All dogs go to heaven

This evening, a rescuer I know had to make that very painful decision of having a sick puppy under her care put to sleep.


She came by just now, to return the remaining RetroMAD1 to me. It had not worked on her puppy and the puppy was deteriorating to a state where she could not cope anymore.  


She told me this morning that she had decided to have the puppy put down. I did not quite know what to say because I have always resisted that option in all the animals I’ve dealt with, no matter how bad it is, but maybe I’ve never really faced such intensely suffering animals before. 


Wendy was the closest (she had distemper seizures) and if you remember, I was scolded by quite a few people for having not resorted to euthanasia. They said I was cruel to let her suffer. But I personally nursed Wendy until she passed away. Is that cruel? I don’t know. In the first place, was Wendy even suffering? Yes, she was dying, but was she suffering? To me, I felt she was calm and at peace. Those people who insisted that she was suffering had actually never even visited her, yet they insisted I should have her euthanised. But I felt I had no right to order her death. That’s not my call. My call is to nurse her and keep her as comfortable as best I can, which was what I did. But even by doing that, I got bombarded by those who believed strongly in euthanasing sick and terminally-ill animals. 


I live by a simple guideline. I just need to ask myself – would you do this to your child? If the answer is “no”, then I would not do it to any animal.  


However, I’ve always maintained that even though we have never resorted to euthanasia for any animal that comes to us, we do not and will never judge harshly anyone who opts for euthanasia for their suffering animals. They cannot cope anymore and nobody can help them out, so they have to resort to that painful decision. I think if anyone were to criticise someone who chooses euthanasia – instead of criticising, the critic should just take over the animal and nurse it. Isn’t that more constructive than criticising?


I used to ask a vet why many vets (not all, but many) are quick to recommend euthanasia for ill animals. Apparently, the main reason is this – the human caregiver can no longer cope and there is no one willing to look after the sick animal. What choice do you have, they ask me.  


If you think about that objectively, it may be true to a certain extent.


But what is true does not necessarily make it right.  


What is legal also does not necessarily make it right.


Euthanasia is legal for animals. Why isn’t it not legal for humans in most countries?  


Yet I think this is no longer a question of right or wrong. There will never be an answer to whether euthanasia is right or wrong and there is no point in debating over it. Some countries have legalized euthanasia for humans. A vet I know who strongly believes in euthanasia to end the suffering of animals says he wished euthanasia was legal for humans in this country as he, personally, cannot bear to see suffering, human or animal. He’d rather just end it. He told me about his own suffering uncle and how he wished he could have euthanised the poor man as he was just wasting away and was in such intense pain.  


I have seen dying humans who cope beautifully with their dying state. They may be stricken with the most critical illnesses, yet they display a mental strength so great that they are calm and at peace with whatever state they are in. And there are those who cannot cope. They cry in pain and they hang on to dear life, unwilling to let go. Now, that is suffering.  


Pain is not an option. Suffering is.  


Pain is physical. Suffering is mental.  


For those who believe in karma, they believe that everyone (including animals) carry karmic debts that have to be paid. Suffering is a form of paying a past karmic debt. If we end it for them prematurely, they would have to pay for it in another life (there is no escape from karmic debts), so we are not doing that person/animal a favour by ending their lives for them. The other question is, we also need to ask ourselves whether we are actually ending our suffering or theirs. Is it because we cannot bear to see them suffer, or is it because they are really suffering?   


In my own brief experience with dying animals, I feel animals know when to let go. When conditions are no longer favourable, they will let go on their own. Sometimes, they just need our blessings, especially if they have been particularly close to us. It takes great strength on our part, both to stay on with them and also to give them our blessings.   


But, there will be SO many different viewpoints to this debate and that is why I say there is no point in debating.  I think what is most important for us is to do what we FEEL is right. When it comes to this matter, it is not so much about seeking an answer from the brain, but from the heart.


We all need to do is to look deep within and do what we FEEL is right. 


So, for the rescuer who came to see me tonight, I’m sorry I did not quite know how to comfort you, but I know how painful it must be for you as I can see the sadness on your face and in your eyes. 


I searched and I found this for you – http://www.specialneedspets.org/euthanasia.htm


I hope it helps. 


And if it helps further, I was praying for your puppy this afternoon too. I pray your puppy will have a good transition to his next destination, and may that be a happier one.  


All dogs go to heaven.  




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4 responses to “All dogs go to heaven”

  1. Anonymous

    Grieve Not For Our Pets Who Have Departed
    For those of us who like animals… there is always the heartache when a dear one passes away due to illness, accident or old age. Sometimes we wonder whether a beloved sick pet should be kept alive as long as possible if there is no cure and not be put to sleep or should we put it to sleep to spare our beloved pet any further pain and suffering if there are any. And when our dear pets finally goes… Is it to a better place? … A better fourth-dimension plane of existence or astral heaven, as compared to our three-dimensional one? Do all dogs go to the astral heaven? And cats too?
    Difficult decisions and difficult questions… one spiritual yogi wrote about his experience with a beloved pet which departed this earth … perhaps a few paragraphs from Paramahansa Yogananda’s book ‘Autobiography of a Yogi’ might help soothe some of our anxieties about our departed pets:
    At the school in Ranchi…… :
    “We had many pets, including a young deer that was fairly idolised by the children. I, too, loved the fawn so much that I allowed it to sleep in my room. At the light of dawn the little creature would toddle over to my bed for a morning caress.
    “One day, because some business would require my attention in the town of Ranchi, I fed the pet earlier than usual. I told the boys not to feed the fawn until my return. One lad was disobedient and gave it a large quantity of milk. When I came back in the evening, sad news greeted me: ‘The fawn is nearly dead, through overfeeding’.
    “In tears, I placed the apparently lifeless pet on my lap. I prayed piteously to God to spare its life. Hours later, the small creature opened its eyes, stood up, and walked feebly. The whole school shouted for joy.
    “But a deep lesson came to me that night, one I can never forget. I stayed up with the fawn until two o’clock, when I fell asleep. The deer appeared in a dream, and spoke to me:
    “You are holding me back. Please let me go, let me go!
    “All right, I answered in the dream.
    “I awoke immediately, and cried out, ‘Boys, the deer is dying!’ The children rushed to my side.
    “I ran to the corner of the room where I had placed the pet. It made a last effort to rise, stumbled toward me, then dropped at my feet, dead.
    “According to the mass karma that guides and regulates the destinies of animals, the deer’s life was over, and it was ready to progress to a higher form. But by my deep attachment, which I later realised was selfish, by my fervent prayers, I had been able to hold it in the limitations of the animal form from which the soul was struggling for release. The soul of the deer made its plea in a dream because, without my loving permission, it either would not or could not go. As soon as I agreed, it departed.
    “All sorrow left me, I realised anew that God (my insert: or what others call the Universe) wants His children to love everything as a part of Him, and not to feel delusively that death ends all. The ignorant man sees only the unsurmountable wall of death, hiding, seemingly forever, his cherished friends. But the man of unattachment, he who loves others as expressions of the Lord, understands that at death the dear ones have only returned for a breathing space of joy in Him.”
    …….Ends
    So, let’s not grieve for our beloved pets who have left this earth before us… they have definitely gone to the astral heaven. It is normal to feel sadness and grief when a beloved pet departs this earth but too much grieving causes a ‘pull’ on the soul of the departed dear pet in the astral heaven and that is not good. Instead, let the stream of life flow uninterrupted and soon, when our time comes to depart, we can meet up with our beloved pets again in the astral heaven.
    Om mani padme hum…… kttan

  2. Mas Ayou

    Hi KY! Been a loooooong time and soooooo busy, but I would like to share a very recent experience:

    Deep down, KY, I too do not have answers on this heart matter and I think it goes by an individual case-by-case basis.
    Very recently, I had this experience concerning a one year-old male stray cat which I have been caring for since he was dumped as a very tiny kitten alongside with his brother early last year. They had both looked similar, both white and orange, so having run out of nice boy names temporarily, I had named the brother O/W No.1 and him O/W No.2).

    Early last week, I had noticed No.2 sleeping on a cardboard box in a corner, not his usual active self and he had not come rushing for the food I dished out every day for the gang. I had thought him just sleepy then and left him alone.

    The next day, same thing: sleeping in the same box and not coming to eat as usual. He just looked at me. I was in a rush and did not go over to him.

    Third day, same thing and concerned that he had not been eating (from experience, if a cat/kitten is not greedy for food something is definitely wrong, so my alarm bell went up), felt he must be unwell. I walked over to him, examined him and found him very ill, gums and tongue pale white and signs of yellow (jaundice, liver malfunction).

    He looked very weak and had lost weight and I felt he definitely would die without support. So I force fed him A/D, water and antibiotics to give his body the much needed nutrients to resist whatever was ailing him.

    I pinched his scruff to check his dehydration level and it was not too bad, indicating that he still managed to drink some on his own – a very good sign.

    Repeated force-feeding and antibiotics for 3 days although his condition looked so very bad (he moved very weekly, swallowed with great difficulty) and the idea of euthanasia had crossed my mind several times. Many vets readily put down an animal upon sight of jaundice indicating liver failure.

    But somewhere at the back of my mind, I had hoped that his previously very healthy body (I feed all strays with premium Blackwood kitten kibbles available cheaper in breeder packs as investment for healthier bodies against diseases and illnesses found in the very harsh life of strays) and age would be an advantage and I had read that if the animal manages to survive past 4-5 days, there is a very good chance of recovery.

    It had been very heart-rending period and I had so little time to give him the individual attention. I resisted putting him down because I felt that as long as he could swallow, he had stood a chance and I continued to force-feed him his antibiotics and what ever little A/D he could swallow successfully without stressing him and draining him of what little energy he had left in his frail body.

    I saw a ray of hope appear the day the yellow color start disappearing from his still whitish gums and skin.

    The next day I could scarcely believe my eyes and held my heart still … though still very pale, I saw a very faint trace of pink color return to his gums and tongue.

    I continued with the medication and could feed him more A/D. And he started to stand up and take several wobbly steps to nuzzle against my legs and then sat down again, tired out.

    This morning, I saw him waiting for me. He walked over and ate a little on his own as I dished out yummies for the whole gang.

    I will continue force feeding the medication and A/D to boost his system towards full recovery.

    I learnt several important things from this positive experience. I am very glad I pushed on and did not give up on No.2! Lives of strays have value too ….

  3. Mas Ayou, strive on with No.2! We will never know what the outcome would be, but we should always give our best with the best of intentions.

  4. Mas Ayu

    KY, I has just returned from checking on No.2 at lunchtime. This morning b4 rushing off to office, I had successfully given him 20mls of A/D by syringe plus his Vibravet when he had come out of his resting place to where I was standing. Lunchtime, he had again walked to me when he discerned my presence in the area and I managed to syringe-feed him another 30mls. of A/D. He walks around more and sits instead of lying down like he did previously, indicating he is stronger.

    I am glad I followed my instincts and did not give up hope. The cost? Oh, just 1 can of A/D (RM8) which I kept in the fridge, taking out only what I needed each day, about RM4 worth of tiny Vibravet tablets which I will continue to administer at half a tablet a day until end of next week, and several minutes of effort every day.

    Don't say die … try, try and try!

    Thanks, KY, God bless you and AnimalCare always!

    Love,
    Mas Ayu.

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