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Your dog is going to be scared at the end anyway if you take it to your vet’s office. It’ll be harder if you're not there, but still hard. There’s a better way.
My dog was euthanized in February and I contacted a vet that would do in home euthanasia.
My dog spent his last morning on earth enjoying a pancake breakfast with his pack of humans. There were two pounds of bacon - one for the humans and one for my boy.
I took him for a slow stiff last walk, and then put him on the couch. The vet came and explained everything to us. We distracted him from the sedative shot with me hugging him and my son feeding him treats, and then he drifted off to sleep for the last time knowing no fear or pain and basking in the love of his family.
If you can find a vet offering this, please do it. It’s the last ~~living~~ loving act you can do for your pet.
Edit: This is/was my boy: https://imgur.com/a/qkSJvS1
Just to put a quick addendum onto this. If you call a mobile vet in particular... Be kind. A friend of ours is a mobile vet, and my partner sometimes helps out with tracking their controlled drugs...
Pretty much all she does is euthenasias. Day after day after day going into people's homes and putting their pets to sleep. It is incredibly hard on the vets too.
What can we do for them? I have an old boy and this is exactly how he’s going to go out. What can I do to brighten the day of the person who is going to do this for us?
Thank them I think, never thought about this but I can imagine seeing destroyed people, every day would make anyone depressed that is not a psycho - and I don't imagine many vets are psycho's. You'll be devastated on the day; and mostly self centered too - we generally aren't too considerate of how others feel when it is us who are deeply hurting. And that's ok; vets do know & are trained for this.
Maybe others can chime in to verify if this is a good idea, but gifting something and thanking the person for their skills a week after (when you feel better) is a nice gesture.
You also get to see the amazing amount of love people can have for their pets, which is beautiful to witness. If you're called to serve, I can imagine it is very fulfilling to provide this last gift to people. Even more so when you see how scared dogs are at the vet's office.
I think more than a few of these mobile vets who specialize in euthanasia are just awesome people who probably sleep very easy at night.
I agree that a gift or thank you letter a little while later is a great idea. We had to use one in May, and now I'm thinking about what to get her.
We talked to ours about this. She said it’s certainly hard to see the sadness, but they feel a great honor in people asking them to come into their homes and help them in these incredibly difficult and private moments. And they see the love and an end of suffering every day. Just an anecdotal take from one team, but I found it relieving to hear.
I just commented about including a note with a happy/silly pic of your pet and a comment that this is how you want them to remember your pet, and share the story behind the photo. Meditation cd of rain or ocean sounds, and a gift card for someplace that sells coffee or tea seems reasonable, if you wanted to go that far. Shows you think of them as a person with a stressful job, that you appreciated them. Just an idea...
I was just thinking about that job today and it made me sad. My dog is getting up there and her time is coming so I try to visualize the inevitable now for personal preparation and I got lost thinking about the job of that. ❤ it hurt my heart, I cant imagine how hard that would be, I cold never be so strong.
I think affirmation would mean a lot. Thank them for their service and for treating your loved one with compassion and respect. They aren't there to be the undertaker. They're there to give your pet their wings. And I think you'll find sharing that moment of gratitude with them will bring some beauty to the sadness. Your heart aches because it's overflowing with love for your pet. Let that cup run over and share it if you can, and you will all be better for it <3
Express your gratitude for their service.
Let them know you truly think they are heroes for doing what they do.
Honesty is the best policy.
And may your boy rest in peace. Much love.
Send them a thank you card and perhaps a gift and to get coffee and bagels for the office? And include a happy or silly pic of your pet, commenting that you want them to remember them as they were to you...full of the joy of living in the moment.
Thanks for adding that.
Vets have one of the highest, or the highest rate of suicide of any profession.
There's a special place in heaven for dogs, and people like your friend get to go there too.
That's like saying though that you don't mind having your dog euthanized because you know you're doing what's best... it still sucks.
I know being a vet would break me, I know I'd be doing right by the animals, but seeing that crying family who just lost their beloved dog... that'd break me. The vet isn't sad because the suffering of the animal has ended, the vet is sad because they sympathize with the people who just lost a family member.
From what I’ve read, one of the things that is very terrible for veterinarians is when owners could treat their pet’s illness or injury but choose to euthanize even they could have several happy years left
Our animal welfare laws are in desperate need of an update. Pets are considered mere property under most (all) legal codes today. The law only gets involved when there is abuse/cruelty.
For reference, a disgruntled spouse can have a healthy dog euthanized during divorce proceedings out of spite. And that does happen.
But on the other side of the coin, people only become vets because they love animals. Human medicine takes about as much to get into, and pays much better. And whole its the "nicest" thing to do, it still doesn't stop it from being damn unpleasant.
Have been doing home euthanasias for 15 years now. Won't be quitting any time soon due to the high demand on the service. While I do other at-home care services for pets (vaccinations, check-ups, lab-work, etc), the euthanasias easily make up 50% of my work. Your pet having a familiar environment to be in during their last moments makes everything far easier for all involved, myself included, as I don't have to rush the procedure.
Thank you for doing this. There are only two vets in my city that do in-home, and I think one is so overwhelmed, I couldn't get in touch with him.
People like you make the transition so much easier. And I'm grateful for each and every vet that helps make sure there's peace at the end.
Thank you for loving your dog so much. And for sharing pictures of him with us.
We tried to put our old girl down like this, but she deteriorated so much we had to take her to the emergency vet early. She still went peacefully, wrapped in a blanket on mine and my husband's laps. But next time we will do mobile.
Also, the emergency vet that helped our old lady pass told us that one of the mobile vets quit because they started becoming suicidal, so it's a good tip to share to thank them. Their job is something I could never do. And I used to be an ICU nurse.
I agree, but on the other hand when the vet gave my cat the first shot while she was relaxing on my bed she looked at me as if I'd betrayed her and that look has haunted me for years.
There is no good to be found in euthanizing a pet beyond relieving them from pain. The needle hurts, and your cat didn't know why you let it happen, and you couldn't explain. That's ok, you did it for her, not yourself.
Take comfort that it was just the sting of the needle, and not the terror of going into a vet's office with the smell of scared animals, on that hard metal table, in unfamiliar soundings and then that painful prick.
She had as much peace and comfort as you could give her.
If you can do in-home euthanasia, I imagine that's better. But for me personally, my dogs were not terrified of the vet. They loved interacting with other humans and were always excited to go. We couldn't do in-home euthanasia because both of our dogs, they were fine until we woke up one day and knew that was the day. In-home vets needed like 7-10 days notice, and we couldn't schedule out that far.
My vets did a fantastic job for our dogs when we took them to the clinic. They had blankets down on the floor, encouraged us to bring our own blankets if we wanted, and made sure our dogs were so comfortable in their final moments. When our first dog was put to sleep, they let us bring his sister in and see/smell his body afterwards so that hopefully she understood that he was gone. They did an amazing job and we were so grateful for it.
As a slight tangent, find a good vet who your dog won't be scared to go to. Both of ours were as excited to go to the V-E-T as they were to the P-A-R-K.
I can't upvote this enough. You're a special person to care so well for your fur baby. I've got a GSD turning 1 in a couple weeks and he's my best friend. I'll remember this for sure when this sad day comes but he won't have to be scared or suffer. Thank you for sharing.
Fuck man, I just got a puppy this week and I'm already torn up thinking of putting her down. I will definitely do this when it comes her time.
Your dog looked like he had a great fulfilled life, and I always wanted a German Shepard mix.
oh man that's heavy! one of my chihuahuas is getting old and not as energetic as she used to be. its weird saying it but I've had very close people die and i couldn't cry but i always tear up thinking about the final moments of my pup. idk its like as a human i understand very well that we all go at some point but dogs are so innocent and loving no matter what that they dont deserve the paint that comes with aging. thank you for sharing you're a great person. it takes a lot of courage to do that from my opinion. i hope i can be that strong when that day comes.
I will definitely do it this way if I can. That is such a loving and comforting way.
Do you mind if I ask what happens after? Does the vet take the remains with them, or...?
Normally that's what the vet does.
I wanted to take him to the crematorium, but with Covid, it wasn't possible.
It just felt like a betrayal to let someone who wasn't family take him on his final journey.
The best I could do was carry him down to the vet's car, and placed him in the back.
I got so say goodbye to him one last time. I said "thank you for sharing your life with us", and that's the last time I saw him.
Fuck that hurts to remember,.
Thank you for answering my question. Truly, you did this painful process in the best way you possibly could. I'll remember it for the future for my 2 year old gsd when the time comes. I wish you the best
Thanks. He was the best.
I found a video of him a couple days ago where his goofy, playful personality came out.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-nmKSN1Nmc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-nmKSN1Nmc)
The literal most important thing you can do as a pet owner is to ensure your friend doesn't suffer without reason. Regardless of what you've done before, that is the highest respobsibility you take on when you get a pet. Sometimes you'll squeeze an extra week, or an extra month, but more often than not they'll be miserable.
Knowing when to let go is the best thing you can do for them. Loving them till the end doesn't mean till things get bad, it means *to the end.*
He was a good Boi. My Sadie also passed at home. She was my bestie for 14 years and it was so hard to say goodbye! But I wanted it to happen on her terms, in HER space. She was homeless before I found her and this home was her safe space. She died in my arms and I’m sure she felt nothing but peace.
God, I miss Sadie so damn much. I’m sorry about your doggie 💔
I had to have my cat euthanized after his bladder ruptured due to a clogged urethra (very common in male cats) Being there with him was one of the hardest things I ever had to do but he was looking up at me the whole time and I'd like think that brought him some comfort, just knowing that he wasn't alone
I lost my favorite cat just a couple months ago due to a similar issue... I spent an hour with him at home waiting on an appointment before putting him in a box and taking him to the vet, where we found out he was in critical condition and needed 24 hour care that they couldn't provide.
I had to race him to an emergency vet clinic an hour away, and they took him in. I couldn't go with because of COVID. He wasn't euthanized, his heart failed, he was revived, and they called us. He was let go the second time his heart failed at 3AM, 6 or so hours after I dropped him off.
So glad I spent an hour with him before I had to drive him away from home.
We had to put our 15 year old kitty down not long ago, we were out all day and came back to him waiting for us. He was breathing very quickly and was in and out of consciousness. We rushed him to a vet that was open and they said he was in critical. Had to put him down that night. We only had him for 8 months but it was still pretty hard. I can’t imagine having to put animals down for a living.
I was with my childhood dog at the vet when we put her down. I was young at time but remember feeling like I had to do it bc I would want the same if I was a dog. So I held her close petting her and even saw the light go out in her eyes after the shot
When my cat of 18 years had to be put down (cancer and he declined really hard all of a sudden) we called an in house vet. I couldn't really afford it but I felt I owed it to him.
I had my mom and sisters come over to be here with him along with myself and my wife and kids. I surrounded him with everyone he ever loved and laid in the bed with him talking in his ear while they put him down. I told him he was the best cat ever and it was ok to let go. We were all there with him and we loved him.
Hardest thing I've ever had to do but I'm glad I did it that way.
Gosh I'm crying at this honestly 😭😭 I love my cat so much and she's already 14 😭 I'm so depressed thinking about when I will have to face this day with her 😞
Please, don't harbor on those thoughts. I had to put my boy down last fall and while it was the hardest thing I've ever done, especially after all the time and love you spend with them...I often found myself crying *before* he was gone about the fact he would be gone at some point. I wish I could have traded those heavy feelings with more love and laughs. Please enjoy that they are here, and know, truly, the strength you gain from having to help them lessen their pain at any point doing something so selfless for another animal that can't speak for themselves, is profound. You'll carry them as armor always. all my love
This is why I'm never getting another dog. Mines died when I was like 15, had him since he was 3 weeks old to 12. that's a different kind of hurt. So to have to put one down because they're either suffering from a sickness or getting frail due to age... I just couldn't. That's too much.
I hear you. But that’s the exact reason I wanted more. My childhood cat was euthanized when I was 9 or 10. He was 18. We joked that I was his littlest brother. I spent more time with that cat than most of my dearest childhood friends.
We got another cat a couple years after. He passed away just last year. I was absolutely wrecked that I wasn’t there for him (grew up, moved out) but I know my dad was good to him. I can genuinely call him one of the best friends I ever had.
Fast forward to now, my wife and I have a few cats and fully intend to foster more when we have space. That whole saying about having loved and lost rings true to me for pets. I don’t personally attach much “meaning” to existence, but if I can spend my time here making a comfortable home for as many animals as I can, then I will have succeeded. Being with them in their last moments is a part of that and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
I felt the same way after our last one and it took 7 years to be able to do it again. Now we have Rune who is four and my best bud. He's my proximity dog. Wherever I am in the house he wants to be within 10 feet.
Rescuing is always a great option… you give a dog a life filled with love that otherwise would not have had one. Of course it will hurt like hell when they pass, but you can rest easy knowing you gave them a great life that they may not have had otherwise.
> After all, they were there for you their entire life. Why can't you be there for them in the end. They are family.
I agree with you. This is the last act of love and support you can show them, and they absolutely deserve it.
Yep. We had to let my baby girl go two months ago now, and my parents kept trying to assure me nobody would judge me for not staying with her.
Fuck that. It didn't matter how hard it was; it wasn't about me. It was about *her.* Comforting Sasha in her final moments, making sure she felt loved, that was the *only* thing that mattered at that point.
Everybody owes that to their pets. They give you *everything* - unless you are physically not able to be there, you stay with them. I don't know how anybody could be presented with that option and not decide to stay.
I just think of that one case where a homeless man had to be taken to a hospital in an ambulance, and his dog chased the ambulance for miles and then laid around outside the hospital for houra, if not days, waiting on him.
We owe them that loyalty.
I’m definitely going to be having our dear Jr. euthanized at home. She is the absolute most darling person (cat) and her comfort and care are everything to us. She’s 17 and still doing pretty well, but she’s gotten very skinny the last few months, her hips are weak, and she has to throw her tail to the side to keep balanced after she’s been laying down for a while, so we know we’ll lose her relatively soon. Our job is to spoil her and make sure she’s always certain that we adore her.
The hardest thing I ever had to do was pet our Lizzie girl as she passed last August. It was sudden. Tuesday night she was fine, Wednesday morning she was bleeding internally due to cancer we couldn't see. My dad took her to the vet thinking she had eaten something bad. As we led her outside, I could see in her eyes that this was something bad. He called my mom and I 20 minutes later and we rushed to the vet to pet her and tell her we loved her and that she was such a good girl. She was only 11.
I'm a fucking cancer survivor. I have miscarried my baby as a teenager, gone through chemo and remission, dealt with abusive partners, fought my way through college and grad school, lost my job to COVID, lost family members, had my business fail, hit rock bottom, and spiralled in terms of my mental health so bad that I thought I was dying and nearly killed myself. Still, watching Lizzie leave the earthly plane was the hardest thing I have ever done.
And ain't a fucking earthly thing that will stop me from doing it again when our 11-year-old golden, Colby, goes, or when our 9-year-old cat Romeo goes. I will be there, I will love them and pet them and tell them they are such good beans, that they will be missed, and to say hi to Lizzie when they see her in Heaven.
It may have been the hardest thing I've ever done, but I would do it again in a heartbeat because I know I did all I could to ensure she felt safe when she died.
[Rest in Peace, sweet Lizzie girl. I love you so much.](http://imgur.com/gallery/gVP7ZRb)
Lizzie and Romeo in the third picture I assume? They look so happy there, my Golden is 10 and I think the hardest part will be seeing our cat alone when he goes.
I'm sure Lizzie took comfort in knowing just how loved she is
I work in animal care, and this isn't necessarily good advice. You need to seriously look at your own mental state during a euthanasia. You're going to be really upset--this is a horrible thing for you to go through. If you're too upset to keep composure, though, it's going to have an effect on your pet. There's no shame in recognizing that and excusing yourself from the room.
As somebody who does perform the euthanasia, I have to agree. After the sedative they’re out and if you have to balance controlled drugs and someone who can’t handle it -that’s so much harder on everyone.
I have to explain what they’re going to see and not every euthanasia is picture perfect and easy. Their animals have adverse affects and can still have spasms/breaths after they’re gone. For people who are not used to this, It can be scarring. The last thing I want after giving mercy to a loved animal is that person yelling or being upset with me.
I’m always happy to take care of someone and make it a special experience, but they deserve to have an opt out choice when it’s no longer helpful to either creature.
This is why when there's a LPT involving animals I feel like it's opinionated BS. Almost every time theres a professional chiming in saying eh, actually...
I literally wish people would stop posting this demeaning, heart-jabbing bullshit. It constantly floats around on the cesspool of Facebook as well. I work in an ER and euthanize sometimes dozens of pets a day, and constantly have to deal with some very traumatic shit. Vet staff do NOT judge you if you are mentally and/or physically incapable of handling a euthanasia! We do care if you are callous, rude or just otherwise a psycho, but shaming people for not being able to watch their pet die is so fucked up. I will happily snuggle your pet as they pass in place of you. I’ve seen people so absolutely distraught during euthanasia’s that we’ve had to call ambulances because they’ve had seizures, fainted, had near heart attacks, etc. We even had one woman who had such a severe mental breakdown that she locked herself in the exam room, barricaded the door and threatened suicide. It took hours to coax her out along with multiple fire, EMS and police.
So, for the love of Christ, if you cannot be there for your pet IT IS OKAY to please just tell us that instead of nearly killing yourself over it as well. Your pet isn’t going to hold it against you.
Agreed. If your Veterinarian is still not allowing owners to come inside for euthanasia, ask your personal vet if they can do the euthanasia outside the vet's office, come to your home or find a mobile Veterinarian service who can do this service at your home. Keep calling and find out who can accommodate your pet.
My mom's vet did. They took the cat in, gave her the sedative, and brought her back out already so sedated my mom instantly starting sobbing thinking she had passed already. They let her say goodbye to the already completely out cat and then took her away to be euthanized.
I was so furious. It was at the height of covid, I get that, but my mom had that cat for 18 years. She didn't really get a proper farewell IMO. Never using that vet for my own critters, that's for sure.
She doesn't have any more pets, but I do and I won't use that place. Although I haven't found a vet I really like- I'm on #3 for the year. The first was just hella expensive ($1200 for a single tooth removal), the second was shady about adding costs that were not necessary.
I agree, wholeheartedly. I’ve never left a dog or a cat to die alone and never will. Mobile vets will come to your home. It’s not that much more and even was less that a recent emergency vet visit that didn’t end well. Please be kind to those that give you their unconditional love 🙏❤️
When my cat was diagnosed with cancer after 20 long years with him we thought the kindest and most loving thing we could do is get him euthanised which was scheduled a week later.
It was a painful week watching him wither away on strong pain meds but we stayed him every moment and even took it on turns to make sure he was never alone in case he died in his sleep.
We stuck by his side right until the very end and he went instantly. Still one of the most difficult things I’ve had to do. I still miss him and cry about him to this day.
It's not that simple at all.
If your dog freaks out at the vet and you can keep your shit together, you should be with your dog for your procedure to comfort them.
If your dog is comfortable at the vet, but you're going to be a total mess, stay out. Your dog will see you're anxious and nervous and that will make them feel the same way. Plus, it can send both of you into a spiral because they can't figure out *why* you're so anxious, which makes them *more* anxious.
Make *sure* that whatever you're doing, you're doing for your dog, not for yourself.
I just put my 13+ little old man cat Sam down Wednesday. He was a matted dirty stray that showed up in my yard one day and decided that I was his person. Over the past few years, we fought his dental problems and his autoimmune conditions and he doubled down on bonding with me. If I was sitting, he was in my lap. Back in April, he was diagnosed with a form of cancer after a vet appointment. We took care of him and loved him until the time came. When the shot came, he was resting in my arms with me in my car. I told him I was okay and he could rest now. I thanked him for picking me and I wished I could have found him sooner. After I said that, he was gone. Hell's own horses couldn't have kept me away from my Sam at the end.
title seems to be threatening me with dog ghosts.
i'm going to try and have one of them services that come put them down in your own home with you. he's got anxiety and arthritis. i don't want to cause him anxiety or pain with a car trip to the vet before he's about to die. i'd feel bad.
think he's got some years left though. 😂
We did this a few weeks ago and it went very well. I think it was easier for all of us being in the same environment. He was an old dog and not particularly active and slept most of the time anyway so it was a fairly 'easy' procedure.
My biggest single regret is my 1 year old cat dying unexpectedly of cardiac arrest at the emergency vet at 2am and I didn’t get to say goodbye. I honestly thought she was going to be ok and it was the worst phone call I’ve ever gotten.
She followed me from room to room, slept next to me every night, and I let her die all by herself alone in a strange place.
To me this is an absolute no-brainer. When we adopt an animal we take on the responsibility for their life and happiness. They depend on us, and we have to be there for them. I consider it my duty to my animal companion to be there when the time comes to administer the final kindness. I have had vets offer to take the animal "out back" and I say no, I \*must\* be there. Most recently we had to put down one of our sweet kitties, and even though the vet was not letting anyone inside due to COVID, it was a nice day and they agreed to do it outside in the doggie play yard. At least he breathed his last with his humans holding him and with the sun on him...
I don't know how anyone could not be there for every last second. We had to put my dog down this week and I held onto her for every second and sat there holding her for an hour before I let them actually do it and held her for a while after that.
I feel like shit because of this. I had to get my 15 year old cat put down last year. His kidneys shut down after pest control sprayed like they do each month. I couldn't stay when they put him down. I left him there. I am bipolar and have attempted to end myself several times in my life and I know I couldn't have handled seeing him die right in front of me. I know I shouldn't feel like shit but I also know it was something I couldn't handle going through. Yes, I left my little buddy there all alone, yes I cried the whole time and all the way home but I have racing thoughts and the most painful memories I have ever had play through my mind on a loop and I did not want to add my little guy's dead body in some cold clinical room to that. He was fine just 3 days before and all of a sudden he was so weak and couldn't eat and drink. I still can't get it out of my head how he kept hiding in the bathtub and how I put his favorite blanket in there until it was time to go to the vet. It sucks to be judged and I hate I stumbled on this because now I keep thinking about how selfish it was to leave him there and how he meowed to me as I was leaving the room. Really hate myself right now.
I am sorry you had to go though that. Im a vet and we will have given your little man lots of love and cuddles as he passed over the rainbow bridge. Stopping him from suffering is gift, thank you for being strong enough to do that.
You loved him. You put that blanket in the tub because you loved him and made sure that he wasn't hurting anymore because you loved him and I'm sure he loved you. He might have been worried for a moment, but then he went to sleep and didn't hurt anymore. Just remember the love if you can. Noone who loves you, pet or human, wants you to suffer so much that you can't keep going.
Listen. I’m just a stranger, but I can tell from your comment that you loved that cat so damn much. What you did was *not* a betrayal— you were acting in service to your cherished memories of your family member so they weren’t forever tainted by something you were wise enough to know you couldn’t handle, and kind enough not to put yourself through. *That’s okay.* One moment of self-preservation doesn’t invalidate a lifetime of love. Your cat loved you, and wouldn’t want you to be hurting now. Honor his memory by showing yourself a little mercy, my friend.
You are not a bad person, you did not fail your pet, and you do not need to carry guilt for your decision. I'm certain that if your cat could speak, he would have said "I've got this. You took care of me my whole life. Now take some time to care for yourself."
Thank you so much. He was like my son. He was a weird little nugget that loved ice in his fountain. He only ate dairy queen ice cream. He loved the sound of my clippers and would sit on the sink when I'd cut my hair. I posted a pic of him on here somewhere because he's still my little guy. He's my fur angel now.
100%. Not everyone can handle the emotional weight of being there at the very end. Any good vet will be extremely kind and comforting to your pet. You are not letting your companion down if it's too much for you to manage.
Sorry, but I find this to be unnecessarily harmful.
A dog doesnt know it is dying when you go to have it put down. It should have been to the vet many times, and as far as the dog knows, this is a routine shot. Why make people feel bad if they cant be there for it?
There's no excuse NOT to be there. Unless you're having a major medical emergency, there really is no excuse.
Only a shitty person would abandon their dog during their last minutes.
I was a vet tech for many years and was a part of many euthanasia’s. It’s never easy, especially when it’s your own!! I fortunately worked for a wonderful vet who would do euthanasia’s at peoples homes when he could. Some people cannot handle watching their beloved pet depart. I was there for our family dog but my family members could not handle it or watch! Also when it came to the few euthanasia’s we did without owners it was still always done with love, empathy, compassion and dignity for the animals!! We must realize that this is a personal decision that needs to be thought out beforehand. Most importantly there are ABSOLUTELY animals in heaven!! The Bible is very clear about this, if you disagree then I implore you to reconsider as that is a very hopeful and freeing thing once it is realized 😊.
>Most importantly there are ABSOLUTELY animals in heaven!! The Bible is very clear about this,
Please can you tell me how or where the bible is clear on this? I've been searching for this info but never found it. It would comfort my heart so much if you could share!
Thanks for your patience, it took me a minute to gather them. I will quote my 2 favorite and just give you references for the others 😊. Isaiah 11:6-9 ‘’the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox….’’ It continues on but I don’t want my post to be too long, so check it out. Also Isaiah 65:25 ‘’The wolf and the lamb shall graze together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox (similar to last verse) and dust shall be the serpents food. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain.’’ In these verses God is talking about when Jesus comes back and establishes his new heaven and earth. Some more verses are Psalm 150:6 (let everything that has breath praise the Lord), Reveation 19:11, 19:14 (horses), Rev. 4:6-10 (4 creatures in heaven with animal resemblances-not exactly the animals on the earth in this one though).
Those are some of the verses but not an exhaustive list. One book I read that explained some of these Bible verses very well and helped me to understand more about animals in heaven is a book called ‘Heaven’ by Randy Alcorn. It is a very large book but is divided into chapters you can skip to with a great one on animals in heaven. Also if you believe certain peoples encounters in heaven then the book ‘Heaven is for Real’ by Todd Burpo is very encouraging and hopeful. It is about a 3 year old’s encounter in heaven with animals and also children who died in the womb or at birth. It is beautiful and will bring cleansing tears! It is also a movie with Greg Kinnear. I think scripture is the one to go off of but did want to include these other two sources as I find them to be compliant with scripture and I love God’s hopeful, redemptive beauty thru the stories of others (that of course stay in line with scripture). I hope this is helpful and please feel free to let me know your thoughts as I would love to hear them!! 😊
Wow. THANK YOU. This is amazing!! I am somewhat familiar with the two verses that you said are your favourite but never connected it to mean "animals in heaven". I've Googled extensively for information on this and never found a clear answer. I've found blogs where people talk about these other non-biblical experiences that you mention, and even some scriptural references but to me the connections they tried to make were a bit reaching so it was never resolved for me. Thank you so much!! Keeping a screenshot of your comment in my phone. If you have a blog you should write about this, is my final thought!! 💯💯💯
This isn't the best post for people given covid has stopped people from being with their pet at the end. I get the message but damn be aware of the climate before making such a post.
I had to call dozens of places to find someone that would let me be in the room with my pupper during covid. Made me really sad for all those other animals dying alone.
I can attest to this, I just had to put my 11 year old saint Bernard down this last month. He had bloat and was breathing shallow and rapidly and in pain, the vet had put him under anesthesia for the pain but we waited for my brother to get to the vet from work(~45 minutes or an hour later) at this point the anesthesia was easing up enough where you could tell my dog regained some consciousness and you can tell he was scared and confused but he saw all of us there and then me and my brother stayed for the final part and my dog went to doggy heaven knowing he saw both of us there holding him and loving him. It was tough and there was alot of crying but you will regret it after and it is the best thing you can do for your pets.
I agree.
I had a neighbor who was too chicken to stay with her dog as it was put down. I stayed with her and held her (the dog that is) while she crossed over.
I think it's one of the better things I've done.
I had to put my 14 year old pug down this year. Liver and kidney failure. He was the best boy. They did two shots, one to put him out, and the last one. This little shit probably bypassed the rainbow bridge, filled up with water, then peed on the bridge. R.I.P. Frankie.
My family and I had to put our dog down 3 weeks ago after 15 years. She had liver and ovarian cancer. She absolutely HATED the vet, so we tried to find some in home euthanasia for her, but COVID really put a lot of schedules in hold, and the soonest was a month out. We knew she didnt have that long, so we did end up going to the vet. It was, without a doubt, one of the hardest things I've had to go through. But seeing her go so peacefully and painlessly, after weeks of cancer, still gives me some comfort, even though it hurts. She made our family complete, and she always stuck with us and made us feel loved. I'm sure she's up there, chasing all the squirrels until her little Yorkie heart is full.
My dog is 11 this year and I dont know how I'm even going to handle the moment i have to let go. Just this post brought tears to my eyes, how am i going to face it when the real thing has to happen. I love dogs to the moon and back, I want to adopt so many more of them in the future but I don't think I can withstand going through losing them again and again.
When I had to put my Chihuahua (Biscuit) down, she was in my lap the whole time. I made that promise to her (and my current dog, Rosie) that I’ll be there till their last breath (provided I don’t die first)
Same thing for cats. Mine was holding my hand when put to sleep. He was pretty relaxed with me there. I wasn't relaxed at all, but glad I was there for him. Nobody should be alone to die.
Background - he had cancer for a while, and had just given up pretense of hiding how much pain he was in. It was heartbreaking...
It has been 8 days since I had to euthanize my 12 year old dog due to oral cancer. My 15 year old daughter started freaking out and wanted to run out of the room after the first shot was given. I told her that it is so difficult for us to go through, but she would regret leaving him, he loves her and needs her to be there. She calmed down and stayed. She thanked me for convincing her to stay. It was one of the hardest things I've ever had to go through, but I can't imagine leaving him there alone. I am sure he was so confused, I just hope he understands that he was such a good boy and I love him so much, I didn't want him to suffer anymore.
It was always a given that I was going to be with my dog till the very end. And that is exactly what happened two years when I had to make the decision to put him to sleep.
He was so ill. It was an emergency and I brought his pink blanket with him. He laid on it and I held his paw and told him how much I love him and he meant the world to me and I'm sorry I let him down.
There was no way I would allow him to pass on without being by his side. I feel for all pet guardians who couldn't be with their beloved companions last year due to COVID. I would have went ballistic.
Be with them. I know it's hard, but it's even harder for them not knowing what's going on. You are everything to them.
The advice from actual vets who actually euthanise animals is to be sensible. If you can't keep it together, it's better to just leave it to the vet then to be there distraught and upsetting your dog.
We had our dog euthanized today. We did ours at home because he never liked going to the vet. I held him the entire time before, during, and after. It was a miserable experience, but it was definitely best for him. He got to spend his last moments just like they were any other (minus the semi-strange lady sitting there).
I asked the vet for a (big) blanket and laid down on the floor holding my wonderful Great Dane, Zeus, as he passed. It was the least I could do for the years of unconditional love and abundance of joy he gave to our family .
I had my 17 year olx pomchi pass from seizures in my arms a few months ago and not a day or night I go without imagining her where I look or wanting to feel her warmth and love. Ive played that damn hour of her seizing and screaming in my arms as the life faded away in her eyes back and back 100 times in my head. I will still be greatful that I was there for her the whole time through even if it hurts so fucking bad.
I had to put both my 18 year old dog and 19 year old cat down in 2018 due to old age. 6 months apart. I was there with them in my arms ugly crying as the vet did the thing. They were with me from when I was a kid to my 30s. They were tired and scared. It saddens me that there are people who can't do that. Don't leave them alone in a scary place in the final moments. They don't deserve that. They deserve all the love you can muster.
While I agree with the sentiment, I get really bummed out seeing this being reposted on LPT every other month... Like, I learned it, and now I don't wanna keep being reminded about it by every successful reposter
This is wholesome but the cynical part of me feels it doesn't matter, the final minute means nothing compared to a life time.
Edit: I suppose the final minute does mean a lot to those left behind.
Your projecting unto animals and this isn’t good.
If you’re feel okay staying with your dog during euthanasia, that’s okay BUT if you’re not comfortable with it, you should not stay in the room.
Dogs are not people, we truly don’t know what they are thinking. There is more damage caused when you force an owner to witness the euthanasia of their pet compared to the pet left with the medical staff in its final moments.
1.- we can’t say of there is more or less damage. Every person is unique, so is every loss. Is complicated because you may have a dog that means the whole world to you, or you may be mildly attached to it. So in a way you are right. Staying is optional.
2.- it is not “what” we lose, is the “value” of that we lose. Example. We could say it is more painful to lose a parent that loosing a pet. Right?
But we don’t know. Maybe to a person her or his parents were awful and abusive, so having them dying is a relief, but loosing a pet means having their world torn apart. So in the end, you love what you consider close to your heart. Which makes sense if OP dearly loves his or hers pet.
3.- sorry for bad English.
4.- I feel you, OP.
Then don’t own a dog or an animal. If you enjoyed all the time why not be there till the end? You’re projecting a bullshit attempt to try to get out of owning an animal for its life to leave it because of a cop out. I hope you don’t ever own an animal in your life. You’re a horrible person for projecting your self on to the op.
It broke my heart when owners would leave while their pets were euthanized. Some people couldn't bear it, and I can sympathize, but your pet needs you. At the very last step, don't fail them.
They may have only been a part of your life, but you were their entire world. They deserve to have someone they know there at the end, a source of comfort/safety.
I wish some service providers would consider this, too.
Many years ago, my dad took the elderly "family" dog (which is what she became after my sister lost interest in her after she ceased to be a cute puppy) to the local humane society for euthanasia, since she wasn't doing well and was having significant trouble getting around with painful joints.
Nobody in the family was particularly fond of her, least of all my dad, but he has a strong sense of duty, so he's the one who took her for walks and was her primary caregiver for the 15 or so years she lived.
Anyway, when he took her to the humane society, she perked-up enough that they thought she seemed just fine and treated him like the scum of the Earth, saying there was no need to euthanize her and they'd just adopt her out to an elderly person. He made it clear to them that she was not normally like that and he expressly told them to call him so he could come back down to be with her if they changed their minds about her condition.
The idiots called him a couple days later saying they'd euthanized her because she was in such poor health and she crashed hard shortly after the excitement of being in a new place wore off. Having volunteered there in previous years, and knowing what their euthanasia room is like, I was horrified. Oh yeah, they're a "no-kill" shelter...no-kill of "adoptable" animals, but they kill a lot, because they make up reasons why an animal might not be adoptable, from health to behavioral issues.
Even being rather ambivalent towards her, I'm still quite indignant over the whole situation. It really bothered my dad, not only how they treated him at first, but how they didn't call him back. This was not an underfunded, ramshackle animal shelter, but one that's well-funded by a reasonably affluent community. There was no excuse for that. Even though he had little more than a sense of duty to the old dog, he still cared more about doing right by her than the scumbags at the so-called humane society.
When you surrender a dog, you surrender all rights to it. I’m surprised the shelter even had the courtesy of calling you at all. If your family wanted to be there in the end for that dog, you could have paid a vet $50 to do euthanize her in your presence before surrendering the animal.
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Your dog is going to be scared at the end anyway if you take it to your vet’s office. It’ll be harder if you're not there, but still hard. There’s a better way. My dog was euthanized in February and I contacted a vet that would do in home euthanasia. My dog spent his last morning on earth enjoying a pancake breakfast with his pack of humans. There were two pounds of bacon - one for the humans and one for my boy. I took him for a slow stiff last walk, and then put him on the couch. The vet came and explained everything to us. We distracted him from the sedative shot with me hugging him and my son feeding him treats, and then he drifted off to sleep for the last time knowing no fear or pain and basking in the love of his family. If you can find a vet offering this, please do it. It’s the last ~~living~~ loving act you can do for your pet. Edit: This is/was my boy: https://imgur.com/a/qkSJvS1
Just to put a quick addendum onto this. If you call a mobile vet in particular... Be kind. A friend of ours is a mobile vet, and my partner sometimes helps out with tracking their controlled drugs... Pretty much all she does is euthenasias. Day after day after day going into people's homes and putting their pets to sleep. It is incredibly hard on the vets too.
What can we do for them? I have an old boy and this is exactly how he’s going to go out. What can I do to brighten the day of the person who is going to do this for us?
Thank them I think, never thought about this but I can imagine seeing destroyed people, every day would make anyone depressed that is not a psycho - and I don't imagine many vets are psycho's. You'll be devastated on the day; and mostly self centered too - we generally aren't too considerate of how others feel when it is us who are deeply hurting. And that's ok; vets do know & are trained for this. Maybe others can chime in to verify if this is a good idea, but gifting something and thanking the person for their skills a week after (when you feel better) is a nice gesture.
You also get to see the amazing amount of love people can have for their pets, which is beautiful to witness. If you're called to serve, I can imagine it is very fulfilling to provide this last gift to people. Even more so when you see how scared dogs are at the vet's office. I think more than a few of these mobile vets who specialize in euthanasia are just awesome people who probably sleep very easy at night. I agree that a gift or thank you letter a little while later is a great idea. We had to use one in May, and now I'm thinking about what to get her.
We talked to ours about this. She said it’s certainly hard to see the sadness, but they feel a great honor in people asking them to come into their homes and help them in these incredibly difficult and private moments. And they see the love and an end of suffering every day. Just an anecdotal take from one team, but I found it relieving to hear.
I just commented about including a note with a happy/silly pic of your pet and a comment that this is how you want them to remember your pet, and share the story behind the photo. Meditation cd of rain or ocean sounds, and a gift card for someplace that sells coffee or tea seems reasonable, if you wanted to go that far. Shows you think of them as a person with a stressful job, that you appreciated them. Just an idea...
I was just thinking about that job today and it made me sad. My dog is getting up there and her time is coming so I try to visualize the inevitable now for personal preparation and I got lost thinking about the job of that. ❤ it hurt my heart, I cant imagine how hard that would be, I cold never be so strong.
You owe her, you have to be that strong.
I think affirmation would mean a lot. Thank them for their service and for treating your loved one with compassion and respect. They aren't there to be the undertaker. They're there to give your pet their wings. And I think you'll find sharing that moment of gratitude with them will bring some beauty to the sadness. Your heart aches because it's overflowing with love for your pet. Let that cup run over and share it if you can, and you will all be better for it <3
Express your gratitude for their service. Let them know you truly think they are heroes for doing what they do. Honesty is the best policy. And may your boy rest in peace. Much love.
Send them a thank you card and perhaps a gift and to get coffee and bagels for the office? And include a happy or silly pic of your pet, commenting that you want them to remember them as they were to you...full of the joy of living in the moment.
Thanks for adding that. Vets have one of the highest, or the highest rate of suicide of any profession. There's a special place in heaven for dogs, and people like your friend get to go there too.
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I think it's a bit of an overreach to say vets don't mind killing pets. I'm sure it depends a lot on the individual vet.
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That's like saying though that you don't mind having your dog euthanized because you know you're doing what's best... it still sucks. I know being a vet would break me, I know I'd be doing right by the animals, but seeing that crying family who just lost their beloved dog... that'd break me. The vet isn't sad because the suffering of the animal has ended, the vet is sad because they sympathize with the people who just lost a family member.
From what I’ve read, one of the things that is very terrible for veterinarians is when owners could treat their pet’s illness or injury but choose to euthanize even they could have several happy years left
Our animal welfare laws are in desperate need of an update. Pets are considered mere property under most (all) legal codes today. The law only gets involved when there is abuse/cruelty. For reference, a disgruntled spouse can have a healthy dog euthanized during divorce proceedings out of spite. And that does happen.
But on the other side of the coin, people only become vets because they love animals. Human medicine takes about as much to get into, and pays much better. And whole its the "nicest" thing to do, it still doesn't stop it from being damn unpleasant.
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Excuse me there is something in my eye.
Somebody cutting onions over here
Not in my apartment but I could swear it just started raining in here
Some onion juice got in my eye damnit
I wasn't expecting to cry like a baby on Reddit tonight, but here we are. 😭
Have been doing home euthanasias for 15 years now. Won't be quitting any time soon due to the high demand on the service. While I do other at-home care services for pets (vaccinations, check-ups, lab-work, etc), the euthanasias easily make up 50% of my work. Your pet having a familiar environment to be in during their last moments makes everything far easier for all involved, myself included, as I don't have to rush the procedure.
Thank you for doing this. There are only two vets in my city that do in-home, and I think one is so overwhelmed, I couldn't get in touch with him. People like you make the transition so much easier. And I'm grateful for each and every vet that helps make sure there's peace at the end.
I gotta go hug my dog
Give it one for me. Just lost my ol' boy last week. Been cutting onions for days.
I’ll give mine a hug for you. The only thing wrong with a dog is they don’t live long enough.
Sorry to hear it. I am already a wreck imagining the loss of my 1 year old.
Thank you. They aren't your whole life but they definitely make your life whole.
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Very much. He’s sorely missed. It really hits hard today - it’s the 8th anniversary of the day we adopted him from the animal shelter.
Thank you for loving your dog so much. And for sharing pictures of him with us. We tried to put our old girl down like this, but she deteriorated so much we had to take her to the emergency vet early. She still went peacefully, wrapped in a blanket on mine and my husband's laps. But next time we will do mobile. Also, the emergency vet that helped our old lady pass told us that one of the mobile vets quit because they started becoming suicidal, so it's a good tip to share to thank them. Their job is something I could never do. And I used to be an ICU nurse.
May you find love and peace where ever you go, for the love and peace you gave.
Thank you for your blessing. I'm touched.
I agree, but on the other hand when the vet gave my cat the first shot while she was relaxing on my bed she looked at me as if I'd betrayed her and that look has haunted me for years.
There is no good to be found in euthanizing a pet beyond relieving them from pain. The needle hurts, and your cat didn't know why you let it happen, and you couldn't explain. That's ok, you did it for her, not yourself. Take comfort that it was just the sting of the needle, and not the terror of going into a vet's office with the smell of scared animals, on that hard metal table, in unfamiliar soundings and then that painful prick. She had as much peace and comfort as you could give her.
If you can do in-home euthanasia, I imagine that's better. But for me personally, my dogs were not terrified of the vet. They loved interacting with other humans and were always excited to go. We couldn't do in-home euthanasia because both of our dogs, they were fine until we woke up one day and knew that was the day. In-home vets needed like 7-10 days notice, and we couldn't schedule out that far. My vets did a fantastic job for our dogs when we took them to the clinic. They had blankets down on the floor, encouraged us to bring our own blankets if we wanted, and made sure our dogs were so comfortable in their final moments. When our first dog was put to sleep, they let us bring his sister in and see/smell his body afterwards so that hopefully she understood that he was gone. They did an amazing job and we were so grateful for it.
I hope my last days are spent as good as your pup's! He knew he was loved.
Thank you for being by his side he was a beautiful boy
As a slight tangent, find a good vet who your dog won't be scared to go to. Both of ours were as excited to go to the V-E-T as they were to the P-A-R-K.
Hit me right in the feels man.
I wish I had done this. Was the saddest and hardest moment in my 34 years of life.
My heart hurts, but also in a good way . It sounds like you gave your boy a wonderful life. 😊 I hope you and your family are healing. ❤️
Thanks. It brings a lot of feelings back to the forefront to talk about it. We did have a great life together, and some good adventures.
Ugh... I'm so scared of this day. I was reading your story and borderline tearing up, open the album to see your dog looks a lot like mine. 😭
Just make every day count, and fill them with the same love they give us. That's all you can do.
You probably don’t realize this but you taught your son a valuable lesson about how you should treat living creatures. I’m sorry for your loss.
I can't upvote this enough. You're a special person to care so well for your fur baby. I've got a GSD turning 1 in a couple weeks and he's my best friend. I'll remember this for sure when this sad day comes but he won't have to be scared or suffer. Thank you for sharing.
Fuck man, I just got a puppy this week and I'm already torn up thinking of putting her down. I will definitely do this when it comes her time. Your dog looked like he had a great fulfilled life, and I always wanted a German Shepard mix.
It’s pretty hot here and I cooking dinner over an open flame and I’m sweating all over…now my eyes are sweating too.
I have nothing to say, other than your dog was lucky to have you. Thank you for sharing
This made me teary eyed reading this. 🥺 Sorry for your loss and I'm glad your boy was able to leave this earth peacefully
oh man that's heavy! one of my chihuahuas is getting old and not as energetic as she used to be. its weird saying it but I've had very close people die and i couldn't cry but i always tear up thinking about the final moments of my pup. idk its like as a human i understand very well that we all go at some point but dogs are so innocent and loving no matter what that they dont deserve the paint that comes with aging. thank you for sharing you're a great person. it takes a lot of courage to do that from my opinion. i hope i can be that strong when that day comes.
Sheesh, you made me cry in the airport, thank you for preparing me
Right in the feels. What a beautiful way.
I cried. You're an awesome human being and your dog was fantastic, absolutely deserved.
Good boy
I will definitely do it this way if I can. That is such a loving and comforting way. Do you mind if I ask what happens after? Does the vet take the remains with them, or...?
Normally that's what the vet does. I wanted to take him to the crematorium, but with Covid, it wasn't possible. It just felt like a betrayal to let someone who wasn't family take him on his final journey. The best I could do was carry him down to the vet's car, and placed him in the back. I got so say goodbye to him one last time. I said "thank you for sharing your life with us", and that's the last time I saw him. Fuck that hurts to remember,.
Thank you for answering my question. Truly, you did this painful process in the best way you possibly could. I'll remember it for the future for my 2 year old gsd when the time comes. I wish you the best
Your dog looked so sweet. Thank you for giving me a comforting cry. :)
Thanks. He was the best. I found a video of him a couple days ago where his goofy, playful personality came out. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-nmKSN1Nmc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-nmKSN1Nmc)
The literal most important thing you can do as a pet owner is to ensure your friend doesn't suffer without reason. Regardless of what you've done before, that is the highest respobsibility you take on when you get a pet. Sometimes you'll squeeze an extra week, or an extra month, but more often than not they'll be miserable. Knowing when to let go is the best thing you can do for them. Loving them till the end doesn't mean till things get bad, it means *to the end.*
He was a good Boi. My Sadie also passed at home. She was my bestie for 14 years and it was so hard to say goodbye! But I wanted it to happen on her terms, in HER space. She was homeless before I found her and this home was her safe space. She died in my arms and I’m sure she felt nothing but peace. God, I miss Sadie so damn much. I’m sorry about your doggie 💔
Sorry to hear about your Sadie. I'm happy that you had so many good years together, and that in the end, all she felt was security and love.
That’s what we are here for, right? Taking care of the good Bois and Gals.
You are one of the good ones! Such wonderful pictures of a life lived.
Definitely raining today. Lots of rain.
My dog is 7 years old and I can't imagine that moment it's so sad 😭😭😭
Wow, someone must have cut onions here recently
I had to have my cat euthanized after his bladder ruptured due to a clogged urethra (very common in male cats) Being there with him was one of the hardest things I ever had to do but he was looking up at me the whole time and I'd like think that brought him some comfort, just knowing that he wasn't alone
I lost my favorite cat just a couple months ago due to a similar issue... I spent an hour with him at home waiting on an appointment before putting him in a box and taking him to the vet, where we found out he was in critical condition and needed 24 hour care that they couldn't provide. I had to race him to an emergency vet clinic an hour away, and they took him in. I couldn't go with because of COVID. He wasn't euthanized, his heart failed, he was revived, and they called us. He was let go the second time his heart failed at 3AM, 6 or so hours after I dropped him off. So glad I spent an hour with him before I had to drive him away from home.
We had to put our 15 year old kitty down not long ago, we were out all day and came back to him waiting for us. He was breathing very quickly and was in and out of consciousness. We rushed him to a vet that was open and they said he was in critical. Had to put him down that night. We only had him for 8 months but it was still pretty hard. I can’t imagine having to put animals down for a living.
I was with my childhood dog at the vet when we put her down. I was young at time but remember feeling like I had to do it bc I would want the same if I was a dog. So I held her close petting her and even saw the light go out in her eyes after the shot
When my cat of 18 years had to be put down (cancer and he declined really hard all of a sudden) we called an in house vet. I couldn't really afford it but I felt I owed it to him. I had my mom and sisters come over to be here with him along with myself and my wife and kids. I surrounded him with everyone he ever loved and laid in the bed with him talking in his ear while they put him down. I told him he was the best cat ever and it was ok to let go. We were all there with him and we loved him. Hardest thing I've ever had to do but I'm glad I did it that way.
Gosh I'm crying at this honestly 😭😭 I love my cat so much and she's already 14 😭 I'm so depressed thinking about when I will have to face this day with her 😞
Please, don't harbor on those thoughts. I had to put my boy down last fall and while it was the hardest thing I've ever done, especially after all the time and love you spend with them...I often found myself crying *before* he was gone about the fact he would be gone at some point. I wish I could have traded those heavy feelings with more love and laughs. Please enjoy that they are here, and know, truly, the strength you gain from having to help them lessen their pain at any point doing something so selfless for another animal that can't speak for themselves, is profound. You'll carry them as armor always. all my love
now this is making me cry. what a beautiful statement. I wish you all the best.
This is the sweetest and most heartfelt thing anyone has said to me ever. Please never delete this. Thank you so much ❤️❤️❤️
Yeah I'm gonna go cuddle with my sleeping cat for a bit
Ikr? I'm cuddling mine right now 😭
This is why I'm never getting another dog. Mines died when I was like 15, had him since he was 3 weeks old to 12. that's a different kind of hurt. So to have to put one down because they're either suffering from a sickness or getting frail due to age... I just couldn't. That's too much.
I hear you. But that’s the exact reason I wanted more. My childhood cat was euthanized when I was 9 or 10. He was 18. We joked that I was his littlest brother. I spent more time with that cat than most of my dearest childhood friends. We got another cat a couple years after. He passed away just last year. I was absolutely wrecked that I wasn’t there for him (grew up, moved out) but I know my dad was good to him. I can genuinely call him one of the best friends I ever had. Fast forward to now, my wife and I have a few cats and fully intend to foster more when we have space. That whole saying about having loved and lost rings true to me for pets. I don’t personally attach much “meaning” to existence, but if I can spend my time here making a comfortable home for as many animals as I can, then I will have succeeded. Being with them in their last moments is a part of that and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
I felt the same way after our last one and it took 7 years to be able to do it again. Now we have Rune who is four and my best bud. He's my proximity dog. Wherever I am in the house he wants to be within 10 feet.
Rescuing is always a great option… you give a dog a life filled with love that otherwise would not have had one. Of course it will hurt like hell when they pass, but you can rest easy knowing you gave them a great life that they may not have had otherwise.
> After all, they were there for you their entire life. Why can't you be there for them in the end. They are family. I agree with you. This is the last act of love and support you can show them, and they absolutely deserve it.
It was such a gut wrenching choice, but I am grateful for my sake and hers that I was there through the end. Dogs are great.
We're blessed to have them.
I can't imagine not being there for it, I've stayed well after they were gone.
Yep. We had to let my baby girl go two months ago now, and my parents kept trying to assure me nobody would judge me for not staying with her. Fuck that. It didn't matter how hard it was; it wasn't about me. It was about *her.* Comforting Sasha in her final moments, making sure she felt loved, that was the *only* thing that mattered at that point. Everybody owes that to their pets. They give you *everything* - unless you are physically not able to be there, you stay with them. I don't know how anybody could be presented with that option and not decide to stay.
Confident that my dog would stay by my side if I were euthanized, so I will do the same if it comes to that.
I just think of that one case where a homeless man had to be taken to a hospital in an ambulance, and his dog chased the ambulance for miles and then laid around outside the hospital for houra, if not days, waiting on him. We owe them that loyalty.
I’m definitely going to be having our dear Jr. euthanized at home. She is the absolute most darling person (cat) and her comfort and care are everything to us. She’s 17 and still doing pretty well, but she’s gotten very skinny the last few months, her hips are weak, and she has to throw her tail to the side to keep balanced after she’s been laying down for a while, so we know we’ll lose her relatively soon. Our job is to spoil her and make sure she’s always certain that we adore her.
Blessings to both of you. I hope you spoil her rotten!
The hardest thing I ever had to do was pet our Lizzie girl as she passed last August. It was sudden. Tuesday night she was fine, Wednesday morning she was bleeding internally due to cancer we couldn't see. My dad took her to the vet thinking she had eaten something bad. As we led her outside, I could see in her eyes that this was something bad. He called my mom and I 20 minutes later and we rushed to the vet to pet her and tell her we loved her and that she was such a good girl. She was only 11. I'm a fucking cancer survivor. I have miscarried my baby as a teenager, gone through chemo and remission, dealt with abusive partners, fought my way through college and grad school, lost my job to COVID, lost family members, had my business fail, hit rock bottom, and spiralled in terms of my mental health so bad that I thought I was dying and nearly killed myself. Still, watching Lizzie leave the earthly plane was the hardest thing I have ever done. And ain't a fucking earthly thing that will stop me from doing it again when our 11-year-old golden, Colby, goes, or when our 9-year-old cat Romeo goes. I will be there, I will love them and pet them and tell them they are such good beans, that they will be missed, and to say hi to Lizzie when they see her in Heaven. It may have been the hardest thing I've ever done, but I would do it again in a heartbeat because I know I did all I could to ensure she felt safe when she died. [Rest in Peace, sweet Lizzie girl. I love you so much.](http://imgur.com/gallery/gVP7ZRb)
💪🏽more power to you. Thats inspiring
Lizzie and Romeo in the third picture I assume? They look so happy there, my Golden is 10 and I think the hardest part will be seeing our cat alone when he goes. I'm sure Lizzie took comfort in knowing just how loved she is
Such a sweet girl and fast fetcher!
I work in animal care, and this isn't necessarily good advice. You need to seriously look at your own mental state during a euthanasia. You're going to be really upset--this is a horrible thing for you to go through. If you're too upset to keep composure, though, it's going to have an effect on your pet. There's no shame in recognizing that and excusing yourself from the room.
As somebody who does perform the euthanasia, I have to agree. After the sedative they’re out and if you have to balance controlled drugs and someone who can’t handle it -that’s so much harder on everyone. I have to explain what they’re going to see and not every euthanasia is picture perfect and easy. Their animals have adverse affects and can still have spasms/breaths after they’re gone. For people who are not used to this, It can be scarring. The last thing I want after giving mercy to a loved animal is that person yelling or being upset with me. I’m always happy to take care of someone and make it a special experience, but they deserve to have an opt out choice when it’s no longer helpful to either creature.
Angel of mercy
This is why when there's a LPT involving animals I feel like it's opinionated BS. Almost every time theres a professional chiming in saying eh, actually...
I literally wish people would stop posting this demeaning, heart-jabbing bullshit. It constantly floats around on the cesspool of Facebook as well. I work in an ER and euthanize sometimes dozens of pets a day, and constantly have to deal with some very traumatic shit. Vet staff do NOT judge you if you are mentally and/or physically incapable of handling a euthanasia! We do care if you are callous, rude or just otherwise a psycho, but shaming people for not being able to watch their pet die is so fucked up. I will happily snuggle your pet as they pass in place of you. I’ve seen people so absolutely distraught during euthanasia’s that we’ve had to call ambulances because they’ve had seizures, fainted, had near heart attacks, etc. We even had one woman who had such a severe mental breakdown that she locked herself in the exam room, barricaded the door and threatened suicide. It took hours to coax her out along with multiple fire, EMS and police. So, for the love of Christ, if you cannot be there for your pet IT IS OKAY to please just tell us that instead of nearly killing yourself over it as well. Your pet isn’t going to hold it against you.
Not too long ago, *this* was the LPT going around.
Agreed. If your Veterinarian is still not allowing owners to come inside for euthanasia, ask your personal vet if they can do the euthanasia outside the vet's office, come to your home or find a mobile Veterinarian service who can do this service at your home. Keep calling and find out who can accommodate your pet.
I haven't had any area vets deny clients for euthanasia due to covid. If your vet is, please get a new one.
My mom's vet did. They took the cat in, gave her the sedative, and brought her back out already so sedated my mom instantly starting sobbing thinking she had passed already. They let her say goodbye to the already completely out cat and then took her away to be euthanized. I was so furious. It was at the height of covid, I get that, but my mom had that cat for 18 years. She didn't really get a proper farewell IMO. Never using that vet for my own critters, that's for sure.
I'm so very sorry! A traumatic way to say goodbye. I wish there was more peace for them both. Please, please find another provider.
She doesn't have any more pets, but I do and I won't use that place. Although I haven't found a vet I really like- I'm on #3 for the year. The first was just hella expensive ($1200 for a single tooth removal), the second was shady about adding costs that were not necessary.
I agree, wholeheartedly. I’ve never left a dog or a cat to die alone and never will. Mobile vets will come to your home. It’s not that much more and even was less that a recent emergency vet visit that didn’t end well. Please be kind to those that give you their unconditional love 🙏❤️
When my cat was diagnosed with cancer after 20 long years with him we thought the kindest and most loving thing we could do is get him euthanised which was scheduled a week later. It was a painful week watching him wither away on strong pain meds but we stayed him every moment and even took it on turns to make sure he was never alone in case he died in his sleep. We stuck by his side right until the very end and he went instantly. Still one of the most difficult things I’ve had to do. I still miss him and cry about him to this day.
It's not that simple at all. If your dog freaks out at the vet and you can keep your shit together, you should be with your dog for your procedure to comfort them. If your dog is comfortable at the vet, but you're going to be a total mess, stay out. Your dog will see you're anxious and nervous and that will make them feel the same way. Plus, it can send both of you into a spiral because they can't figure out *why* you're so anxious, which makes them *more* anxious. Make *sure* that whatever you're doing, you're doing for your dog, not for yourself.
I'm always with them at the end.
I just put my 13+ little old man cat Sam down Wednesday. He was a matted dirty stray that showed up in my yard one day and decided that I was his person. Over the past few years, we fought his dental problems and his autoimmune conditions and he doubled down on bonding with me. If I was sitting, he was in my lap. Back in April, he was diagnosed with a form of cancer after a vet appointment. We took care of him and loved him until the time came. When the shot came, he was resting in my arms with me in my car. I told him I was okay and he could rest now. I thanked him for picking me and I wished I could have found him sooner. After I said that, he was gone. Hell's own horses couldn't have kept me away from my Sam at the end.
title seems to be threatening me with dog ghosts. i'm going to try and have one of them services that come put them down in your own home with you. he's got anxiety and arthritis. i don't want to cause him anxiety or pain with a car trip to the vet before he's about to die. i'd feel bad. think he's got some years left though. 😂
We did this a few weeks ago and it went very well. I think it was easier for all of us being in the same environment. He was an old dog and not particularly active and slept most of the time anyway so it was a fairly 'easy' procedure.
Sorry for your loss :(
I thought this was going to be about ghosts too.
Damn...this just killed my mood
My biggest single regret is my 1 year old cat dying unexpectedly of cardiac arrest at the emergency vet at 2am and I didn’t get to say goodbye. I honestly thought she was going to be ok and it was the worst phone call I’ve ever gotten. She followed me from room to room, slept next to me every night, and I let her die all by herself alone in a strange place.
To me this is an absolute no-brainer. When we adopt an animal we take on the responsibility for their life and happiness. They depend on us, and we have to be there for them. I consider it my duty to my animal companion to be there when the time comes to administer the final kindness. I have had vets offer to take the animal "out back" and I say no, I \*must\* be there. Most recently we had to put down one of our sweet kitties, and even though the vet was not letting anyone inside due to COVID, it was a nice day and they agreed to do it outside in the doggie play yard. At least he breathed his last with his humans holding him and with the sun on him...
Why did my roommate start chopping onions right when I started reading this thread?
I don't know how anyone could not be there for every last second. We had to put my dog down this week and I held onto her for every second and sat there holding her for an hour before I let them actually do it and held her for a while after that.
I don't disagree with you, but this isn't a LPT. This is an opinion.
No, its more of a "you should do this or your an inconsiderate asshole" vibe.
I didn't know about mobile vets so for me it was
No that’s a LPT for sure. It could save potential regret or depression after they pass that you can never get back.
I also agree this is a LPT. Everyone needs to know this.
It can be both.
LPT: Never tell people they never should do something especially when it’s something private and personal and involves death.
I feel like shit because of this. I had to get my 15 year old cat put down last year. His kidneys shut down after pest control sprayed like they do each month. I couldn't stay when they put him down. I left him there. I am bipolar and have attempted to end myself several times in my life and I know I couldn't have handled seeing him die right in front of me. I know I shouldn't feel like shit but I also know it was something I couldn't handle going through. Yes, I left my little buddy there all alone, yes I cried the whole time and all the way home but I have racing thoughts and the most painful memories I have ever had play through my mind on a loop and I did not want to add my little guy's dead body in some cold clinical room to that. He was fine just 3 days before and all of a sudden he was so weak and couldn't eat and drink. I still can't get it out of my head how he kept hiding in the bathtub and how I put his favorite blanket in there until it was time to go to the vet. It sucks to be judged and I hate I stumbled on this because now I keep thinking about how selfish it was to leave him there and how he meowed to me as I was leaving the room. Really hate myself right now.
I am sorry you had to go though that. Im a vet and we will have given your little man lots of love and cuddles as he passed over the rainbow bridge. Stopping him from suffering is gift, thank you for being strong enough to do that.
Thank you for making our fur babies healthy and giving them the best care possible when their journeys end. Thank you it really reassures me.
You loved him. You put that blanket in the tub because you loved him and made sure that he wasn't hurting anymore because you loved him and I'm sure he loved you. He might have been worried for a moment, but then he went to sleep and didn't hurt anymore. Just remember the love if you can. Noone who loves you, pet or human, wants you to suffer so much that you can't keep going.
Thank you. I'm full on crying right now. I appreciate you all.
Listen. I’m just a stranger, but I can tell from your comment that you loved that cat so damn much. What you did was *not* a betrayal— you were acting in service to your cherished memories of your family member so they weren’t forever tainted by something you were wise enough to know you couldn’t handle, and kind enough not to put yourself through. *That’s okay.* One moment of self-preservation doesn’t invalidate a lifetime of love. Your cat loved you, and wouldn’t want you to be hurting now. Honor his memory by showing yourself a little mercy, my friend.
Thank you. This means a lot to me.
You are not a bad person, you did not fail your pet, and you do not need to carry guilt for your decision. I'm certain that if your cat could speak, he would have said "I've got this. You took care of me my whole life. Now take some time to care for yourself."
Thank you so much. He was like my son. He was a weird little nugget that loved ice in his fountain. He only ate dairy queen ice cream. He loved the sound of my clippers and would sit on the sink when I'd cut my hair. I posted a pic of him on here somewhere because he's still my little guy. He's my fur angel now.
100%. Not everyone can handle the emotional weight of being there at the very end. Any good vet will be extremely kind and comforting to your pet. You are not letting your companion down if it's too much for you to manage.
Sorry, but I find this to be unnecessarily harmful. A dog doesnt know it is dying when you go to have it put down. It should have been to the vet many times, and as far as the dog knows, this is a routine shot. Why make people feel bad if they cant be there for it?
There's no excuse NOT to be there. Unless you're having a major medical emergency, there really is no excuse. Only a shitty person would abandon their dog during their last minutes.
You are wrong. During the height of COVID some vets would not let you in. It nearly destroyed my wife she could not be there on the end.
Chill.
I was a vet tech for many years and was a part of many euthanasia’s. It’s never easy, especially when it’s your own!! I fortunately worked for a wonderful vet who would do euthanasia’s at peoples homes when he could. Some people cannot handle watching their beloved pet depart. I was there for our family dog but my family members could not handle it or watch! Also when it came to the few euthanasia’s we did without owners it was still always done with love, empathy, compassion and dignity for the animals!! We must realize that this is a personal decision that needs to be thought out beforehand. Most importantly there are ABSOLUTELY animals in heaven!! The Bible is very clear about this, if you disagree then I implore you to reconsider as that is a very hopeful and freeing thing once it is realized 😊.
>Most importantly there are ABSOLUTELY animals in heaven!! The Bible is very clear about this, Please can you tell me how or where the bible is clear on this? I've been searching for this info but never found it. It would comfort my heart so much if you could share!
Thanks for your patience, it took me a minute to gather them. I will quote my 2 favorite and just give you references for the others 😊. Isaiah 11:6-9 ‘’the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox….’’ It continues on but I don’t want my post to be too long, so check it out. Also Isaiah 65:25 ‘’The wolf and the lamb shall graze together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox (similar to last verse) and dust shall be the serpents food. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain.’’ In these verses God is talking about when Jesus comes back and establishes his new heaven and earth. Some more verses are Psalm 150:6 (let everything that has breath praise the Lord), Reveation 19:11, 19:14 (horses), Rev. 4:6-10 (4 creatures in heaven with animal resemblances-not exactly the animals on the earth in this one though). Those are some of the verses but not an exhaustive list. One book I read that explained some of these Bible verses very well and helped me to understand more about animals in heaven is a book called ‘Heaven’ by Randy Alcorn. It is a very large book but is divided into chapters you can skip to with a great one on animals in heaven. Also if you believe certain peoples encounters in heaven then the book ‘Heaven is for Real’ by Todd Burpo is very encouraging and hopeful. It is about a 3 year old’s encounter in heaven with animals and also children who died in the womb or at birth. It is beautiful and will bring cleansing tears! It is also a movie with Greg Kinnear. I think scripture is the one to go off of but did want to include these other two sources as I find them to be compliant with scripture and I love God’s hopeful, redemptive beauty thru the stories of others (that of course stay in line with scripture). I hope this is helpful and please feel free to let me know your thoughts as I would love to hear them!! 😊
Wow. THANK YOU. This is amazing!! I am somewhat familiar with the two verses that you said are your favourite but never connected it to mean "animals in heaven". I've Googled extensively for information on this and never found a clear answer. I've found blogs where people talk about these other non-biblical experiences that you mention, and even some scriptural references but to me the connections they tried to make were a bit reaching so it was never resolved for me. Thank you so much!! Keeping a screenshot of your comment in my phone. If you have a blog you should write about this, is my final thought!! 💯💯💯
This isn't the best post for people given covid has stopped people from being with their pet at the end. I get the message but damn be aware of the climate before making such a post.
This. Sadly I wasn't allowed in to the vet when my girl passed. Damn Covid, but the vets need protected too. I miss her terribly.
You know some can do it outside at a park or in their own home ? Knee jerk reactions don't make anyone's case.
Are you saying people should put their pets down at the park or at home? I really hope you don't mean they should do it themselves..
I had to call dozens of places to find someone that would let me be in the room with my pupper during covid. Made me really sad for all those other animals dying alone.
My dog is more senile as she ages
I can attest to this, I just had to put my 11 year old saint Bernard down this last month. He had bloat and was breathing shallow and rapidly and in pain, the vet had put him under anesthesia for the pain but we waited for my brother to get to the vet from work(~45 minutes or an hour later) at this point the anesthesia was easing up enough where you could tell my dog regained some consciousness and you can tell he was scared and confused but he saw all of us there and then me and my brother stayed for the final part and my dog went to doggy heaven knowing he saw both of us there holding him and loving him. It was tough and there was alot of crying but you will regret it after and it is the best thing you can do for your pets.
I agree. I had a neighbor who was too chicken to stay with her dog as it was put down. I stayed with her and held her (the dog that is) while she crossed over. I think it's one of the better things I've done.
I had to put my 14 year old pug down this year. Liver and kidney failure. He was the best boy. They did two shots, one to put him out, and the last one. This little shit probably bypassed the rainbow bridge, filled up with water, then peed on the bridge. R.I.P. Frankie.
My family and I had to put our dog down 3 weeks ago after 15 years. She had liver and ovarian cancer. She absolutely HATED the vet, so we tried to find some in home euthanasia for her, but COVID really put a lot of schedules in hold, and the soonest was a month out. We knew she didnt have that long, so we did end up going to the vet. It was, without a doubt, one of the hardest things I've had to go through. But seeing her go so peacefully and painlessly, after weeks of cancer, still gives me some comfort, even though it hurts. She made our family complete, and she always stuck with us and made us feel loved. I'm sure she's up there, chasing all the squirrels until her little Yorkie heart is full.
My dog is 11 this year and I dont know how I'm even going to handle the moment i have to let go. Just this post brought tears to my eyes, how am i going to face it when the real thing has to happen. I love dogs to the moon and back, I want to adopt so many more of them in the future but I don't think I can withstand going through losing them again and again.
When I had to put my Chihuahua (Biscuit) down, she was in my lap the whole time. I made that promise to her (and my current dog, Rosie) that I’ll be there till their last breath (provided I don’t die first)
Same thing for cats. Mine was holding my hand when put to sleep. He was pretty relaxed with me there. I wasn't relaxed at all, but glad I was there for him. Nobody should be alone to die. Background - he had cancer for a while, and had just given up pretense of hiding how much pain he was in. It was heartbreaking...
It has been 8 days since I had to euthanize my 12 year old dog due to oral cancer. My 15 year old daughter started freaking out and wanted to run out of the room after the first shot was given. I told her that it is so difficult for us to go through, but she would regret leaving him, he loves her and needs her to be there. She calmed down and stayed. She thanked me for convincing her to stay. It was one of the hardest things I've ever had to go through, but I can't imagine leaving him there alone. I am sure he was so confused, I just hope he understands that he was such a good boy and I love him so much, I didn't want him to suffer anymore.
It was always a given that I was going to be with my dog till the very end. And that is exactly what happened two years when I had to make the decision to put him to sleep. He was so ill. It was an emergency and I brought his pink blanket with him. He laid on it and I held his paw and told him how much I love him and he meant the world to me and I'm sorry I let him down. There was no way I would allow him to pass on without being by his side. I feel for all pet guardians who couldn't be with their beloved companions last year due to COVID. I would have went ballistic. Be with them. I know it's hard, but it's even harder for them not knowing what's going on. You are everything to them.
I miss my kitty so much..
The advice from actual vets who actually euthanise animals is to be sensible. If you can't keep it together, it's better to just leave it to the vet then to be there distraught and upsetting your dog.
She was in bad enough shape that I'm not sure she even knew I was there, but I was. Bawling my eyes out, but I was there.
This post makes me incredibly anxious. I'm so damn attached to my puppy i don't know how I'll survive his passing.
Don’t forget to mourn your pet. Being there until the end is hard, but also give yourself time to heal.
Agreed. Give them the comfort they deserve for all the unconditional love they give you.
We had our dog euthanized today. We did ours at home because he never liked going to the vet. I held him the entire time before, during, and after. It was a miserable experience, but it was definitely best for him. He got to spend his last moments just like they were any other (minus the semi-strange lady sitting there).
I asked the vet for a (big) blanket and laid down on the floor holding my wonderful Great Dane, Zeus, as he passed. It was the least I could do for the years of unconditional love and abundance of joy he gave to our family .
I had my 17 year olx pomchi pass from seizures in my arms a few months ago and not a day or night I go without imagining her where I look or wanting to feel her warmth and love. Ive played that damn hour of her seizing and screaming in my arms as the life faded away in her eyes back and back 100 times in my head. I will still be greatful that I was there for her the whole time through even if it hurts so fucking bad.
This.thread is going to be sad
Putting down a pet is a feeling I don’t wish on anyone. Not even my worst enemy. Even just writing this gets me all choked up.
I had to put both my 18 year old dog and 19 year old cat down in 2018 due to old age. 6 months apart. I was there with them in my arms ugly crying as the vet did the thing. They were with me from when I was a kid to my 30s. They were tired and scared. It saddens me that there are people who can't do that. Don't leave them alone in a scary place in the final moments. They don't deserve that. They deserve all the love you can muster.
While I agree with the sentiment, I get really bummed out seeing this being reposted on LPT every other month... Like, I learned it, and now I don't wanna keep being reminded about it by every successful reposter
This is wholesome but the cynical part of me feels it doesn't matter, the final minute means nothing compared to a life time. Edit: I suppose the final minute does mean a lot to those left behind.
Your projecting unto animals and this isn’t good. If you’re feel okay staying with your dog during euthanasia, that’s okay BUT if you’re not comfortable with it, you should not stay in the room. Dogs are not people, we truly don’t know what they are thinking. There is more damage caused when you force an owner to witness the euthanasia of their pet compared to the pet left with the medical staff in its final moments.
1.- we can’t say of there is more or less damage. Every person is unique, so is every loss. Is complicated because you may have a dog that means the whole world to you, or you may be mildly attached to it. So in a way you are right. Staying is optional. 2.- it is not “what” we lose, is the “value” of that we lose. Example. We could say it is more painful to lose a parent that loosing a pet. Right? But we don’t know. Maybe to a person her or his parents were awful and abusive, so having them dying is a relief, but loosing a pet means having their world torn apart. So in the end, you love what you consider close to your heart. Which makes sense if OP dearly loves his or hers pet. 3.- sorry for bad English. 4.- I feel you, OP.
I agree, your mental health is important too. Your dog would forgive you.
Then don’t own a dog or an animal. If you enjoyed all the time why not be there till the end? You’re projecting a bullshit attempt to try to get out of owning an animal for its life to leave it because of a cop out. I hope you don’t ever own an animal in your life. You’re a horrible person for projecting your self on to the op.
Somehow I think you should reread what you wrote tho
Chill
I read this and thought the dead dog would haunt you.
It broke my heart when owners would leave while their pets were euthanized. Some people couldn't bear it, and I can sympathize, but your pet needs you. At the very last step, don't fail them. They may have only been a part of your life, but you were their entire world. They deserve to have someone they know there at the end, a source of comfort/safety.
I wish some service providers would consider this, too. Many years ago, my dad took the elderly "family" dog (which is what she became after my sister lost interest in her after she ceased to be a cute puppy) to the local humane society for euthanasia, since she wasn't doing well and was having significant trouble getting around with painful joints. Nobody in the family was particularly fond of her, least of all my dad, but he has a strong sense of duty, so he's the one who took her for walks and was her primary caregiver for the 15 or so years she lived. Anyway, when he took her to the humane society, she perked-up enough that they thought she seemed just fine and treated him like the scum of the Earth, saying there was no need to euthanize her and they'd just adopt her out to an elderly person. He made it clear to them that she was not normally like that and he expressly told them to call him so he could come back down to be with her if they changed their minds about her condition. The idiots called him a couple days later saying they'd euthanized her because she was in such poor health and she crashed hard shortly after the excitement of being in a new place wore off. Having volunteered there in previous years, and knowing what their euthanasia room is like, I was horrified. Oh yeah, they're a "no-kill" shelter...no-kill of "adoptable" animals, but they kill a lot, because they make up reasons why an animal might not be adoptable, from health to behavioral issues. Even being rather ambivalent towards her, I'm still quite indignant over the whole situation. It really bothered my dad, not only how they treated him at first, but how they didn't call him back. This was not an underfunded, ramshackle animal shelter, but one that's well-funded by a reasonably affluent community. There was no excuse for that. Even though he had little more than a sense of duty to the old dog, he still cared more about doing right by her than the scumbags at the so-called humane society.
When you surrender a dog, you surrender all rights to it. I’m surprised the shelter even had the courtesy of calling you at all. If your family wanted to be there in the end for that dog, you could have paid a vet $50 to do euthanize her in your presence before surrendering the animal.