"You Are My Best Friend"

Every euthanasia I am a part of is heart breaking in its own way. Sometimes it is a cat that looks just like mine, a pet that is all the owner has left or a favorite long-term patient of mine. Each time I help owners say goodbye, it is never easy and some stick with me more than others.

Recently I had to help a family say goodbye to their beloved, cancer-ridden, 15-year-old dog named Teddy. Along with the parents, there were two young kids there and it turned out, that they grew up with Teddy by their side. It was clear that Teddy and their daughter had a very close bond. The parents honored that bond and gave their daughter the power to do whatever made her feel comfortable during this difficult process. So after going over the euthanasia process with them, without hesitation, their daughter told me that she wanted to stay with Teddy and hold him the whole time. She also decided that she wanted to have Teddy cremated because if they ever moved, he could always move with her. We discussed making special paw prints for her to leave with so she would leave with something to look at.

When everyone was ready, I watched as Teddy passed peacefully in the arms of his best friend. She held him and talked to him the entire time. “You are my best friend. I love you so much. There won’t be any pain anymore.” Those words and that image will forever stay with me. My heart broke for this family but especially for this little girl who was losing her best friend. But at the same time, I was in awe of her. Her compassion, wisdom and strength were admirable especially in such a young person.

I think back to when I first started working as a vet and I would tear up during every euthanasia. A colleague of mine told me it gets easier the more that you experience it. While I don’t cry often during them now, that one truly broke my heart and I found myself reaching for a tissue along with Teddy’s family.

After that day, I often wondered about that little girl and her family. I hoped they were healing, and I hoped that strong, brave, little girl found something to put a smile back on her face.

A few months later, I entered an exam room to begin a new puppy appointment. Sitting there was the most adorable puppy and Teddy’s owner. I was so happy to see her and I immediately asked how her daughter was. She told me that while losing Teddy was hard on her, she is in love with their newest addition. I shared with this owner how much I respected their decisions that day and how I was in awe at the strength of her daughter. Then she shared with me that on that day, her daughter decided that she wants to become a vet because she wants to show people the kindness that I showed to her and Teddy…

Sometimes the worst days of this career, become some of the best.

(Names and descriptive details have been changed slightly to protect owner/patient privacy.)