The DU Lounge

Your post is so timely for me.
I had to make the decision last Tues. Our little old lady pup had fought off cancer for 3 years, but the drugs no longer worked and there were no more to try. I kept postponing calling the vet to come, but in the end I know it was cruel to keep her going. I could see she was starting to struggle.
She was almost 14yrs, so she'd had a good life with us, but this one has really hit me hard. I don't know why I felt closer to her than all of the previous pets--dogs, cats, horses, etc--but maybe the answer is in your post.
I assume we'll eventually get another furry family member, but not for awhile. I still need to cry out of the blue sometimes until thinking of her makes me laugh instead of weep.
I have a meme (that I can't get to post) that says:
Having a dog will bless you with the happiest days of your life, and one of the worst days.
100% true.