NationStates Jolt Archive

For the last 15 years, my best friend has been my beloved dog, Jose.
I got him when I was 18 years old, and at the time, he was exactly the dog I needed.

There were some very dark times throughout my twenties, and sometimes, having at least one smiling face to welcome me home, kept me going to the next day. Without him, Im not sure If I would be alive to be writing this now.

As of right now, Im waiting until the morning so that I can take my best friend to the vet's to be put to sleep.
Hes very old now, and not doing well. I realize that this is the most humane thing I can do, and not let him suffer and waste away.

However, as I type this, a grown man, face full of tears, I cant help but think I owe this animal a debt that I can never truly repay.
Since he was weeks old he has given me unshakable loyalty and unconditional love.

Is there any other relationship on earth that is truly unconditional?
I dont think so.

Im finding it very surreal to need to destroy something I love, and convincing myself that its for the best.

I often quote a certain phrase by Kipling, and even now, I still find it to be one of the truest statements ever made:

"If you would make the most of your money, take it, and buy a pup. You will have purchased love, unconditional.".

What I have heard is that there is scientific reason why its unconditional.

In the early evolution of dogs before they were domesticated they lived in packs like wolves. Now in packs there is a head of the pack. Dogs would show great attention torwards the head in hopes of getting to eat when they would make a kill. Now because they no longer live in packs and live with people this trait has been left over from the pre-domestication era of dogs. That is why its unconditional.

I had a dog of 10years this past year killed by car and even though I didn't have to choose between the life and death... you are doing the right thing and I can somewhat imagine what your going through.

Awww *hugs Backwoods*

My condolences. My dog is my best friend, too, and I can't imagine what I'd do without her. :(

Sucks. :(

But on the bright side, your dog has lived a long life, and will die peacefully.

If you can afford it, i'd recommend you get the vet to come out to your house to do it there...it's a lot more expensive, but I think it's better for the dog to go in comfortable surroundings and not stressing out at the vets.

I recommend you say your final fare wells and learn to let go, I know I sound pretty harsh yet I must say that would be the quickest thing to do.

Thanks everyone for your kind words. Believe it or not, it helps.

Indeed, he did live a long and happy life. My consolation is many happy memories of many good times spent with him.

Sucks.

But on the bright side, your dog has lived a long life, and will die peacefully.

If you can afford it, i'd recommend you get the vet to come out to your house to do it there...it's a lot more expensive, but I think it's better for the dog to go in comfortable surroundings and not stressing out at the vets.

I wish it could be that way, but around here, its not an option.
The best I can do is be there with him when he goes.

I appreciate the thought though, Kan.

Awww *hugs Backwoods*

Thanks, Wil.
I remember you saying you have a Golden Retriever, as well.
Best dogs ever.

I'm sorry to hear you're losing such a good friend.
I grew up with a cat, Tulip. She was virtually the same age as me and was the most affectionate cat I've ever met. When she died I was devastated! It's a pretty hard time but you know that you are doing the right thing and that it's the most humane and caring way to end his life.
Kia Kaha (be strong).

For the last 15 years, my best friend has been my beloved dog, Jose.
I got him when I was 18 years old, and at the time, he was exactly the dog I needed.

There were some very dark times throughout my twenties, and sometimes, having at least one smiling face to welcome me home, kept me going to the next day. Without him, Im not sure If I would be alive to be writing this now.

As of right now, Im waiting until the morning so that I can take my best friend to the vet's to be put to sleep.
Hes very old now, and not doing well. I realize that this is the most humane thing I can do, and not let him suffer and waste away.

However, as I type this, a grown man, face full of tears, I cant help but think I owe this animal a debt that I can never truly repay.
Since he was weeks old he has given me unshakable loyalty and unconditional love.

Is there any other relationship on earth that is truly unconditional?
I dont think so.

Im finding it very surreal to need to destroy something I love, and convincing myself that its for the best.

I often quote a certain phrase by Kipling, and even now, I still find it to be one of the truest statements ever made:

"If you would make the most of your money, take it, and buy a pup. You will have purchased love, unconditional.".

:(

Aww no. I'm so sorry. It's terrible to lose a pet (any pet, but especially one that accompanied you through so much of your life) and it's even harder to be forced to be all sensible about it and be the one who basically has to bring about their end. :( *hugs*

:(

But sometimes it's the best - the only thing you can do.

I know how rough it certainly is, to have to take your dog in to the vet to be put to sleep. For the first 15 years of my life, my family had our dog Razzi, my buddy through some rather unhappy points in my childhood. Eventually it became clear to us that it was a pain to let her keep living, and it hurt me so that she just wouldn't mercifully die in her sleep.

That was one of the toughest days I can recall, only surpassed by the death of my Grandfather.

Geez, now I've got tears in my eyes, and I've got to be at work in fifteen minutes.

I'm sorry to hear of your loss, BackwoodsSquatches. Not long ago I lost my dog Rajah after having her for fourteen years... I grew up with that dog, and she too was my best friend. Unfortunately, we didn't get the chance to have her put down, the condition of her health went down in a matter of a few of hours and although expected, it was hard to think that she was going to die so soon.

She died in the car on the way to the vet, it was pretty late at night... and she was surrounded by her entire family when she did, by suffocation. Her throat had closed over preventing her from breathing, and it only took about two minutes for her to lay down and fall to 'sleep'.

I don't know what people's belief in the divine is, but I remember the actual amazement of the time was that when she did slip away, I was filled with the greatest joy... because although my eyes were full of tears and I was praying for God to look after her, He gave me one of the strongest messages I have ever received in my entire life.

"God cares for all of his creatures."

So I encourage you, look at this as if you are releasing your best friend to a much better place. I'm sure that Jose will be happier there, and you will have repaid him for his loyalty.

At least you'll be there to say goodbye.
A chance I never got. Our family cat that I was very close to was put down whilst I was away university. I only got told a week or so after

What I have heard is that there is scientific reason why its unconditional.

In the early evolution of dogs before they were domesticated they lived in packs like wolves. Now in packs there is a head of the pack. Dogs would show great attention torwards the head in hopes of getting to eat when they would make a kill. Now because they no longer live in packs and live with people this trait has been left over from the pre-domestication era of dogs. That is why its unconditional.

I had a dog of 10years this past year killed by car and even though I didn't have to choose between the life and death... you are doing the right thing and I can somewhat imagine what your going through.

On a related note, this from the wiki article on cats. Don't know how true it is, but interesting nonetheless.

Even well-fed domestic cats hunt and kill birds, mice, rats, scorpions, cockroaches, grasshoppers, and other small animals in the vicinity. They often present such trophies to their owner. The motivation is not entirely clear, but friendly bonding behaviors are often associated with such an action. It is probable that cats in this situation expect to be praised for their symbolic contribution to the group. Some theories suggest that cats see their owners gone for long times of the day and assume they are out hunting, as they always have plenty of food available. It is thought that a cat presenting its owner with a dead animal thinks it's 'helping out' by bringing home the kill.[citation needed] Ethologist Paul Leyhausen, in an extensive study of social and predatory behavior in domestic cats (documented in his book Cat Behavior), proposed a mechanism which explains this presenting behavior. In simple terms, cats adopt humans into their social group, and share excess kill with others in the group according to the local pecking order, in which humans place at or near the top. Another possibility is that presenting the kill might be a relic of a kitten feline behaviour of demonstrating for its mother's approval that it has developed the necessary skill for hunting.

My condolences. My dog is my best friend, too, and I can't imagine what I'd do without her. :(
The same here. Though, I have a cat, but, I can't imagine being without her. It is something hard to come to terms with, especially when you've raised the cat or dog from a kitten or pupp.

Wow, some of the posts in here made me tear up a little. :(

I'm sorry to hear that. I know how much you must've loved him. I love both my dogs so much that I could never imagine life without them, but I know that my older dog is going soon (he's 13, not in the best health physically, and his mother had a history of heart problems and only lived to six).

Wow, some of the posts in here made me tear up a little. :(

I'm sorry to hear that. I know how much you must've loved him. I love both my dogs so much that I could never imagine life without them, but I know that my older dog is going soon (he's 13, not in the best health physically, and his mother had a history of heart problems and only lived to six).

It gets harder as they get older.

My cat is 14 years old. I'm glad she's in pretty good health.

But, the fact that the animal is old doesn't make it any easier, especially when they've been part of your life for so long.

I first got him when I was 5, and I'm turning 19 in just two months. There is not a single moment I don't remember him being there. I remember when he was a puppy, every morning he'd jump up on my bed and lay down on top of me and lick my face to wake me up.

Now he's overweight, lazy, deaf, and even a little senile. Hardly anything like the dog I knew growing up. It's upsetting because he isn't happy, but nothing is drastically wrong with him so putting him down right now would be pretty cruel.

We got my second dog when I was 12. Well, actually we found him on the streets and took him in. For a couple of months both him and the other dog played around and it looked as though the older one had stopped being such a lazy grump, but that changed and they don't really play anymore.

The fact that the younger one got hit by a car in late December and broke his leg doesn't help, but they stopped interacting with one another long before that.

My condolences on the loss of your friend.

What I have heard is that there is scientific reason why its unconditional.

In the early evolution of dogs before they were domesticated they lived in packs like wolves. Now in packs there is a head of the pack. Dogs would show great attention torwards the head in hopes of getting to eat when they would make a kill. Now because they no longer live in packs and live with people this trait has been left over from the pre-domestication era of dogs. That is why its unconditional.

I had a dog of 10years this past year killed by car and even though I didn't have to choose between the life and death... you are doing the right thing and I can somewhat imagine what your going through.

SOCIAL SKILLS: 0%

I am sorry that you had to make such a rough decision, I love my dog and I dread the day when he will need me to be there for him like you are being there for your dog.

If it's any comfort at all, you helped your dog just as much as he helped you, we like to think that all dogs are in good homes, but it's just not true, it's rare for a dog to get a person who loves them, and your dog got to live with someone who loved him very much and always will.

Awww that sucks. :(

When I was seven I got this cute little ball of fluff at the pound. I had pestered my parents for a dog for a year, and my dad finally gave in. I picked her out by going to stand in the puppy enclosure, and the first one to get to me was the one we took home (and boy did she get to me - she was a german shepherd mix, and knocked me clean to the floor). She was the sweetest, smartest dog; she was with us in five countries and saw me through some tough points in my childhood.

When she was eight years old, she got really sick. She seemed like she was starting to get better, but one Sunday after my family got home from church we could tell she was just in agony. So we took her to the vet, hoping there would be something he could do for her, but knowing that it was unlikely. He told us there wasn't anything he could do, and the kindest thing would be to put her to sleep. I remember standing there in shock from the news, then kneeling down to look in my dog's eyes and pet her. After a few strokes of my hand on her back, she kind of let out this big breath, and passed away. The vet didn't even have to do anything.

Dammit, now I have tears in my eyes, and I'm at work.

My condolences, BackwoodsSquatches. I feel your pain.