re: How did y'all deal with putting a dog down

Our black lab started getting sick last September, just digestive issues, and over the next several months we ran through a number of treatments with the vet that didn't work. Finally we got an xray that showed a big mass around her heart and lungs. We knew she was a goner at that point, but it helped that we were able to see it coming, and spend a lot of time taking her for walks, and later just petting her when she didn't have the energy to walk.

When it came down to choosing a time to take her in, it really came down to that we thought she'd rather go with us at her side than suffer at home for a few more days and probably die in the house alone. She couldn't even walk at the end, I had to carry her to the car. That just killed me. The vet met us out at the car on a Sunday around noon, and we were able to pet her and talk to her until she was gone. But that sweet dog wagged her tail until the very end.

We went back out to the Ramah boat launch where we'd found her in 2012 and buried her afterward, and just hung out for a bit. We found her in the parking lot when we were leaving from a fishing trip, all skin and bones and lurking around the edge of the lot, too hungry to leave but too scared to come up and see if we were going to be nice. When we got home, my wife made me turn around and drive all the way back out there to see if we could find her. It was dark. We called for about 10 minutes I guess, and finally when we were pulling out of the lot to leave she showed up out of nowhere. She went home with us and I told my wife I only wanted to foster her, which of course you know how that always ends. Got her heartworms treated and her shots taken care of, and got her fixed. And had an awesome dog for three and a half years of our lives.