Wednesday 2 March 2011

The problem with dogs...is they just don't live long enough!

Tattie asleep on my down jacket
The problem with dogs is that they don't live long enough. Today  J had to put down his dog Socks. There was nothing else he could do. Even though you know it is the right thing, it is a hateful thing putting an animal to sleep. Putting a friend to death. For as much as we try to tell ourselves it is for the best there is a bit of us which cries: "Murderer!"
We know we shouldn't anthropomorphise animals but a lot of us cannot help it. There is an imperative to love and if we cannot love another human then a pet will do just as well and sometimes even better. For the love an animal gives is utterly unconditional. They don't care what we look like, how we sound whether we have bad breath or not, they just love us as we are and for whatever reason however awful we may be it is sometimes the love of an animal that is the only thing that makes us remotely human.
So when one of these earth bound angels dies, and they die far too soon, the breaking of the bond can totally paralyse us. We are unable to cope and the grief is as bitter and sweet as if it were  our parents or even our children. We would like to think that no one should grieve over a mere animal but for those who keep animals, who love their pets the grief is all consuming and never really lets up as grief has a tendency never to go away. It can fade with time, as all grief does, but a scent, a movement, a touch can bring it back as strongly as if it had just happened even though decades have passed.
There is something magical about it; something unexplained. And why the question one always asks do they put up with us? Why do they love us so unconditionally?
Tonight all I could say is: "All dogs go to heaven", and then reminded J that there would be an awful lot of them to welcome us when it was our time and would they knock us flat as we entered? And was it one huge joke and would St Peter laugh at us as all these dogs and cats come bounding up?


11 comments:

Dorset Dispatches said...

I'm so sorry to hear about any dog being put down. It is the right thing to do, but so so so hard. Always makes me howl for days.

I guess at St. Peter's they'll all be at their fittest, scampish best. Which means my dog won't be bounding up to us - she'll get diverted by the bins just to one side...

Tattieweasle said...

Pantswithnames - oh don't make me laugh about the bins I have a feeling an awful lot of mine will be diverting there too!!! I'll be a total wreck when Tattie's time is up...

Cait O'Connor said...

I do know how you feel it is devastating, I have had to make that decision more than once. It is the kindest thing to do though.

mrsnesbitt said...

Oh Tattie - I am sitting here with tears streaming - check out my blog

http://mrsnesbittsspace.blogspot.com/2009/10/earth-to-earth.html

Wally B said...

That's why I don't have pets. I had a little stray kitten once which got attacked by a dog and it broke her back. I had to take her to get put down, and I cried and cried when I left her there. No more.

Expat mum said...

As you may have gathered from my posts, it took me a long time to get the mutt last April because of this. However, I always try to remind myself that the dogs know nothing, and they feel even less at the end. It's very much grieving for our own loss - which is excrutiating nonetheless.

Miss Sadie said...

Sorry to hear of your loss Tattie. We've been down that track a few times in our family.

The best thing for the Dog is not always the best for the Humans.

Anonymous said...

So sad Tattie...I bloody adore my dogs and can't bear the idea of losing either of them...much love x

Anonymous said...

People who say 'but she was only a dog' have hearts of stone and deserve never to feel the warmth of an adoring head resting on their feet, the joyous welcome (when you've only been out 5 minutes) or the devoted love when you are having a rotten day.

Serve them right!

Anonymous said...

Oh no, so sorry :(
Pets are a part of the family, I find it completely normal to grieve as you would for a family member. I still well up when I think about both my childhood dogs, and the cats I've lost. I'm dreading the day little 'un asks foe a pet but how can you deny the chance to experience the unconditional love you talk about in your post? Let's hope Tattie goes on a good while longer yet! x

Anonymous said...

I'm so sorry for the loss, I know it's very painful and accepts that our beloved pet will die in our arms. Witnessing the pet euthanasia to my beloved pet is very traumatic because I always remember that moment and it's killing me.

Go on you know you want to...

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