re: How did you cope with putting your dog down?

quote:

---

I may be heartless but the lead up to it was always worse than doing it and afterwards. I just kinda felt that they were now out of their suffering and was happy to give them peace after a lifetime of being my buddy.

---

I had to have my oldest put down December 14th. He was fading fast with liver and kidney problems and went from 98 pounds to 65 in 2 months. My wife let him out on the 12th and he didn't come home that night and I searched and searched and couldn't find him. Sent an email that I wasn't coming to work until I found him, worrying that he went off to die. I slept in the basement with the door open, just in case and periodically cried like a baby wondering how he was. He showed up at 7 the next morning and we went straight to the vet. He was given the shot about 5:30 on the 14th and I've been way better than I thought I would be. Knowing his condition and the pain he was in helps. I would've never gotten over it if he hadn't come back and left me to wonder if he was trying to fight off a pack of coyotes by himself as he was trying to die. RIP Early