Thursday's Thoughts

The End of the Road

Something I’ve heard said time and time again is that there are two things we all face in life––death and taxes. Our lab is coming to the end of the road and I’m having a hard time dealing with it, even though I know she’s struggling.

Last year we helped our seventeen year old French Brittany travel the rainbow bridge when it was clear she no longer had control over her body. I desperately wanted her to die peacefully in her sleep at home and we held out as long as we could, but in the end we couldn’t stand to watch her suffer.

A year later and we are facing the same situation. I am reliving the death of all the animals we’ve shared our home with. Their dependency on us, their trust in us to do the right thing, their unconditional love, is staggering.

We’ve shared our life here with five horses and four dogs. Ziva is our only pet left, the last to join the family. She’s always been a little odd for a lab, a breed that is usually overly friendly and easy going in new situations. She’s wary of strangers and objects and definitely an atypical lab, but she’s been a loyal companion and it will feel odd when she’s gone.

On a positive note, we have a wonderful vet who makes the process as painless as possible. She comes to the dog so they are able to die in familiar surroundings with their loved ones. We’ll be empty nesters for the first time, and frankly I’m wondering how we’ll deal with that, but honestly? I don’t think I can face this heartache again.

As difficult as it is to make the call for a beloved pet, I can't imagine having to do this for a human. I know people are put in that position and my heart goes out to them. There can be few more difficult decisions to make than that. I soothe myself with the knowledge that I'm putting an end to my pet's suffering––I hope anyone who's had to take the same action for a loved one can find some degree of solace in knowing they had the strength to do the same.