When Letting Go is the Only Decision You Can Make

The most difficult decision I ever made was to let Casey go last December.  Quite simply, it broke my heart, but it was the best and most humane decision for her, even if it was horrific for me.

With the help of my amazing family and kind and compassionate vet, we said goodbye to my beautiful, fluffy baby girl on Dec. 19th, 2011. I had vowed never to let her suffer, never to let her become infirm or pathetic or listless or just simply alive just to keep her in my life. It was tough and I cry ever day because I still miss her something fierce. But even that is better than watching her become more vacant and uninterested in everything around her, like eating or playing or going out for a simple walk down the street.

I cherish all the beautiful fun memories I have in my head and in my heart of our 13 and a half years we had together. R.I.P. Casey Jane.

As difficult as all of this was for me, I know I’m not alone in the things I’m feeling. That’s the difficult part of loving a dog: their spans are simply not long enough and, sadly, there’s a good chance that one day, you’ll have similar decisions to make. The upside is that there really is help out there. For instance, I found this article to be both soothing and practical and it may be able to offer help to those of you faced with this awful decision. When the time comes, think about it: are you keeping your pet alive for your own benefit or do they have real quality of life as these precious babies deserve?