Pet Owner's World 2008 - (Page 10) The Loss of a Pet (continued) 108-lb. German shepherd dog who, from the minute we met, was “my” dog. Although I respect people’s beliefs in reincarnation I never truly believed until the day I met Sam. We had met before and it was obvious to us both. Sam had hip dysplasia which got progressively worse over the next three years. Finally the time had come for poor Sammy, he was having trouble getting up and was in increasing amounts of pain that the meds could not cope with. His mom Robin called to let me know that the vet was coming to put Sam down at home and they wanted to let me know that I was welcome to be there if I wished. I thought about it for a while and decided to be with my big baby boy as he left the earth. The in business, many of my first clients’ pets are passing away. It hurts the most since they were my starter pets, the ones I walked every day for years. I have had clients call to talk through their decision to have their pet euthanized, I have accompanied many clients for their final trip to the vet, and I have cried with many of them when they called to tell me their pet passed away. When you see a pet every day—or even several times a month—you develop a bond, and I take it just as hard as my clients when they pass away. One of my long-term clients, Dutchess, a Siberian husky, recently passed away. She was 14, but she was only 5 when I started walking her. A few days after she died, I had to go sibly just a matter of days and they were given options for in-home care or euthanasia. The family chose in-home care and asked for my assistance. During the illness, the family and I had many lengthy telephone conversations and several discussions at their home regarding the pros and cons of euthanasia and how to know when the time was right. I cared for the dog several times a day for the last few days of her life. She had been a family pet for more than 10 years and her family became so distressed over seeing her ill that by the last few days of her life, I had become her primary caretaker. I saw that her quality of life was not what it had been and that she was becoming less and less of the beloved, happy, healthy dog that we had known for so many years so I told them that I truly felt it was time for them to let her go. They spent the evening with her and she was euthanized the next morning. Before the euthanasia, I prepared them with literature regarding cremation and pet burial and afterwards I sent them a sympathy card, had a memorial placed in the humane society newsletter, made donations in their dog’s memory to local rescue groups and placed a stone in my pet memorial garden. The family was very appreciative. I was thankful to them for allowing me to become a small part of their family.” PSI members tell us that one of the most difficult parts of their job is dealing with their own feelings while trying to help their clients. “We, too, are grieving for a close friend, a pet with whom we were extremely close but who was not technically ‘ours’,” Rob Nager explained. “It can be a challenge to mourn while observing the fact that the family’s space must always be respected. Often the families will invite us to participate in the process alongside them, which is fact that Sam’s family invited me to be a part of their family on that day touched me more than I could ever express in words. We cried together and still talk about Sam as though he is very much alive and with us, I know that he is with me constantly and am grateful for the ability to have said goodbye in person.” Beth Greenberg, All Friends Pet Care, Herndon, VA: “After 10 years care for Savannah the cat, the only remaining pet in the home. As soon as I walked into the house, it was like walking in quicksand. Dutchess’s absence hit me really hard.” Debra Milton, Four Paws Pet –Sitting Service, Douglasville, GA: “One of my canine clients became ill very suddenly due to cancer. The family was informed that the dog could live a couple of weeks or pos- 10 2008 • Pet Owner’s WORLD
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