She has a difficult decision to make. The vet has told her that it would be best to put her beloved Dalmatian to sleep. But this is easier said than done. This pet has been her constant companion for 14 years and has given her so much love and joy.
She has decided to do the merciful thing but she can’t decide whether she can bring herself to do it right now. It is a hard choice. So, she resorts to prayer, hoping she will get the strength and courage to do what must be done.
In the last few years, as the hind legs began to collapse, she managed to improvise a makeshift trolley-like carriage to take her dog out for walks. She has never left her side as she takes her wherever she goes.
A friend tells her about another friend who was caught in the same dilemma. Fortunately for this person, the matter was taken out of her hands as one day her dog collapsed in the lift of her building while being taken out and never woke up.
Yet another friend recalls how I used to tell her that her treatment of her dog was not right. That was because it was always chained and spent all its time outdoors. It was meant to guard the house and I never saw her or anyone else in the family ever pet it or pay it any attention. The idea of a dog not being allowed indoors was anathema to me.
I will admit that maybe my family went to the other extreme, accommodating our pets’ needs and always putting them first. Their comfort and happiness was our priority and we never neglected them. In fact, you could say they were pampered pooches but who could resist those canine charms. Certainly not any true-blooded animal lover.
At difficult times like the one my friend is experiencing right now, one realises how difficult it must be for people to decide whether or not to turn off a life support system for a loved one. I know that some might scoff at the comparison. They will say ‘it’s a dog, not a person’. But for those of us who love animals, that pet is as beloved as any member of the family.
I, too, had a Dalmatian once, and when he died, I remember feeling numb with grief.
Little nieces and nephews coming up to me to ask if a lot of blood came out when he was knocked down by a vehicle didn’t help matters!
I can smile about it in retrospect but at the time I felt like lashing out at them though their morbid curiosity was but natural for them at that age.
Pets like dogs give us unconditional love. You can scold them and they will still come to you and put their head in your lap as if asking for forgiveness. You can always be sure of a loving welcome each time you step out of the house without them, even if you’ve been away for just a few minutes. The way they literally jump with joy and the rapid beating of their tails lets you know that you have been missed. It almost makes you feel guilty about leaving them behind.
They say hope springs eternal in the human breast and this is what prevents us from making a decision that will leave us dwelling long afterwards on the ‘what ifs’.
Each time we lose a beloved member of the family, we vow not to let ourselves in for the pain of loss but, before we know it, we are seduced by a pair of mournful brown eyes and our hearts melt even as our resistance crumbles.
