Doggone Sad...

Pet owner's can understand the special bond that is shared with their pet. You treat them as just another member of the family, and ever since my dog had to be put down on Monday, I came to realize how important her companionship was to me. Of course, there are those few obvious differences between an 'animal' family member and a 'human' family member, but I figured out a couple others as I said my last goodbyes to my dog/best friend. I never cried that hard in a long time (since my grandma passed away... I think). But this experience was definitely different. The vet we had explained to me one reason. When these animals are sick, they suffer in silence. Not only do they not have any way to talk to us and tell us how they feel, all they do is try to please us. Despite how much pain they are in, they continue to be that companion they have always been. Another difference is that a pet is most often going to die before thier owner. This is the hardest part. For me, I got out of school early to go say goodbye to my dog, who was located at Loomis Basin. When they brought her into 'the room,' I couldn't help but hate myself for watching my dog being led to her death without her having a say in it or even knowing what was really going on. It took me a while to get over, I guess you could call, selfish ideas that we should have just let her wait it out and die naturally, but my parents and the vet convinced me that she was truly in a lot of pain, and putting her down was the right choice. I've come to accept it, but as I walked back into the house, I automatically felt an emptiness. My dog was truly something more than a dog. She was a very important part of my life, and I will miss her dearly:)