by elizabeth everett

Created on: August 06, 2008   Last Updated: January 13, 2011

When welcoming a dog into the family, the last thought on everyone's mind is its termination. Although all death is inevitable, having to actually induce this is heart breaking torture. There will never be a clear sign that falls from the sky indicating that it is time for you to end your pet's life, but when you see your beloved pet suffering day after day you know you can't let them go on living in such disgrace.

While most pets often become a part of the family, there is remarkable difference in the healthcare of our furry animals than from humans. Pets do not usually have the same sort of healthcare available, and when it is it comes at ridiculously high prices. When a dog becomes sick, quite often to treat or obtain surgery is at sky high costs and the owner is torn between finance and their pet. It is just not realistic to spend your life savings on a dog's surgery when the end results are unpromised. When your dog is diagnosed with a potentially fatal illness, you do what you can. To go to vetiniary extremes is not going to benefit anyone and could bankrupt you, and you will still watch you dog suffer.

From my own experience the best way to handle an ill dog is to just make them as comfortable as possible. Maybe give them extra treats and an extra comfy bed. When the time comes that your dog is unable to walk or is obviously in severe pain at all hours, it is time to put him out of his misery.
Sometimes a dog becomes too violent and that is also an indiction of the necessity to end his life. It is normal for dogs, especially puppies, to sometimes be nippy, but when a dog viciously attacks someone it is not a good dog and shouldn't be around people. They are not trustworthy and you will never be sure who or when it will hurt. It is horrible to put a dog to sleep but I feel it is more horrific when a dog attacks a young child, so I do feel it is justified to put a mean dog to sleep. A dog should never bite someone and if it ever draws blood on a person it should most definately be terminated.

Ending your pet's life is a horrible and gut wrenching feeling. Deep down we all realize that it is truly for the best as they will no longer suffer or hurt anyone. In these tough situations, you really must follow your gut instinct as to what is the best decision. It is most certainly not an easy decision to make, but it is an important one. Weigh out your options and follow your heart. No one and nothing can tell you what is exactly right to do in these cases so it is completely up to your own judgement to decide what is truly best.

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