Dear Jack,
I can’t live with myself. I feel so much guilt after I euthanize a pet because, in essence, I am giving the order to murder them. I know, I know it’s in their best interest but it’s still so hard.
Oh, if we told you how often we have heard this. How horrific it must feel for those who do not realize what a good thing they did for us. A senior veterinarian we know terms euthanasia “the final act of love.” He is in the business of assisting pets over the Rainbow Bridge, not murdering them. This merciful final act is a blessing to the animals. A blessing most humans at the end of life do not have access to. Sometimes it is all in how you perceive it.
You did not do it to kill me; you did it to relieve me from my pain or the possibility of pain and suffering. This is for anyone who believes that they took a life away: You loved enough to let the one you love go. You freed them from being bound to a life that no longer served them. You need only shift your perspective to know the truth of the matter.
Have you ever known an older person who was weary from living life? Someone who perhaps struggled with pain or chronic illness or had thoughts that tormented, or lacked quality of life? Humans are not as fortunate as their pets. They cannot simply be put to sleep when the time comes.
If you ever knew our friend Sally...she spent the last two decades of her life at the nursing home. We met her at 104. She would reach out and lightly touch my furry face and say, “Dear Jack, I think the good Lord has forgotten me.” You could hear her bones creak when she moved. She could hardly eat anything anymore. She had outlived all of her family and she rarely left her room. Literally she was waiting to die. She lived to be 105 and about halfway through that year, she was called Home.
If you ever knew someone who was weary from living life, you would know that you did your pet a favor. Even when you know that you did the right thing, there is a certain amount of guilt because guilt is an inherent human condition. The key is to let it go, to not dwell on it. When we look back at you, we do not see the things we feel you could have done better. We look back at you only with love, knowing you did your very best and knowing that you acted out of your love for us.
Love, Jack
Euthanasia: It is a beautiful word, really. It is a Greek word meaning “easy death” and it is true. There is no easier death than this. It is unfortunate that, once again, people are so afraid of death in all its forms that they find it so difficult even when the time of death is peaceful. Only Gone from Your Sight
Credits:
