No doubt about it, the toughest part of pet ownership is the day the decision must be made to put them down. Today is the last for Shadow, our 13 year old German Shepherd dog, who has been with us since she was a puppy.
We are fortunate that our property is both large enough and rural enough to allow us to bury our dogs at home. Coco, a Shepherd/Collie mix was our first dog after Donna and I got married, and the first to be put to rest in the corner of our property. Coco was pretty old by the time we moved here but her ending was violent and undignified - she had wandered to the front of our property unnoticed (something she had never done before) and was hit by a car. We frantically looked for her for a day, only to discover her remains across the street on the shoulder of the busy road we live on. It was one of the worse experiences of my life.
With a newly fenced-in back yard, Risa,a German Shepherd, was the next dog to join our family. We got her from a breeder and from day one Risa was a real character. She was full of life and was always looking to have some fun with us. Unfortunately, Risa suffered from some serious health problems and only lived to 5 years. When it became obvious that her quality of life was slipping away, we had her euthanized. Risa was the second "family member" we buried, right next to Coco.
When Risa was about a year old, Shadow joined our pack. We had visited the breeder with Risa one day when he brought out an all-black female to the front steps where we were sitting. He had his hedges cut at the same level as the stoop, nice and flat with it. The little black dog went walking to the edge of the stoop and tried walking over the top of the hedges, as if it was a solid surface like the stoop. Of course, we had to retrieve the little black puppy from the hedge which immediately earned her the name "Dopey." We took her home that day, some 12 years ago.
Shadow (aka Dopey) carried on as the beloved family pet when Risa died and lived a full and - for the most part - healthly life. As with most GSDs, her hips began giving her problems a few years ago, and her sight and hearing has been on a steady decline as well. But her jet-black coat remains as beautiful as ever, and even as I type this, hardly a gray hair on her.
Last December, Shadow got hit real hard with a case of geriatric vestibular syndrome, from which she recovered after about 6 weeks, but not fully. Even after "recovery" her sight and hearing was severly diminished, and the lameness in her hips prevented her from negotiating the steps. She had also lost most control of her bowels, which complicated things even further. We knew Shadow was quickly approaching the point where yet another dreadful decision would have to be made.
This past Sunday evening, Shadow once again got hit with another bout of vestibular syndrome. Like before, she cannot stand, walk, eat or drink. With her existing age and health issues already working against her, the prospect of recovery with any remaining quality of life is extremely doubtful.
Shadow will join Risa and Coco in the corner of our yard. Preparing her final resting spot was exhausting, both physically and emotionally. This evening at 5:00 PM, she will take her final car ride to the vet where like Risa, she will pass on with diginity and in the loving presence of her pack.
This just breaks my heart to read; I don't envy you this day. I'm facing the same decision pretty soon myself. My photography assistant, Chance, a beautiful 15 year old Chow/German Sheperd mix, has traveled/hiked with me for 14 years until last summer when she made her last big road trip. Something changed for her, she now has kidney disease, it's getting harder for her to get up and walk, and it's been downhill ever since. I just dread the day I have to make the decision you're making because she's been one of the best sidekicks ever. Why is it that dogs live such short lives? It seems so unfair to me.
Jim, you have my sincere condolences. Just recently I heard about another friend who lost his canine companion of 12 years. It is heartbreaking. I'm sure you can find some comfort in the loving memories and the knowledge that you were able to provide a good life for Shadow. My dogs and cats are my kids and I can't bear the thought of having to part with them some day.
No doubt this is more than one can know. We went through a similar experience with our 1st golden retriever, Sunny a few years ago. She died with dignity, in my arms in a similar fashion.
I'll think of you, Donna and Risa today at 5. Do you best knowing you gave Risa no doubt a great life, as she did you.
My thoughts are with you, Jim, and your family. It is one of the toughest decisions to make, but also one of the most compassionate things you can do for a beloved companion is to let them go with dignity. I really feel for you.
Sincerely, Renae Sandberg
Oh Jim it's tough isn't it? I will be thinking of you and your family this evening. We just went though this with our beloved cat of 12 years and....well, it's just hard. Got no good words. Thanks for sharing your story. I'll bet Shadow had one great family to love her.
We become so attached to our precious "family members" don't we? I dread the day when we have to say good bye to our Roxy. I'm sure Shadow had a wonderful life with a wonderful family who loves her. A friend of mine has a black lab named Shadow. She is old and they recently discovered she has heartworms. They decided not to put her through the difficult treatment, and will have to put her down when the disease progresses to the point where she is no longer comfortable. A difficult but necessary decision!
Hey Jim, when I married my wife she had a german sheppard that was up in years and it wasn't long after we were married Sahsha took a turn for the worse. She was 18 years old and it was time to put her to sleep as she couldn't function anymore. I didn't live with Sahsha more then a year but sure got attached to her, and it really hit me hard after she was gone . You had a greater connection to Shadow then I did with Sahsha so I can only imagen your pain. You have my deepest sympathies.
Jim,,,,I'm so sorry to hear about Shadow. Losing a family member is always difficult and having to make that difficult decision makes it doubly so. My fox terrier, Bonita, is sitting in my lap as I type this one-handed. A good friend's idea of heaven is that she'll be reunited with all of the dogs she's had the privilege to care for. I hope she's right.
I'm so sorry to hear the news, Jim. No matter how many dogs/pets we have, it never gets any easier because, let's face it...they are members of the family. Having gone through this a few times myself, I know it is a very difficult decision. I firmly believe that we do them a favor by not making them suffer any longer.
My thoughts are with you and the family today, Jim.
Very,very sorry to hear about your faithful companion. I have a couple of labs, the oldest of which is 12. I know "that day" is out there somewhere and the thought of it tears me up. I am with Guy, my dogs are my kids and the loss will be extremely tough.
Jim,
It is incredibly hard to say good bye to such a close friend, even when there is no other reasonable choice. There must be some solace in knowing that you gave Shadow a good life in a beautiful setting. Not many dogs are so fortunate.
I'm being "broken in" by a new puppy (Miss August in the 2007 Kuvasz Calendar), but the lose of my last dog is still a painful memory.
Damn it Jim, I'm sitting here crying barely able to see the keyboard.
I feel your pain, I know that you have maDe the best for your friend since the diagnosis. I am truly very sorry! I soon will be torn from this physical bond with my friend and long time photographic companion, Spark. He is up in age and his having some bad weeks mixed in with the good.
I tell myself there is a place where good dogs go - a place where they will sleep and play with other good dogs till their best friend arrives. Hopefully to them it's just a blink of the eye or just a long leisurely nap on the other side. But I know Shadow has always been grateful for the lifetime of adventures you've shared. My sincere condolences.
Jim, I am so sorry. I offer you and the whole Erhardt family my sincerest condolences. I've been through this a couple of times and it is never easy. I am just as sure there is a dog Heaven as there is a people Heaven. Undoubtedly, Shadow is resting easier tonight.
Best regards as always, my friend and to the whole Erhardt family..
I'm very sorry for your loss. I dread the day - I've yet to deal with the experience of loosing a companion. Our dog "Scout" is almost 9 and being a Newfoundland mix(with some sort of Spaniel,) I expect to start seeing some of the problems some of the larger breeds tend to have and the shorter lifespan. I'm hoping for a number of good years still to come.
My thoughts and best wishes to you and your family.
Jim, we are all so sorry that Shadow and you must go through this. It truly is a hard decision and a most difficult process. Tomorrow we celebrate our first complete year with our cat Yoda. Yoda is the 4th cat since moving to Corning in 1977. Like you our pets become close family members and their companionship is cherished. Your compassion and your quest for dignity in these difficult situations is to be commended.
The downside of sharing our lives with our furry companions is that we out live them. At least they're always in our hearts. I grieve with you and all grieving pet owners.
- Dan.
Posted by Sharon Menke on July 3, 2007 at 11:23 AM
Jim, I am so sorry to read about Shadow's passing. He was a beautiful dog. It is so hard when you lose a pet - member of the family. My heart goes out to you and your family.
Jim,, a close friend sent this to me when i lost my Schnauzer, Iberville,, last fall,,,
Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.
There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together.
There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.
All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.
The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance.
His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.
You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.
Jim, you and your family are in my thoughts today. I recently had to put down my 17 year old cat, it was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. The sting of sorrow you feel today will lessen in time and will be replaced with happier memories.
Jim,
I'm truely sorry. I know how attached we become with our pets. I have a friend who's lab got real sick and had to have bowl resection. She had to sell her 66 mustang to pay for the vet bills which exceeded $15,000.
I share my tears with you-- just for the love of dogs and a parting that is too sad. God bless Shadow and may she rest in peace in her special place. God bless you for loving her.
Thanks again to all for your thoughts and best wishes.
Now a few days later, we truly realize our decision was absolutely the correct one. The look in Shadow's eyes the last few days of her life was one of discomfort and resignation. It's never an easy decision to make, but for those of us who love our pets like a family member, it is usually the right one.
I just noticed this post and wanted to extend my thoughts to you. Words are never sufficient at a time like this, but having lost a close companion myself (Mad Max, the ships cat from my long ago bachelor days) some time ago, I have some feeling for what you are going through. Condolences.
Discussion
29 repliesWe are fortunate that our property is both large enough and rural enough to allow us to bury our dogs at home. Coco, a Shepherd/Collie mix was our first dog after Donna and I got married, and the first to be put to rest in the corner of our property. Coco was pretty old by the time we moved here but her ending was violent and undignified - she had wandered to the front of our property unnoticed (something she had never done before) and was hit by a car. We frantically looked for her for a day, only to discover her remains across the street on the shoulder of the busy road we live on. It was one of the worse experiences of my life.
With a newly fenced-in back yard, Risa,a German Shepherd, was the next dog to join our family. We got her from a breeder and from day one Risa was a real character. She was full of life and was always looking to have some fun with us. Unfortunately, Risa suffered from some serious health problems and only lived to 5 years. When it became obvious that her quality of life was slipping away, we had her euthanized. Risa was the second "family member" we buried, right next to Coco.
When Risa was about a year old, Shadow joined our pack. We had visited the breeder with Risa one day when he brought out an all-black female to the front steps where we were sitting. He had his hedges cut at the same level as the stoop, nice and flat with it. The little black dog went walking to the edge of the stoop and tried walking over the top of the hedges, as if it was a solid surface like the stoop. Of course, we had to retrieve the little black puppy from the hedge which immediately earned her the name "Dopey." We took her home that day, some 12 years ago.
Shadow (aka Dopey) carried on as the beloved family pet when Risa died and lived a full and - for the most part - healthly life. As with most GSDs, her hips began giving her problems a few years ago, and her sight and hearing has been on a steady decline as well. But her jet-black coat remains as beautiful as ever, and even as I type this, hardly a gray hair on her.
Last December, Shadow got hit real hard with a case of geriatric vestibular syndrome, from which she recovered after about 6 weeks, but not fully. Even after "recovery" her sight and hearing was severly diminished, and the lameness in her hips prevented her from negotiating the steps. She had also lost most control of her bowels, which complicated things even further. We knew Shadow was quickly approaching the point where yet another dreadful decision would have to be made.
This past Sunday evening, Shadow once again got hit with another bout of vestibular syndrome. Like before, she cannot stand, walk, eat or drink. With her existing age and health issues already working against her, the prospect of recovery with any remaining quality of life is extremely doubtful.
Shadow will join Risa and Coco in the corner of our yard. Preparing her final resting spot was exhausting, both physically and emotionally. This evening at 5:00 PM, she will take her final car ride to the vet where like Risa, she will pass on with diginity and in the loving presence of her pack.
My God, this is not easy...
This just breaks my heart to read; I don't envy you this day. I'm facing the same decision pretty soon myself. My photography assistant, Chance, a beautiful 15 year old Chow/German Sheperd mix, has traveled/hiked with me for 14 years until last summer when she made her last big road trip. Something changed for her, she now has kidney disease, it's getting harder for her to get up and walk, and it's been downhill ever since. I just dread the day I have to make the decision you're making because she's been one of the best sidekicks ever. Why is it that dogs live such short lives? It seems so unfair to me.
Anyway, my thoughts are with you,
Nancy
Guy
I'm sorry to hear this, as I always am when someone loses such a dear and treasured companion. My sympathies are with you and your family.
Regards
Carl
No doubt this is more than one can know. We went through a similar experience with our 1st golden retriever, Sunny a few years ago. She died with dignity, in my arms in a similar fashion.
I'll think of you, Donna and Risa today at 5. Do you best knowing you gave Risa no doubt a great life, as she did you.
JG
Sincerely, Renae Sandberg
My thoughts are with you and the family today, Jim.
Very,very sorry to hear about your faithful companion. I have a couple of labs, the oldest of which is 12. I know "that day" is out there somewhere and the thought of it tears me up. I am with Guy, my dogs are my kids and the loss will be extremely tough.
Best of luck getting through the dark days.
Shadow passed quietly with the love and affection of her family. She is now in her final resting place.
Thanks to all of you for your best wishes. Be sure to hug all of your family members today.
It is incredibly hard to say good bye to such a close friend, even when there is no other reasonable choice. There must be some solace in knowing that you gave Shadow a good life in a beautiful setting. Not many dogs are so fortunate.
I'm being "broken in" by a new puppy (Miss August in the 2007 Kuvasz Calendar), but the lose of my last dog is still a painful memory.
My prayers are with you and your family.
We will see them again.
I feel your pain, I know that you have maDe the best for your friend since the diagnosis. I am truly very sorry! I soon will be torn from this physical bond with my friend and long time photographic companion, Spark. He is up in age and his having some bad weeks mixed in with the good.
I tell myself there is a place where good dogs go - a place where they will sleep and play with other good dogs till their best friend arrives. Hopefully to them it's just a blink of the eye or just a long leisurely nap on the other side. But I know Shadow has always been grateful for the lifetime of adventures you've shared. My sincere condolences.
Peace Shadow... Peace Jim.
Best regards as always, my friend and to the whole Erhardt family..
I'm very sorry for your loss. I dread the day - I've yet to deal with the experience of loosing a companion. Our dog "Scout" is almost 9 and being a Newfoundland mix(with some sort of Spaniel,) I expect to start seeing some of the problems some of the larger breeds tend to have and the shorter lifespan. I'm hoping for a number of good years still to come.
My thoughts and best wishes to you and your family.
Lon
I'm sorry to hear of your loss, and my heart is with you. I've been through many of these, none have been easy.
- Dan.
Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.
There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together.
There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.
All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.
The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance.
His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.
You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.
Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....
Take care, Jim & Donna.
Rest In Peace, Shadow.
I'm truely sorry. I know how attached we become with our pets. I have a friend who's lab got real sick and had to have bowl resection. She had to sell her 66 mustang to pay for the vet bills which exceeded $15,000.
Now a few days later, we truly realize our decision was absolutely the correct one. The look in Shadow's eyes the last few days of her life was one of discomfort and resignation. It's never an easy decision to make, but for those of us who love our pets like a family member, it is usually the right one.
Our best wishes to all you!
I just noticed this post and wanted to extend my thoughts to you. Words are never sufficient at a time like this, but having lost a close companion myself (Mad Max, the ships cat from my long ago bachelor days) some time ago, I have some feeling for what you are going through. Condolences.