Pets

One of my friends on GoodReads asked me how I handled putting Smokey to sleep.  She has a dog that isn't doing very well and she wanted my advice.  YIKES!  It is really hard to advise someone in this area., what is OK for me may not be the same for someone else.  We had a dog when I was younger that was my best friend.  Poppy and been acting strangely for a few days before Dee and I left to go to Florida, I think I was 14.  She would come up to us and sit and stare, like she was trying to tell you something.  While we were gone, my folks told us that she was still staring, but her body seemed to radiate heat like a little furnace.  My dad held off doing anything until we got back home so that Dee and I could say our good-byes.  My dad took her to the Humane Society and as soon as he walked in the door she started foaming at the mouth and tried to bite him and a couple of other people.  This was a shocker since she was such a gentle dog and had never bitten anyone in over 12 years.  It was like she was trying to let us know that something was wrong.  Like she knew she would become violent.  I still get misty when I think of her.   

My advice:  Be in tune with your pet - you can tell when something just isn't right.  They love us so faithfully it is only fair that we do the best thing we can for them.  Sometimes it means having them put to sleep. other times it may mean just being there to love them.  My thoughts and prayers go out to anyone who is struggling with that kind of decision.  May god give you peace!