Recently, I sensed some sadness in one of my relatives and gave her a call. I asked how she was and as I did not see the family’s furry friend at the last gathering, I asked about him. She told me in a breaking voice that he was experiencing difficulty breathing for a while and his breathing became more labored and so severe that a decision had to be made. There was an internal battle of wanting to hold on to him yet not wanting him in pain. The decision was made to relieve him of his suffering and he was euthanized.
Household members were not even aware until after the procedure had been done. I found out two weeks later. I would have liked to have known so I could have offered my support and be present to say goodbye to our faithful family companion of 15 years but I get it. Having to make the decision to euthanize is complicated and loaded with a gamut of emotions. The loss for many is like that of losing a family member yet different in that if the deceased were a human family member, we would have all been informed and would have been able to support each other in the grieving process and openly honor & memorialized our beloved.