My family's dog, Sheba was put down today.
She was brought to our community as a two year old with the idea that she would be bred to make puppies for profit. She was mostly abandoned however, and the community left out food for her and did what they could. Her owner would come home for periods and take care of her, but would say no to whoever offered to buy her from him. My parents offered many times to take her, but were told no way. Sometimes he would take her with him when he went away and we wouldn't see her for a few months.
Over these years, Sheba had a number of litters. A few times I took these pups when they were old enough and either found homes for them or delivered them to the SPCA. One of these litters she had in the late Fall. On my Christmas holiday I was at my parent's place and it was snowing outside. My Mom heard a whine at the door, opened it, and found Sheba with a pup at her feet, and two more struggling through the weather behind her. We all ran out, got the pups in and went and found the remainder of the litter. They were about 6 weeks old, and within minutes of being inside were all panting from the heat. They were the fattest, most well-insulated puppies you could imagine. That litter I delivered to the SPCA, but I kept the pup she had carried. I called him Juno. Juno is now 11 years old and lives at my parents place because he is the best bear-scaring guard dog ever. A bear tried to come in through my parent's sliding glass door a few years ago, and they asked to have Juno stay with them because he was such a good barker.
After this litter, my Dad happened to catch Sheba's owner on a good day and offered 50 bucks for her. He took it. Sheba was swept to a vet's office, spayed, and checked over. She never took to being a house-pet very well as she had never known that type of life, but she was happy enough to stay put and let people pay attention to her.
Sheba was 16. We almost didn't believe it when the vet told us, as we thought she was closer to 12, but her vet records show that she was at least 16 years old. She had a leg that didn't work very well, and as she got older she stopped using it almost completely. The vet said there was nothing really wrong with it, and to just make her as comfortable as possible. With age she has developed arthritis that makes it difficult for her to get up, and even to lie back down. Over the last 6 months she has become more and more incontinent, she is deaf to everything but a loud whistle, and she is overweight despite being on diet food. She sleeps and gets up to use the bathroom, more and more often just a few feet from her blanket. Her quality of life is deteriorating, and my parents finally decided it was time.
We sat with her in the darkened office as she was given a sedative. I couldn't stay for the final injection and waited in the lobby. She went quietly to sleep. She had a tough life to start with, but ended up OK. She was never the kind of dog to love walks or attention, she got her enjoyment from playing in the tide pools all alone, trying to catch bullheads. But she was loved.
She was brought to our community as a two year old with the idea that she would be bred to make puppies for profit. She was mostly abandoned however, and the community left out food for her and did what they could. Her owner would come home for periods and take care of her, but would say no to whoever offered to buy her from him. My parents offered many times to take her, but were told no way. Sometimes he would take her with him when he went away and we wouldn't see her for a few months.
Over these years, Sheba had a number of litters. A few times I took these pups when they were old enough and either found homes for them or delivered them to the SPCA. One of these litters she had in the late Fall. On my Christmas holiday I was at my parent's place and it was snowing outside. My Mom heard a whine at the door, opened it, and found Sheba with a pup at her feet, and two more struggling through the weather behind her. We all ran out, got the pups in and went and found the remainder of the litter. They were about 6 weeks old, and within minutes of being inside were all panting from the heat. They were the fattest, most well-insulated puppies you could imagine. That litter I delivered to the SPCA, but I kept the pup she had carried. I called him Juno. Juno is now 11 years old and lives at my parents place because he is the best bear-scaring guard dog ever. A bear tried to come in through my parent's sliding glass door a few years ago, and they asked to have Juno stay with them because he was such a good barker.
After this litter, my Dad happened to catch Sheba's owner on a good day and offered 50 bucks for her. He took it. Sheba was swept to a vet's office, spayed, and checked over. She never took to being a house-pet very well as she had never known that type of life, but she was happy enough to stay put and let people pay attention to her.
Sheba was 16. We almost didn't believe it when the vet told us, as we thought she was closer to 12, but her vet records show that she was at least 16 years old. She had a leg that didn't work very well, and as she got older she stopped using it almost completely. The vet said there was nothing really wrong with it, and to just make her as comfortable as possible. With age she has developed arthritis that makes it difficult for her to get up, and even to lie back down. Over the last 6 months she has become more and more incontinent, she is deaf to everything but a loud whistle, and she is overweight despite being on diet food. She sleeps and gets up to use the bathroom, more and more often just a few feet from her blanket. Her quality of life is deteriorating, and my parents finally decided it was time.
We sat with her in the darkened office as she was given a sedative. I couldn't stay for the final injection and waited in the lobby. She went quietly to sleep. She had a tough life to start with, but ended up OK. She was never the kind of dog to love walks or attention, she got her enjoyment from playing in the tide pools all alone, trying to catch bullheads. But she was loved.