My Sadie Girl

[sadie1998]

My wife and opted to put our 16 year beagle to sleep yesterday. She was not well but I have terrible guilt that we shd have waited.

[MartyT]

My friend, I'm so sorry to learn of the death of your Sadie Girl ~ and I think there is no way to avoid feeling guilty after making such a decision as heavy as this one. How DO we "know" when it's time? And who are we to make such a god-like decision anyway? That is one of the most vexing questions we face as pet parents, and it is one of the most difficult ones we'll ever have to answer.

I invite you to read my article, Pet Loss: Guilt In the Wake of The Euthanasia Decision ~ and I hope it gives you some ideas and food for thought.

Meanwhile, please know that by coming here, you've found your way to a place of comfort and understanding. Here you are among animal lovers who truly understand your pain, and welcome you with open arms and caring hearts.

[kayc]

I'm so sorry you lost your Sadie Girl. Beagles are such sweet dogs, I fully understand your second guessing yourselves, that's a common response to Euthanasia. The article Marty listed is a good one, most of us have gone through it at some point.

Do you have a picture of Sadie? If you feel like telling us about her, we're here to listen.

I'm glad your Sadie got 16 years, I've never had a dog live that long. I'm still grieving Skye, who only lived to about ten or so, we don't know for sure because he was a rescue dog twice over before entering our family. Losing your pet is losing a family member, it's hard hitting and far reaching, but eventually we do learn to do our everyday lives without breaking into tears quite as often, although we never ever forget them and they never cease to be important to us or out of our memories.

I wish you the best in your grief journey. Perhaps you can do something to memorialize her? I just ordered a headstone for Skye to put in my back yard where we buried him, and one for my Lucky that I lost five years ago, and King George that I lost eight years ago. I think it'll help to have something tangible there to say to them "you are important to me, you always will be."