I am thankful I was with my pets when they died.
I tell people that the day itself will be difficult no matter what, but a year from the day they say goodbye to their pet, they will be glad they had stayed. I have never thought of that in relation to saying good bye to our own pets.
I held Buttercup Rat as she struggled through the end stages of fulminant pneumonia. She is buried at Ledges State Park in Boone Iowa. Both the day she passed away and the day of her funeral are sweet memories.
I got to tell Benji the Poodle it was okay to let go when the fibrous connections in his heart broke down and it could no longer function. Russ and I were holding him. Our friend Beth's giant dog Mesa passed away at the emergency hospital the same night. We got to go across the street and tell her dog good bye hours before she died.
As traumatizing as Obie's death was, I was there with him, and that is priceless to me.
Dr. Munger euthanized Herbie with us.
Dr. Wittler euthanized Ebony for us.
Max lay between us and gently fell asleep on our pillows.
Noodle got a Big Mac, and we laughed through our tears.
That last day truly is sacred. I had never thought to tell it to myself until now.
