As I stood looking at the x-ray and listening to our vet speak, I bit my lip and my eyes filled with tears. Rosie, our little Border Terrier from England, had hurt her shoulder and the x-ray showed that her spine was full of arthritis. To make matters worse, her blood work showed evidence of cancer. Having just returned from England two days earlier to visit Alan’s ailing mother (also named Rose) this news was overwhelming. Our little brown dog is a crucial part of our lives and Dr. McEndree was telling me that soon we would need to think about the inevitable.

No one is comfortable with death, not even your veterinarian and animal hospital staff who face death every day. The decision to end a life is never easy. But complete and total selfless love for another never is. It takes courage to assume this last duty and it is our responsibility to a pet which has given us unconditional love and companionship.

Your vet can help you make the difficult decision of when it’s best to kindly end your pet’s life. Some things to consider are the following:

· Does your pet experience incurable pain or continual discomfort which cannot be alleviated by drugs?
· Is the treatment of your pet’s condition no longer possible?
· Has your pet suffered severe injuries from which it will never recover?
· Does your pet have an age-related or illness-related condition which cannot be alleviated and which now causes misery such as advanced senility or incontinence?
· Is your pet suffering from a terminal illness which has now reduced his quality of life to such a point that he is no longer happy?
· Does your pet have a behavioral problem which you cannot cope with and which means he cannot be re-homed?
· Has your pet had a kitten/puppy which has an inoperable deformity which will give him a poor quality of life?

For now, we are closely monitoring Rosie’s quality of life and controlling her pain with arthritis medicine and pain killers when necessary. I know she’s still enjoying life because she dug up my newly planted winter flowers yesterday. She is sleeping a bit more but still wants to go for evening walks though we’ve had to cut down the length significantly.

Rosie is a brave little girl and has exhibited that well known British constitution with indomitable spirit and a stiff upper lip! Maybe we’ll get lucky and have plenty of time left with her but if we don’t we have to be prepared to lovingly let her go.

I think this unknown author said it best.

“It came to me that every time I lose a dog they take a piece of my heart with them. And every new dog who comes into my life gifts me with a piece of their heart. If I live long enough, all the components of my heart will be dog, and I will become as generous and loving as they are.”