Watching your best friend (canine) get to the end....

Our second dog is an Aussie who is about as large as the Deoge's friend jumping through the hoop (and a black tri too). Aussies are amazingly loyal and great herders for a family (always going around checking up on everyone).

 

Seems being Deoge was pretty fucking great.

 

It is a heartrending experience.
Marley & Me (the book) is some of the best writing I've seen on it.
Some find comfort in writing about it. For me it's one of those things I want to shove so deeply into my memory hole that I don't wish to relive it again in any form.

 

We had intended to scatter Stella’s ashes in our pond, but she sat in a box on our bureau for almost a year. We finally decided to do it this weekend, but when I opened the box, her ashes were in this nice little urn. We had no idea. Thought she was in a ziploc bag or something inside the box. We decided not to scatter the ashes and now have the urn on a shelf.

 

I've started to do that for my Bubbles, while the memories of her and her quirks are still fresh. Going to build a memory book of stories and pictures (and videos for a digital version).

 

My sister had a native artist paint a garden stone of my dog that I keep in this room. Three urns in here, too. They're always around in one way or another.

 

My beloved cat that I had through my first job and grad school passed away a few weeks after I graduated. He knew I needed him for that last push of getting my Masters. My mom had to drive me to the vet, and then drive me home. I was in the room, and held his paw and made sure the last thing he saw on this earth was my face, and I thanked him for the love and the snuggles and the companionship.

I also had a chocolate lab from the day she was born until the day she left. She was 15 and the most lovely dog I've ever had.

It's absolutely awful. But I don't regret any of the pain that comes with pet ownership because all of the positives outweigh the inevitable. All the love of this household goes to those having to make painful decisions in the future.

 

I've been through it with four dogs - my current dog doesn't have much left - and it doesn't get easier. Couldn't have said it better than @Wenders

 

This is the longest we've had a pet. Got her at 7 weeks and she will be 14 in June ... if she makes it. Pancreatis, enlarged leaky heart. Stomach troubles. But no accidents in the house. I alerted the neighbors weeks ago, but the little dog is hanging in there. Still loves her jerky treats.
We put down 2 dogs and 2 cats previously. First time I encountered Rainbow Bridge I broke down explaining it to my daughter.

 

I either read this here or on Reddit, but the question was posed to vets or people who work in a vets office what advice they would give to pet owners, and I will never forget this response - when you bring and pet in to have them put down, stay with your pet. It’s tough, but you owe it to them.

They said no pet should end their life alone in a strange room looking for their human. They said every single one does it when their human leaves.

Fuck me.