I like this: http://www.tickld.com/x/why-dogs-never-actually-die-this-guy-nails-it
I particularly like this piece of writing, not so much for what you read at face value, but the deeper meaning embedded in it. For me, there is an underlying message in it that we should not anthropomorphise animals. How we view or fear “dying” may not be how an animal views it.
Human fear death like they fear the plague. They don’t want to die, they are not willing to die, and when it eventually comes, many cannot accept that they have to die.
Everyone would fear violent death (being killed or murdered) – I believe this to be true for humans and animals alike. Hence, please eat less meat? There is no humane killing at the slaughterhouse.
But it is entirely possible that animals do not fear natural death. Maybe when the time comes, they are totally at peace with it and will just ride it out. If this is true, then giving palliative care would be the best thing we can do for a dying animal.
My four dogs passed on peacefully – they just slept off. Puffin, Remirth, Mac and Bobby.
Which comes to another taboo topic which I’d rather not talk about – euthanasia. We are no-kill because we’d rather give palliative care to an ailing and terminal animal. But our stand has been criticised harshly by those who believe in euthanasia. I truly wish we could just agree to disagree on this. We don’t criticise those who choose euthanasia, we just could not subsidise it previously when we had the medical treatment fund, but this came under severe criticism.
It’s hard, you know. One would think you’d be criticised for killing, but here, we are criticised for NOT killing. Then comes all the accusations of fearing karma and having no guts, but that’s not true, really. It has absolutely nothing to do with karma or having no guts. Personally, I never do things for good karma or bad karma or whatever karma. I just do it because it’s the right thing to do, as far as my conscience goes. Karma has no role in whatever decision I make.
And we are only advocating giving palliative care and reducing pain. Surely that is not wrong, is it?
But this is topic I do not want to talk about further as it ruffles many feathers, so I shall stop here and let’s take the article above at face value.
Dogs do not die; they just sleep in our hearts!
Comments
2 responses to “Dogs don’t die; they just sleep in your heart!”
Both my late parents had to endure rice tube feeding/ coronary infection & were bed riddened for years before they passed away & during that difficult period, we have tried to give the best palliative care possible to them but nothing can take away the amount of suffering n misery in them n we had to witness it every day. Their daily existence became meaningless, just another day of more suffering, waiting for that final moment only. Their pains became my pain & at times I really wished I could used euthanasia on them too.
I wrote this several years ago in memory of my Pit Bull, Bolo, whose last day saw him walking as far as he could, fifteen feet. Then he looked at me as if to say:”It’s not me. It’s this body. If I was running things we’d still be walking.”
I appreciate your comments. I like the way you look at the death of an animal. I don’t think they fear death. They live in the moment, and the best moments are probably the ones spent with you. My vet came over and visited my house, and gave Bolo a shot. He (Bolo) was in intense pain from cancer and I was very grateful that I could be with him and end his suffering. Our relationship to pets is sort of god-like, and I believe that we can do it in a way that lessens their suffering. I still cry over him, and I still tear reading something I wrote and have read 100 times.