Saying goodbye to a beloved pet is unimaginable. It doesn’t matter that your furry friend lived a long and happy life. When the moment comes to say goodbye, when the end comes, nothing can ease the feeling.
Taking your best friend to a veterinarian to put an end to his suffering is something that not everyone can do.
I remember when I had to put my first dog to sleep. This is one of the more painful memories I’ve had, but at least I was by his side at the end.
I tried my best to be strong for him, because I knew he would feel my distress.
When it was over, I cried for days. I knew he was in a better place now. A place where he would no longer feel pain, but it was still heartbreaking.
Unfortunately, not all pet owners have the courage to stay beside their furry friends when they breathe their last breath. They are not there to witness anesthesia, they prefer to let the veterinarian take care of the last moments.
Now, one veterinarian – who chose to remain anonymous – chose to share his thoughts about it, and they break the heart.
The message by the veterinarian:
“When you own a pet, it’s inevitable, most of the time, that she will die before you, so if and when you need to take your pet to the veterinarian to put an end to her suffering, I want you to know something.
You were the center of their world and their whole life!!! They may be just a part of your life but all they know is you as their family. It’s a lousy decision / day / time, and there’s no argument about it and it breaks us down as humans to lose them. But please, I beg of you, do not leave them!
Do not make them go from life to death in a room full of strangers in a place they don’t like. The thing you should know, that most of you don’t know is, that they are looking for you when you leave them!!!
They look at each face in the room and look for their beloved owner. They don’t understand why you left them alone when they were sick, frightened, old or dying of cancer. And they need your consolation.
Don’t be cowards because you think it’s too hard for you, imagine what they feel when you leave them at the most vulnerable moment and people like me stay and have to try our best to console them, make them less afraid and try to explain them why you didn’t stay.
A tired and broken-hearted veterinarian.”