Suckage: putting a dog to sleep

[eSDee]

As most of you know my lady is a dog lover, and that pretty much makes me a dog lover to /jules. She was fostering a 12 year old blind corgie that was left in a night deposit box at the shelter :2far: She just needed to foster it for a few days until she could get it to Corgie rescue, and they were gonna find a home for her. For 4 days my girlfriend took care of her, and of course got attached to her. I was also enamored with her because she was such a courageous little dog, being blind and all and still seemingly enjoying life. Last Friday she got really sick all of a sudden, and so we took her into the Pet Emergency Hospital. The doc took a look at her and found she had a 106 degree temperature, probably induced by the grapefruit-sized tumor in her stomach. The doc recommended that we put her down, so we reluctantly did. My girlfriend held the dog in her arms as they euthanized her, crying the whole time. It was friggin sad. :sad:

Lots of people will read this and say it's just a dog. But animals can mean so much to people's lives and bring true joy and happiness. Many people can't even do that.

Suckage. :sad:

[Kim]

I'm sorry this happened, but I am glad that you were able to give the dog a few final days of love and happiness. I'm glad there are people like you and your girlfriend in this world!

[Jenny]

:( I'm so sorry. I know how hard that is! Give your girlfriend a hug and tell her how great she is!

[avlena]

Lots of people will read this and say it's just a dog. But animals can mean so much to people's lives and bring true joy and happiness. Many people can't even do that.

But anyone who's ever had a pet knows how hard it is when you lose it. I'm sorry for your loss!

[Grimm]

The last few days of that dogs life were filled with love and affection. Stuck in a shelter it would have been loneliness and terror.
Your girlfriend made a huge difference to a helpless pet when it made the most difference. While it gave her great pain, the pain and suffering she saved that couragious dog was an enourmous gift.
Tell her not to feel sorry for her. Remind her of what she meant to the Corgie when she needed it most.

[brainsmile]

man big bummer. I'm always really depressed when I lose a pet.

[Butch]

I held my 17 year old pooch when we put her to sleep last year. It's heartbreaking to have them die in your arms.

My dog had a tumor, as well. She was relatively healthy at the time we put her to sleep. She was blind, had some trouble walking, started to have bladder problems, but we don't think she was yet in too much pain yet. We hope we saved her the pain that she would have inevitably had and hope we ensured that her last days were happy.

You guys did the right thing comforting the pooch and putting her to sleep. Dogs go to tremendous lengths to hide pain, so it probably could have only gotten worse for her. At least you were able to provide her some comfort and peace and allow her to pass gracefully.

[eSDee]

Thank you all for your supportive words. You are right, giving the little dog a few good days before she went out was a pretty good thing. She had a wonderful spirit and so it was good to spend some time with her before she died.

[Kevster]

Lots of people will read this and say it's just a dog. But animals can mean so much to people's lives and bring true joy and happiness. Many people can't even do that.



"The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous, is his dog. He will kiss the hand that has no food to offer; he will lick the wounds and sores that come in encounter with the roughness of the world. When all other friends desert, he remains." - George G. Vest

You see this on a lot of pet memorial sites, but it really hits home for me:

"I miss the wagging little tail;
I miss the plaintive, pleading wail;
I miss the wistful, loving glance;
I miss the circling welcome-dance."
-Henry Willett

I hope you and your Lady feel better knowing you gave that corgi a nice place to rest in his final days. I have a lot of respect for people that open their homes to older dogs that people for some reason don't want anymore.

[eSDee]

Thanks for the quotes Kevster. I had never read them before. I will forward them to my lady.

[ialsohaveadream]

Sorry to hear the news, but I'm with the others. I bet the dog had an awesome time with you and your lady in it's last days. If the dog had to go out, at least it did it on a good note.

[InfiniteNothing]

Rejoice for those around you who transform into the Force. Mourn them, do not. Miss them, do not.- Yoda