye]

It sucks putting them down

[kevinj308]

So sorry for your loss, glad you brought her home. I suffered a personal loss recently and as my girl Luna lies next to me I can't imagine going through it without her. Dogs are just the best. When you can, get another one.

Take care

Kevin

[DLeeHarley]

God Bless you & your Dog! Keep your memories and he'll always be in your Heart!

Dennis

"Those who talk, Don't Do. Those who do, Don't Talk."

[DLeeHarley]

I've had to do the same a lot of times in my life and it never gets easier my friend. I've had to do it 3 times in the last couple of years, but I've also been lucky too. Dusty lived to be 16, Bernie almost made 19!!!! And Dave only made it to 5 before illness got to him. It's hard but I couldn't be so selfish and try to keep them alive for me. I owed them AT LEAST that much. But when it was their time I was holding them, up to and including when they took their last breaths on this earth. Each one went Happy, content, and with their best friend at their side, like they'd done for me many, many times. Again God Bless and realize they are now in a Wonderful & better place. Later

Dennis

"Those who talk, Don't Do. Those who do, Don't Talk."