Saying goodbye to a friend.

[Bishop]

I'm going to the Vet's office after this note to put my dog to sleep. She's been battling congestive heart failure for a little over a week, and losing. It has gotten to the point where she is no longer eating.

Our only other option at this point is a cardiac specialist. I'm not putting her through that. She's almost 12 years old, and doesn't like being poked and prodded. She's kind of a grumpy bitch, like me.

Last night, as I was trying to get her to lay down, I swear to Christ if she could talk she would have asked me to end it. I could see it in her expressive eyes. She's got nothing left to give. Not eating, not drinking water. It's time.

That was probably the hardest phone call I've made. I mean, for fuck's sake, I have to call to make an appointment to kill my dog? To end it for her. She won't give up, and I'm not going to torture her anymore.

Her name is Maddie. I can remember like yesterday the first day we brought her home, a little under 2 years old. Every time the furnace or refrigerator kicked on, she barked at it, viciously. It took her almost a week to get over that. I'm going to miss her clipclopclipcloppping up and down the hallway. I'm going to miss her.

Goodbye, my friend. My fattie Maddie.

[UncleJoseph]

Sucks man...sorry to hear of it. Had to put one of mine down in 2013. Still bothers me, and I knew it was coming at the time. They're family, almost like our kids (especially for me and my wife, because we are unable to have kids). Mine had cancer, but we thought it was inflammatory bowel disease because it responded to treatment for that (for about a year). Then he just crashed. Never an easy thing, but I'm certain mine would've asked for me to end if he could have. I'd do the same thing in his shoes.

[3278]

Damn, that is tragic. As sorry as I am to see her go, and for you to have to lose her, I'm glad you knew how and when to make the right decision. She had a hell of a good life, though, with people and dogs who loved her; a pup can't really ask for anything more out of life than she got. Which isn't much consolation, of course: our grief isn't for her, it's for us, having to live without her. I'd have loved to see her get another 12 years, but the 12 she had were great ones.

[Bishop]

My wife said, "Maddie girl, I don't want you to rest in peace. I want you to find a great big lake with endless boys to throw sticks. Or logs..you know, whatever you can haul away from the firepit."

It was rougher on my son then me. He's doing a bit better now, but it was rough for several days.