Saying Good-bye to Your Pet

I have had to say good-bye several times in my life. This is inevitable and traumatic but we would not have it any other way because without going through this end of the journey, we could not have the rest of it. At least, that is the way I feel.

Every kid will go through this too just as I did then and into adulthood. The event stays with you since it does not seem fair your loved one will no longer be around and you have a part to play in this. The guilt is terrible but you know your pet well enough to realize it is time. For his or her sake, this must be done. The thought of our loved one suffering if we do not is just not something we could live with. But it is so hard to do.

My memory lingers long on one small black dog named Merlin. He was a troubled little fellow with issues. It seems someone treated him badly before we got him so he was very sensitive about being touched on the belly region. That meant we could not pick him up without him growling and creating a problem. In later years, he could no longer jump up like on the bed and in the car. It was torture.

So when the day came to take him to the vet, my intense love for him surfaced and I was determined to help him. I threw a towel around him to prevent possible biting issues and away we went. We walked one more time outside the vet office and he seemed happy. I think he knew what was to come. The needle to relax him was given and I swear he smiled. That long trip home I could not see but I knew I did the right thing. Try to remember this is your child has to face this day. It is a rite of passage we all endure. But a little nurturing is needed to help with the hurt.