BETTER FOR DOGS THAN US

Euthanasia is never an easy decision to have to make

When it comes to euthanasia, dogs have a much easier time than we humans. The day after Rowan died, I read a report in the newspaper about the father of MP Paul Blomfield, who had committed suicide after being diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer. Mr Blomfield wants a change to the law that gives people a choice, so that those with a terminal diagnosis of six months or less can choose the point at which they die, rather than living out a miserable ending. Apparently, 81% of people support a change in the law. I’m one of them.

I’m sure more dogs have a vet-assisted death than die naturally. I remember a shooting friend bemoaning the fact that he had never had a dog die naturally, but had always been forced to make the final decision about when to end a dog’s life. It’s never an easy one to make, but many times you have to do it.

I remember calling out the vet to put down a 12-year-old bitch of mine who was suffering from cancer. When the vet arrived she rang the doorbell, prompting the bitch to bark. I was half hoping that the vet would look at my dog and say that she was far too healthy to put down, but of course she didn’t.

I admire people who can put down their own dogs. Over the years I’ve met several who simply shoot their old dogs, sparing them the visit to the vet. However, it’s something that I couldn’t do. It’s not that I’m squeamish, but pulling the trigger on an old friend would feel a bit like betrayal, an unnecessarily violent end that I couldn’t come to terms with.

Rowan was euthanised in the back of my car. She was so far gone that I’m sure she didn’t even feel the needle. The veterinary practice I use is a partnership, not a member of a corporate group. I have no doubt this explains that when I asked how much I owed, the vet replied that “we don’t charge for euthanasia”, a pleasing gesture at a stressful time.

Changed behaviour or a reluctance to eat are often signs that it’s time to make the call