Hamish

Gaynor751 · Nov 16, 2017

Oberon said: ↑

The one thing wrong with dogs is that they don’t live as long as we do. So if we choose to love a dog we also have to deal with losing that dog. It’s certainly the toughest thing I’ve ever experienced.

The very sad reality is that with our doggies sometimes we don’t have any other ethical option but to bring suffering to an end and to say goodbye. You did the right thing for your beloved dog, even though it came with such dreadful emotional consequences.

Even so, I think that it’s normal to feel guilty when you have to make the decision to put a dog to sleep, even though it’s not rational to feel that way, and even though there was absolutely no kind alternative and no other option. I felt terribly guilty when we had to put our old dog to sleep even though there was no alternative - he was 14, he had a massive tumour, had haemorrhaged very badly and was in heaps of pain. I did not expect the guilt and it was really intense and hard to grapple with. I even dredged back over and over every time I hadn’t given him a treat he wanted or had done something else instead of taking him for a walk or had been cross at him for some silly reason. I really beat myself up with it. I don’t really know why....maybe it’s just part of wanting them back so desperately. In the end I was able to let go of it and replace it with the certainty that my dog had had a good life with me. I’m just telling you that in case you’re feeling the same kind of thing. You don’t have anything you should feel guilty about.
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Thank you - your words are very comforting xx

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Hamish

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