going to put my dog down soon.

[Benzadmiral]

My late buddy, Arizona the red tabby Maine Coon, was with me for 16.5 years, from his kittenhood to the end. He'd been with me through countless moves and life changes, and I helped him through the usual illnesses and some unusual ones, including liver disease and then diabetes (gave him his quick shot every morning and evening). At last cancer came along, and it was something he couldn't fight.

I took him to the vet, and was there at the end. Wouldn't you know it, as the doc began to give him that final injection, he turned his big shaggy head and growled -- at her. Courage and gall to the last.

His ashes are up in the Colorado mountains, and a plaque at the Denver Dumb Friends League reads, "Arizona: I [meaning me] handled quarters and rations, you handled the rest." Perhaps you could give a donation to your local animal shelter and do the same?

I have two others now, and have known many feline friends, but I miss him still.

You won't "get over it," but you'll get past it and remember him; he'll become the standard by which other dogs will be measured.

 

[MrCritical]

I have a basset named Tessa B. Quiet. I can tell her things I can't tell anyone else. She always has time to listen.

They're never "just a dog". If they are, you don't deserve them.

 

[road_rascal]

Putting down a dog/ family pet is very difficult. Our 12 y/o buff cocker spaniel died last year due to cancer. Luckily (?) she passed away in her sleep while my wife held her in her arms. I'm sort of glad it went that way instead of having a vet put the dog to sleep. One of the worst days my wife and daughter ever went through. On a bright side, we had the dog cremated and the ashes were put into a memorial stone. Very nicely done, and the stone now sits in our backyard garden.

 

[moribundman]

I'll have my Captain Kirk's ashes shot into space and I will never again have another pet.

 

[Steve S]

Been there done that I doesn't feel good . Dogs can be the best of friends.I hurt even when I had to put down cows that were going to get eaten.

 

[refaller]

That was preciously what I said after Angel died. Then my wife insisted. We rescued another dog, she wants to get rid of him. I told her I never asked her to get rid of her kid, she can't ask me to get rid of mine. I know it is not "rational", but my dogs have always been special to me. As George Carlin said, "Pets are tragedies waiting to happen." I know once Buddy is gone, I will try not to get a dog again- hate the pain of saying goodbye.

ref

 

[Drew99GT]

Don't feel bad or ashamed to put your good friend down, IT IS the right thing to do. Rest easy knowing you're ending the suffering, and your good ol pal will thank you.

Had to put my 21 year old cat down a couple months back cause he broke his leg. Several years back, had to put my beloved German Shepard down because of a stomach tumor. That was the worst; found her outside just laying silently - wouldn't move, eat, drink, or come inside.

Animals are special and like it's been said, they are a reflection of their owners. Hang in there!

 

[MrCritical]

Putting your pet down when it's time is payback for years (hopefully) of faithful service. Don't ever lose the capacity to love another one.

 

[kokopelli]

MasterAcid, hang in there. It's tough. Growing up with a dog or other pet is one the best things to ever happen to a human, and it's very tough when they have to leave us.

I had a toy poodle growing up as a kid, and he lived a good 16 years; I was in my 20s when I lost him, so I grew up with him, and it was especially hard to lose him. But, shortly thereafter, I adopted a mixed breed pup from the shelter; he's just turned 13, and is just now starting to show signs of wear, but he still gets around and plays as if he's a pup. There will never be a true replacement, just a new friend.

I didn't think I was "ready" either, or that I even wanted another dog, but when you have one with you for 16 years from the time you're about 6 or 7 it's hard to imagine NOT having one around. Scamper has been with me now for 13 years, and he puts a fight every time he goes for his checkup. He also fights with the vet and assistants when they "try" to clip his claws, becuase he just doesn't like to be made to sit and behave. *hehe*

 

[JMK]

Losing a pet is the worst, I really feel for you. I am such a animal lover of any type of animal (even though I do hunt). My long time pet story is of a different type of animal. I rescued a baby raccoon off of the road, she was actually born as a car hit her mother. I just stopped to take the animal body off the road when I seen something moving, well it was a baby raccoon that was pushed out of her. It took all I had in time and money to keep her alive. Then it took even more money to make it legal so I could keep her. I named her Evol (Love backwards), she was sooo tame, she never knew what another coon even looked like. I had planed on releasing her but she would have no part in that, she would break back into the house and wanted to stay. After talking to some DNR officers and raccoon rehabers they thought it was best I just kept her. So I had a pet raccoon for 15 years. They are not a pet for everyone you have to 'baby proof' your house. I took alot of ---- for having a wild animal and keeping a dangerous animal in the house. But I have had many pets in my life but she was the smartest I have ever seen. She could unlock a padlock if she could find the key. I caged off a big portion of the basement for her to be in while I wasn't at home, well cos she was tame but she was still a arnrey (sp?) coon. I had to drive 130 miles to the only vet that would work on her. I finally lost her to a heart problem. Driving to the vet to pick her up by myself was the worst thing I ever had to do.
Sorry To hi-jack your thread, just need to type what I was thinking.
Some pictures of her when she was two weeks old and then about 9 years.

 

[Robert_Gift]

So sorry. Our hearts go out to you.
Rejoice that Weiner had so many wonderful years with you.
Now put her gently, lovingly to sleep. So many animals do not have that fortune.
(We can't even put ourselves to sleep when needed!)
And in her honor, adopt another dog needing your love.
Until you two meet again.

 

[moribundman]

Quote:

---

She could unlock a padlock if she could find the key.

---

!!!

 

[pp_rp]

I had to do that back in June. The worse thing I ever experienced.

 

[Robert_Gift]

Quote:

---

... a plaque at the Denver Dumb Friends League reads, "Arizona: I handled quarters and rations, you handled the rest."

Perhaps you could give a donation to your local animal shelter and do the same?

---

I shall go find your plaque as I donate a bird cage to Denver Dumb Friend's League.

We adopted a used toy poodle from them.

PS. I want my ashes scattered in the mountains, too.

Robert

 

[Lonnie]

When I was a little kid, I rescued a raven. They cut down a bunch of trees to build houses. The little guy was still in the nest of a tree that was on the ground. I took him home and fed him and nursed him back to health. We spent a lot of time together and I worked with him on leaning how to fly, which he picked up pretty well. Like JMK I tried to release him back in to the wild but he always followed me home. After my tries than I can count I made a place in my room for him and a raven door when he could open and close to come and go. He was also smart and got me into a lot of trouble. He would pull close pins off the lines and drop clothes on the ground. He would also make lots of different noises and really upset the neighbor's dogs. He could do a cat so well you could not tell the difference. He would also open the neighbor's gate and let their horses out until they got a pad lock. He followed me all over the place and was always playing games. He died after eating rat poison. He ate anything that look like food. I cried. It was a terrible loss. You have my sympathy. Loosing a pet is hard to take.

 

[Auto-Union]

These threads are really tough.

 

[Triple_Se7en]

It's a terrible-terrible feeling watching the life go out of their eyes as the shot gets administered by the vet.

I will never forget the look my terminally-ill ten year-old Fox Terrier named Gizmoe gave me at the end. He looked at me one final time while cradled in a vet assistant's arms - just as if he knew his ending was seconds away & he would never see me again.

Bringing tears to my eyes as I type this.
Boy - how I miss that dog... even five years later & replaced by another Fox Terrier we call Dewey. I had alot of dogs - but Gizmoe was unique & very special to us.

Took me a year or two to get over the morbid feeling. Hope yours ends alot sooner.
My sympathy is deeply with you.

 

[Auto-Union]

These threads also say a lot about the general character of guys on BitOG.

 

[SKUNKY]

My heart goes out to ya man..I've been thru this a few times..it never get's any easier...your young..get another dog soon..it's good therapy.

 

[emory]

I policed with a four-legged partner named K-9 Cisco, whom I had raised from a puppy. Sending him to doggy heaven was one of the hardest things in my career. Please take the time to check out a site I did in his honor. www.k9cisco.com