I'm taking our boy to his final visit to the vet tomorrow.

[phylny]

Our darling Jack, little ruffian rescue dog who barged into this house full of testosterone - and heartworms, as it turned out, has been with us for a little over 8 years. He has become the most wonderful dog. Everyone who visits wants him to sleep with them, and he does. When we visited my elderly dad, Jack looked at me as if to say, "Just to let you know, I'm going to sleep with Grandpa. Okay, bye." Off he'd go.

He has mitral valve disease and collapsing trachea. He coughs day and night, and I'm medicating him twice as much. He wakes me up panting at 3 a.m. I believe while he's not in pain, he's struggling.

This is the hardest decision - everyone in the family agrees, but I'm just plagued with uncertainty. Yet, I know.

I just lost it feeding him his dinner tonight. Boy loves to eat, still.

[Ferrets are Cool]

1. I feel so sorry for you.

I've done it too many times to count and they hurt every time. I'm sure you will, but just think of all the good times. Yes, the tears will come, but they are precious thoughts and to be treasured.

[phylny]

13. Thank you. n/t

[whathehell]

2. I'm so sorry, phylny..

I've lost several pets and I know exactly how it feels. Do you have anyone going with you to the vet's office?

[phylny]

6. Yes, two of our daughters.

My husband and I have been going back and forth, and were thinking of taking him together last Monday, but two of our daughters wanted to be with him before, one wants to be in with me. So they're coming tonight.

It's so hard - I brushed him today and he looks beautiful. Our dog walker was instrumental in helping me know that our decision was good. She said, "He's not Jack anymore." That was so helpful.

[whathehell]

19. I'm glad you'll be with them

I had to do it alone once, at night, and it was very hard.

Our last dog had to have the same thing done, and the vet gave us lots of "alone" the with her to show her lots of affection and say goodbye, so that helped, but it's always sad. Love to you, your family and him.

[Arkansas Granny]

3. It's hard to let them go, but you're doing the right thing.

This will be the last act of love that you can show him.

[phylny]

11. Thank you. n/t

[elleng]

4. Thank you!

"Just to let you know, I'm going to sleep with Grandpa. Okay, bye."

[phylny]

8. It's our joke.

Jack likes to sleep around

When my mother-in-law was alive, she hated him at first, and then she kept saying she wanted a dog like Jack. He slept under her bed, even after she moved out and passed away.

I'm going to tell him that Grandma and Abby are waiting for him. He can also meet Kelly, our family's first dog.

Thanks

[Duppers]

15. Aww, Kelly was our first too.

[phylny]

16. In retrospect, we let Kelly live way too long. We all agree now, although at the time,

she was our first family pet, and the kids were heartbroken.

Abby, our second, died really young. Her biggest gift to me was that she died in my arms, saving me from making the decision.

Chloe will be without a companion, but we're working on yet another rescue. Because that's what we do.

[sinkingfeeling]

5. It's a heart breaking situation. You don't want him to be in pain and yet know

he's still filled with love of you and life. I had to listen really well last November when the vet told me there was almost no hope for my nearly 16 year old boy.
Hugs to you and your family.

[phylny]

10. Hugs to you as well. Thank you. n/t

[dameatball]

7. It isn't easy. But it is humane. Had to put my 17 year companion down in March.

Cried like a baby and still do upon occasion. Three things you have done for your friend are:

1. rescue him

2. Give him love and shelter and security.

3. A dignified exit and an end to pain.


You will see him again.

[phylny]

9. I do believe I will see him again.

Not to get all religious, but my pastor does, too A little validation from the professionals always helps.

Thank you.

[redstateblues]

57. I believe animals have souls

[Duppers]

12. The worst days of my life

Have been making this decision, even tho we knew it was the right one.
Sending love.

[phylny]

14. Thank you.

What a beautiful illustration.

[Duppers]

18. You're most welcome.

As the memories flood back, I'm shedding tears for you and for myself, as I long for my passed furkids. I've 2 great rescues now yet know I'll be in your shoes again, years down the road. All of our roads meet - yes they do.

[Me.]

17. Sigh

[SouthernIrish]

21. You are showing him love and your last act of kindness to him.

It is very hard in one sense, but you are doing it out of love. You don't want him to suffer. He is blessed to have such a compassionate family. The loss is huge, but just remember all the joy he gave you. My family has rescued for years and they are always the best babies. They are truly grateful to have someone care. I too believe that you will see him again. There is no sorrow in heaven so our animals must be there.

On a lighter note. My sister was a huge animal lover. She was a cruelty investigator for our local humane society for years. One day someone came to our door to see if we found Jesus. She said to them "I have one question. Do you believe animals go to heaven?" The person hesitated and said "well, not really." Karen said "Nope. Wrong answer." She then slammed the door in their face. True story. We all got a kick out of that. I hope I made you smile. Just for a minute.

[phylny]

22. You not only made me smile, you made me laugh.

Thank you.

[RandomAccess]

41. Indeed -

[SonofDonald]

20. So very sorry to hear this, they are not "Pets"

They are Family

The KittyMonster is 16 and recently I could tell she's slowing down some, she has years left but it's made me think about it a lot more than ever.

My Ladyfriends shadow is Yoda, he's 16 also and has slowed way down in the last year, she thinks he may have had a stroke two weeks ago.

He has almost lost the use of his right rear leg and is pretty much blind and deaf now, he's still a happy guy but it's obvious he doesn't have a year left, I'm his favorite person other than mommy and as such she has asked me if I would transport her with him to the vets when it's time.

It will destroy her so of course I said yes, he's a large golden Yorkie mutt but the sweetest little guy ever, I'm a grown 59 year old man but yes it will be a bad day for me too.

But that's the thing, you don't let Family suffer.

[montanacowboy]

23. So Sorry

But as loving pet parents we are called on to make the hardest of all decisions, to let them go. Part of the joy of having them is having to make the hard call when it comes.Easy Journey little jack.

[BigmanPigman]

24. I am using up my Kleenex

now. This is so sad. You are a lot stronger than I am.

[catrose]

25. So very sorry

Eight years...or eighteen...or however many are never enough.

[Scarsdale]

26. My heart aches for you, and the little guy.

The most difficult part of having a pet is when it comes time to say "Goodbye" We have to make ourselves love them enough to let them go. It is best for him to be able to rest now. He will cross the Rainbow Bridge and wait for his family to join him in the future. I have been in the same position too many times. It just tears your heart out. They bring so much love and happiness into our lives. He was one of the lucky ones who found a home full of love.

[skylucy]

27. Hugs to you, phylny. You are doing what is difficult and heartbreaking for you

but what is kindest and best for Jack. May he cross the Rainbow Bridge gently.

[onlyadream]

28. This is the absolute worst part about having a pet.

I’m so sorry.

[DashOneBravo]

29. Rescue dogs are so loving and loyal

You will see each other again.

And I’m sure another would be blessed to have you.

[zeusdogmom]

30. I am so sorry

Our fur family members are so precious to us. The pain when they leave is hard and deep. You are making the right decision, as hard as it is.

[lame54]

31. My heart goes out to you and Jack

[Phentex]

32. It's rough...

but of course you are doing the right thing for him. Nothing can take away the pain though. Just know that we've been there and we know how much it hurts. I am happy he brought so much joy to your life and those who met him.

[MRDAWG]

33. I have been there too. Remember that..

it is selfish for you to keep him. Do the best for him and let him go.

[Ohiogal]

34. My heart ached reading your letter

My Lab that passed away loved to eat and she ate a big bowl of food the day before she passed.

Will keep you in my thoughts tomorrow and hope for strength for you to get through this. You're doing the right thing, but it still ain't easy.

[Leith]

35. I Feel for You

I've had to have 2 cats put down. One was wasting away from diabetes. The other had cancer.

I got the cat carrier back, went to the car, and cried. When I took the cat supplies (carrier, never used catboxes, and kitty litter) to a local PetSmart for their adoption program, I cried. The young man there hugged me.

I'm crying as I type this. All the best to you.

[Corgigal]

36. I'm so sorry

We too had to make that decision on our little found chihuahua, a few years back. Had to trap him in a cat trap, because someone dumped him in a field across the street from our house. Of course, it was then when we found out he had congestive heart failure. A bunch of medications and we got him through 5/6 years.

I requested for him to get the sleepy men's, before the final meds. It just was something I needed. Then I can say good by and it doesn't stress my friend. Take care of yourself, they always live too short. They are better then us.

[yellerpup]

37. That little ruffian rescue dog

Will be grateful for the relief and he will know exactly how hard it is for you to let go. And he will love and bless you for your compassion. Peace. My condolences.

[FirstLight]

38. Dammitt, got something in my eye...

My Wafflez is maybe 8 or 9, hard to tell since her teeth were so bad when we rescued her.

While I have lost plenty of cats in my life and cried over them, I know her leaving will be like losing a true family member. You are giving your furbaby a loving send-off, so thank you for that.

Waffles has a teeth cleaning surgery next month and I am terrified something will happen to her...

[TNNurse]

39. To keep him from suffering, is an act of great love.

Remember that. We have all done it and know that it is so hard, but what we must do.

[benld74]

40. Peace to you and to him

[spooky3]

42. I am so sorry.

You are doing the right thing. Poor little guy.

I hope this may help you in your uncertainty: I had a terminally ill foster cat who lived more than a year beyond expectations. One day he just stopped eating and wouldn't take his meds, and that was his way of letting us know he wanted to go. He was thin and could not keep food down. He was suffering much more than he had been. But when I came home from work that day to take him into the vet, the poor little thing ran down the stairs to greet me as always. It broke my heart and of course I once again wondered if I was doing the right thing. But when I took him to the vet he left us almost immediately after the injection. The vet said that was a very strong indication that we had done the right thing and the kitty would have passed away on his own very soon had we not taken him in. I realize your pup is still eating well, but he is giving you other signs that he is very tired of the struggle.

Jack was a very lucky boy to have many happy years with you.

[Honeycombe8]

43. I'm so so sorry. I just went through that last November.

It tore my heart out. So I sort of know how you feel. But yes...good owners (I call them mommies & daddies) know when it's time.

I refuse to consider that there isn't a Rainbow Bridge. No one knows for sure. Anything is possible, when we don't know for a fact that it's not possible.

Hopefully you can meet up with Jack again, like I will meet up with Roy and Buddy. My heart is with you. Let the emotions out. It will gradually get better.

[Glamrock]

44. I'm sorry...

But it sounds like you're doing the right thing. Unfortunately, showing mercy can be so cruel to the merciful. Be strong.

[peacebuzzard]

45. I am sorry,

so sweet, so sad and oh so short our time with our babies.
I will be thinking of you and Jack.

[MurrayDelph]

46. Been there (recently). Sometimes it sucks being the responsible person

This last February, I had to make the same decision for my Nikki, whom we'd rescued as a puppy a little over 13 years earlier.

Still hurts.

[MurrayDelph]

47. Here's what I wrote about Nikki on Facebook

A little over 13 years ago, right after we lost our Lab Bonnie on the worst Thanksgiving EVER, I was looking online for a new playmate for Sarah (preferably Lab, to keep the Lab-to-Dachshund ratio) , and came across this picture of the cutest puppy I'd ever seen. She was listed as a Lab/Chow mix, being available at a Chow rescue event the next day. I showed her picture to BetteNoir, and she said the magical words, "Let's go get our girl."

As a puppy, she had two distinctive physical traits: the blue tongue indicative of a Chow started out as mostly pink with blue spots that filled in over time. And in low light her pupils reflected red light to the point where it looked like they glowed. So the rescuer had named her "Little Nikki" after the Adam Sandler movie. Since I have an strong dislike for Adam Sandler movies, we dropped the "Little" from her name, although for most of her life I just called her "Baby Girl"

When she was a puppy, she had an enthusiasm that sometime overwhelmed Sarah, who in her later years took to sleeping in the office (when we lived in LA) or Bette's crafts room (once we moved up to Oregon), both with the door closed.

She stayed a puppy-head for a very long time, and I have the tooth marks on my solid oak walking stick to prove it. She would frequently try to get Sarah to join her with he squeaky toys. You could almost hear her saying "Look! Isn't it cool? It squeaks, it squeaks!" The one toy that she absolutely cherished was the chew rope, shown in picture 2. It lasted until first CJ, then Gracie destroyed it (But I'm getting a little ahead).

When Sarah passed away six years ago this Saturday, Bette made a Herculean effort to find another Dachshund, before we came home with CJ, the dog who was as far removed from a black girl Doxie as we were ever likely to get. When we went to the Humane Society to get Nikki a playmate, we brought her along to make sure they would get along. As I was waiting in the lobby with Nikki (who would have been about seven by then), there were people who were trying to adopt her out from under me, she was that sweet and beautiful. I firmly told them she was ours permanently, and we just brought her along to give her veto authority (which is just as well, since while she loved CJ, she hated the dog we tried to match her up with first).

She loved to play rough with CJ, but the day we brought him home was the day she stopped being a puppy-head: she was the senior dog, and all would respect her authoritah. When I brought Gracie home from Dachshund Rescue of LA, Nikki thought that since the normal pecking order was two dogs, she must have been promoted to person.

She was a great travelling companion. When we bought the house in Astoria, but hadn't moved yet, Bette would frequently travel with Sarah, who being the old dog was easier to travel with. When we started commuting between the two houses in separate cars, I would take Nikki. Somewhere along the way, I became her main person; while Gracie and CJ love me, I was the "Not the Momma." To Nikki, I was "Daddy." Which made what we had to do today even harder.

She has been in failing health for many months, Last summer she had many teeth removed, and she had some sort of ear disease, but a few months ago the doctor thinks she had a stroke: her tail mostly drooped, her bladder control was diminished, her hind legs would not hold her up (She'd find herself sitting with a confused "How'd that happen?" look on her face), but she didn't seem to be distressed.

The last couple of weeks have not been fun for her, needing to be lifted in and out of the house and car, and too often not being able to get up in the house when her legs would give out, and would have to bark for help. So, today the inevitable occurred. We took her to the vet, who gave her a shot of Ketamine and Morphine to relax her, and once thoroughly stoned, they gave her something to stop her heart.

I don't know if there's a doggie heaven, but if there is, I'm visualizing Sarah saying, "What? You again? Well, as long as you're here, let me introduce you to your sister Bonnie."

[sheshe2]

53. Sweet baby.

I am sorry.

[JustAnotherGen]

48. Oh

[Gothmog]

49. We said goodbye to our PBGV a couple moths ago

It is still tough

[adrianastepheny]

50. Sad story

It's really very sad. Losing a lovable pet is really heartbreaking. I also lost my pet, still it's give me pain.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

51. So sorry to hear... been there, so not easy. HUGZ

[Snackshack]

52. I am so sorry to see this.

You have my sincere condolences. It is such a hard thing to do.

[sheshe2]

54. I am...

[redstateblues]

55. My condolences to you. Just had to put down Mr. B, my 18 year old tuxedo kitty

I miss him terribly. I’ve got his picture as my screen saver to remind me what a great friend he was. I believe animals have souls and wherever souls go we will reunite in whatever form were in. I’ve also got a 15 year old pup that has been through so much with me. I cherish every minute that she is with me.

[samnsara]

56. is it lyrangeal paralysis? I had an old dog with this...took her for surgury

at the University and they scoped her and wasnt bad enough for surgery yet. I just kept her on Benadryl and a fan on her always. She lived to 15 and died in her sleep from something unrelated. Its such a hard decision to make. We love our babies so much.

Godspeed Jack.. what a GOOD boy you are!

(((hugs)))

[phylny]

58. Thank you to all for such lovely tributes to your own animals, here and departed,

and your kind words for us and Jack. I'm sorry I cannot thank each one of you individually - I'm exhausted. Our girl Chloe is beside herself and I believe she's grieving. I brought out a blanket that Jack was on Friday night, and she fluffed it and is sound asleep for the first time all day.

My vet was superb and helped us immensely. I was sure, but you know you're never sure. He had moments of happiness, but not happy days. The vet said, "When I saw your name on the schedule, I thought, 'No way!' but now seeing him, he is not the same dog I saw two weeks ago. I believe he is hanging on for your sake. You are doing the right thing."

I needed to hear those words. Jack passed peacefully on a sofa in my arms at the vet's office. I will miss him forever, and hope to see his beautiful face one day.

Again, my deepest gratitude to all.