Thats a strong message and a scary one and I thank gods no shelter around here is run like that. The sad thing was the discription of euthing the dog. At 17 years we euthed our girl after she took a stroke do to a brain tumor we never knew she had. They heavily sedated her, then brought her to me and laid her in my lap, explained the gasping and defication to me, before injecting her. It was explained to me that as the animal dies, gasses in the lungs are expelled, but that she feels no pain and is already dead. The same with the releasing of the bowels.
As Shilo laid in my arms gasping in her death, I bawled and begged her forgiveness. It was my vet who quietly and calmly told me, I had done all I could, that she was feeling no pain and had no reason to apologies. That her long life in such a healthy state was a testimant to our care for our dogs, and that I should be proud that I loved my dogs so much.
I knew he was right, but nothing perpares you for your dog, laying in your arms gasping as if trying to breath when in actuality she is already gone, its simply muscles relaxing in the dogs body. It still hurt, and it still does.
Bookmarks