Sigh

[owl]

My brother called me at work this morning to tell me that our decrepit 17-year-old dog had a seizure that left her completely blind.

 

I decided to take a few hours off from work to have some time with the living (although blind) dog before they took her to the vet. I wanted to have a chance to touch her one last time, to feel her fur attached to a living, warm body, to give her some comfort in one of her last hours.

 

When I got home, my mom was upstairs drying her hair, and I waited at the bottom of the steps until she saw me. I hadn't told anyone that I was coming home. When my mom saw me, she burst into tears. In 25 years, I've only seen my mother cry twice (including today). My brother was in the family room holding Penny on his lap. At that point, I realized that I was home less for the dog, more for my family.

 

We've been preparing for this for some time (three years, maybe?) as the dog's health continued to deteriorate, but we could never bring ourselves to take her to the vet, justified as it probably would've been. I think it's human nature to prolong events like these, even with the knowledge that we could put her out of her misery vs. risk a traumatic end (like today).

 

My brothers, who are three years younger than me, were especially opposed to euthanasia. I think that, in many ways, they saw it as an unwanted way to shut the door on their childhood. And it is.

 

She was never the greatest dog in the world. In her younger days, she was mainly attached to my mom, she barked loudly at strangers, and she wasn't terribly affectionate (though never mean). Even in her later years, when she was only a shell of the energetic terrier that she once was, even when I swatted her sometimes out of frustration, even though her breath smelled like dead animals, even though she had little self control anymore, I still loved that little dog as I had for 2/3 of my life. She's been my dog since I was 8.

 

So my mom and I dug Penny's grave and then I went back to work.

 

When I came in, I checked my email. A co-worker had sent out about 14 emails with pictures and prices for her semi-recently-deceased mom's furniture. Weird timing. Anyone want to buy a stinky old dog cushion and a hair-covered blanket with US Airways embroidered on it?

 

Anyone else have any relevant stories?

[j4lackey]

Sorry about your dog, Tristan. I've had to put two animals to sleep, but in both of their cases, there was no question it was the right thing to do.

 

(((Vibes))) to ya, Brother.

[caliber66]

Sorry, man. We lost our family dog a few years ago in a similar fashion.

[viatroy]

so sorry about your dog. I held out as long as I could before I euthanized my sweet Pumpkin, the greatest dog ever to live. When it was time, it was clearly time. I still have her ashes, and I'm leaving instructions to scatter hers with mine in the creek. Hope the folks downstream don't mind.

[redeyedandblue]

Sorry to hear about your buddy. I had almost the exact same scenario play out almost 10 years ago (has it been that long?) We had to put my dog from my childhood down at age 17. I had also had her since I was 8 and was the first dog we ever had that was deemed "mine". I moved to a lot of different places over the years and she was one of the few constants in my life. She was absolutely the sweetest dog any of dogs that my family has ever had. It was one of the saddest days of my life when we finally had to put her down. I picked her out at the pet store and I was there in the vet's office when they gave her the injection. I don't think I've ever cried more in my life.

 

All good vibes to you.

[Lammycat]

Sorry to hear about your dog.

Been through it, too, so I empathize with you. It's rough stuff. Your dog lived a nice long life, though, and is probably running crazy and eating steak with all the other dogs right about now.

 

We had to put an amazing yellow Lab down about 5 years ago who had lost most abilities in his hind legs and shit/pissed on himself a few times. Humiliating for him as a proud ol' boy. I think I've spewed this before, but, well....you asked:

 

We opted for euthanasia. The vet came over to the house(we had been talking to him about it for a week or so) and we had him lay in the backyard with his favorite blanket, a Snicker's bar (he loved them) and cranked Into The Mystic (my wife's choice; Warren Haynse version). He looked directly into my wife's eyes and accepted he was going to a better place. I buried in the back yard with the blanket, a tennis ball, and the racket we used to hit the ball to him. I had a dream that night he was running in a huge field with other dogs and happy as a dog can be.

 

Vibes, man.

[Basil II]

Tris.......As a companion to three dogs myself......good vibes ou to you.....

 

 

 

-doggie high fives....

 

-robert.

[mountain bed]

Owl, my thoughts are with you. Many of you already know that 3 days after Thansgiving I had to put my Basset Hound Viola to sleep. Maybe the hardest thing I've ever done. To be honest, I have been off my game for quite awhile. It's a very slow process, very slow. One of these days it'll all be ok.

 

All the best to you man.

[Atticus]

our family dog died in my lap while I was house-sitting for my parents last year. still tears me up to think about it. sorry for your loss. good dogs remind us how we should try and treat each other (not the sniffing so much, but, you know, the loyalty, good attitude, unadulterated joy, etc.)

[Beltmann]

Thank you for sharing your story, Tristan.

[OOO]

We can never truly repay the unconditional love and joy we get from our dogs, and it hurts a ton when they leave us.

 

Best wishes, and here's to Penny.

[jenbobblehead]

tonite, when i dream, i'll ask my beloved Woobie to look up Penny and keep her company until she gets settled.

 

it sounds so ridiculous to say it out loud but tomorrow when we're at the funeral for a close friend and housemate's father, during the moments of quiet reflection and prayer i'll ask my dog, gone now for 4 years to find Jack and sit by him quietly and lean against him the way he did for me when i was feeling lost. he was a good dog and friend somehow i have faith that he still is.

 

big hearted canine love healing vibes heading your way.

[owl]

good dogs remind us how we should try and treat each other

 

Amen to that.

 

Thanks, everyone, for your thoughts and vibes.

 

[embiggen]

pets are no less family members than people. I can totally relate to the sorrow. my family had a wonderful golden retriever/lab mix. he was my dog when I lived at home. when he was a pup, I was a Duran Duran fanatic and named him Simon LeDog. he had to be put down one Christmas morning because he had a mass the size of a grapefruit in his abdomen and couldn't move. I didn't get to see him before he was euthanized. it was the saddest Christmas ever. as with any death, try to remember the good times you had with your pet.

[darkstar]

The only drawback to having a dog is loosing them.

 

My Mom and Dad had to have the family dog put down about two years ago. They called me to tell me about it and I was devestated. I live too far away to have gotten the chance to see her one last time. I'm driving into work just bawling my eyes out. When I get into my office one of my subordinates asks me if I'm OK. I told them what happened and this idiot is like "why are you crying for a dog". Nice huh?

 

Anyway the good thing was that the vet was really nice about everything. Even called up my folks a week or so after to check up on them. To this day my Dad will not get another dog, it's just too hard when they die. I lucked into having a friend give me her dog (they moved to Ireland) so I have a spastic 2 year old Dachshund/ Doberman mix (I don't even want to visualize what that mating process looked like) now and she's great. As much as it hurts loosing them, it's worth it for all the love and joy they give you.

 

Oh yeah about 6 months after that incident the idiot that asked me why I was crying for a dog screwed up royally here at work and I fired his worthless ass. That was some sweeeeeeeet revenge.