Decisions, decisions...

I am a kindergarten teacher, so I have bat-like hearing. There have been times when people have seen me walking Lil in her stroller and remarked to their companions: “That’s ridiculous/pathetic/really sad/not fair to the dog...blah blah blah. She should have that dog put out of its misery.” I try to ignore such people, but there have been times when I have shot the “teacher look” at them. 

It's a dog's life :-)

Don’t think I haven’t thought about euthanasia. I watched my mother die in December, and her last days were pretty rough. As I sat powerlessly holding her hand, I couldn’t help thinking that I would never allow an animal to endure that kind of suffering. However, Lil and princess O aren’t suffering. They eat well, sleep well, cuddle often, and generally have a pretty good life. Thanks to our trusty Dogger, Lil has lots of fun outdoors, and Ophelia’s purring rivals that of a Harley Davidson. If they were moping around, acting lethargic, or whimpering in pain, I would seriously contemplate making the decision to euthanize them. But while they seem like their normal, happy, vivacious little selves, I won’t. It’s that simple.

Strangers have no business making assumptions or passing judgment on those of us ensuring the best quality of life possible for our senior pets. The golden years require some adaptations to remain high in quality, and I don’t care if some people don’t approve. The real tragedy would be if I let my pets’ spirits die before their bodies expire. They love their lives, and as long as that remains the case, I will continue to hold my head up and keep on trucking. Just because we know we won’t win the race doesn’t mean that we’re going to stop running.