When it’s Time to say Goodbye

In my opinion, the only bad thing about having a dog is that their life expectancy is a lot shorter than ours and it is inevitable that we will have to deal with the trauma of our friend passing away. However, an even worse situation is when we are faced with having to make a decision about euthanasia should our beloved pet become terminally ill or in an unacceptable amount of pain.                                                                                                                                                                         The ideal situation, although still sad for the owner, is for our dog to die from old age naturally in his sleep. In this scenario, we, as the owner are spared from making the terrible decision to terminate our pet’s life.  When our dog becomes ill or in crippling pain we know it is up to us to decide the kindest thing to do for your dog. Should we let him go peacefully to end his continued suffering or do we ‘hang on’ to him because we are just not strong enough to make that difficult decision?
I am of the persuasion that, if we really know our dog, he will tell us when it is time – because they know!  
So if you really know and love your dog it is your duty to help and comfort him when the time comes. Do not just take him to the vets and leave him alone whilst the deed is done because you can’t stand the pain of being there.  Stay with him, stroke him gently and tell him how much you love him as he passes over to the Rainbow Bridge. Don’t be afraid, it is usually a peaceful process with your dog just going to sleep in your arms – the hardest part is leaving him there!     Be comforted by the thought that he is free from pain and suffering and you have done the right thing for your friend by staying with him to the very end.