re: Putting my dog down after work

I'm so sorry you have to go through this.

When I married 15 years ago I inherited a dog who was great but slowly declining congnitively which led to other issues. I confess that I complained about the dog a lot because of the inconvenience. My wife loved that dog. Nine years ago, while in the hospital recovering from a c-section, my wife asked me to take the dog to the vet and put her to sleep. She couldn't do it herself, but knew it was time and asked me to go before she came home with our newborn. Ironically, I felt so guilty because I complained about the dog so much and she felt guilty because the time was way past to put her down. We felt guilty for opposite reasons. I had the fortune of being there with the dog and comforting her. My wife was so appreciative. The veterinarian was appreciative. I received a measure of closure for my complaints about the dog, as she looked at me and almost seemed to be saying thanks for ending the suffering. My conclusion is that it is an act mercy to put the dog to rest when it is obvious the time has come.