A New Chapter

A Different Beginning

We put down our eighteen-year-old Jack Russell this week. It is the end of an era. She was my husband Gary’s dog. She was his queen. She was his life. 

I’ve written before about Gary letting go. It is an extremely hard decision and Gary had to come to a time when he was ready to let her go.

The day finally came, and we took her to the vet. Our normal vet was not there because this was a last-minute decision, he was gone for the week. 

What The Heck

The girl that put Sally down was rough with Sally. She wasn’t easy with the needle and as bad off as Sally last-minute she tried to reach around and bite her because it hurt. It shouldn’t hurt when you put a dog down. I’ve seen vets do it the correct way. This woman shouldn’t be doing what she is doing. To say Gary and I were unhappy with her is an understatement. Both of us talked about it after she left the room. Sally had tremors as she went. We never experienced this with other dogs.  They just peacefully went to sleep. Crying was on the agenda. Mine anyway. Gary shed a few tears himself. 

It Was Her Time

Was Sally ready to go to sleep? I believe she was. Her body was tired, her brain wasn’t functioning right, and she couldn’t stand. She was tired of being here and wanted peace. Gary and I gave that to her. It’s a difficult thing to do. It was the best thing for Sally. She has her wings now. She’s up with God. Brandie, Rexie, Buddy, Wrigley, and Freckles were all waiting for her. She is in a much better place and her body is once again pain free. Those of us left behind are the ones in pain now. She is missed, our house isn’t the same. I get up every morning and look to the left because I always checked to see if she was still breathing when I got out of bed. She isn’t there. There is an emptiness, and a quietness about the house now. She was here for 18 years. Her presence will be missed.

We All Age

Watching her age was a struggle. She had a narrow escape from meningitis when she was five. We almost lost her then. Prednisone was the miracle drug that saved her back then. Gary took her to the vet a week before we put her down. She was placed on three different medications. Maybe they would have made a difference. But in the long run, she was fighting her age. There was nothing we could do about that. In the end she had congestive heart failure. Her lungs filled with fluid, which in turn came up her throat. Cutting off her breathing. This happened twice. I did not want to see her die that way. Thank God she did not. 

It's Never Easy

Leaving her body at the vet was hard. It’s always hard leaving someone who’s been a part of your life for so long. It’s never easy, if a dog is part of your family. For those of us who are dog lovers. You all know. The sorrow, the crying, and the heartbreak that comes along with putting a dog down. No matter how young or how old. The end result is the same. You go home alone. 

Your house is empty even if you have another dog. Part of you is missing. Part of you is gone. I sometimes wonder if the more dogs we put down, the less pieces of us we have left. Their death shatters your heart and steals the air you breathe.

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For all those who have gone through this, we commiserate.

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For those about to go through it for the first time. 

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We pray.

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