Everyone thinks euthanasia is essential when a beloved pet is facing their final moments. Having put animals to sleep in the past, I fiercely debated this prescribed notion when my 16 year old dog was failing simply due to old age. I ultimately decided to keep him at home with me until the end.

With that choice, came new responsibilities. I had to do things I had never done before, like spreading newspapers and plastic sheeting in areas where my dog laid. It meant helping him navigate the front porch steps due to arthritis and sight issues, and finding new patience with little things like waiting for him to do his bathroom duties. Sometimes this activity took tens-of-minutes instead of seconds.

I found, as the process evolved, that my dog began doing things I didn’t think he could do any longer. The biggest challenge had been keeping him from going up or down the basement stairwell. With 15 steps to climb, that journey had been deemed a forbidden activity, so a blockade was erected at the top of the landing. Then one evening during his last days, I came home and found him at the bottom of this stairwell, flat on his side.

He was lying so still I feared he had fallen and broken all the bones in his legs. As I raced down the steps and shouted his name I noticed he was still breathing. It took a minute to rouse him, and when he lifted his head he looked at me like, what’s all the fuss? I was relieved and amazed simultaneously. He had wanted to be near the place that he loved, the outdoors, and somehow had made it with no ill effects.

Making the choice to let your pet live out its natural life, or ending it, can be a difficult and heart wrenching process. For some it is an easy choice. For others, like me, it is more difficult.

If you are contemplating the choice between natural death and euthanasia, here are some things to consider:

1) Is your pet in uncontrollable pain?

2) Can you handle any and all incontinence issues? This often involves many cleaning chores, multiple times a day.

3) Can the animal walk on its own?

4) Can you handle assisting the pet in ways unfamiliar to you both? For example, if my dog’s back legs didn’t work fluidly when first arising, I would help him up so he could carry on his way.

5) Can you make allowances for loss of sight and/or hearing?

6) Are you willing, or able, to put in the time it takes to care for your pet’s new needs?

7) How much does the animal fear the vet’s office?

8) Does the pet want to die at home in familiar surroundings?

There is no shame in putting an animal to sleep if that is what’s best for both of you. There is also no shame in keeping the animal with you if you decide it is the better option.

Euthanasia is an accepted practice in this country, while non-euthanasia seems controversial. Listening to your pet can often help you decide which is best for you and your friend. There is no right or wrong answer, only the one that fits with your moral and ethical beliefs.

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