Thank GOD President Biden was home when champ passed. Do you think they knew it was near?

[demtenjeep]

so glad it wasn't' a violent end

[drray23]

1. maybe they had a vet come in and put him to sleep.

Its something you can do instead of going to the vet with your dying pet. This makes it less stressfull on the dog and the humans

[Withywindle]

11. My parents had this done with their last two dogs who were very old and sick

It's so much better for everyone. You don't have that traumatic last drive to the vet. Your pet can pass at home in comfortable familiar surroundings on their favorite pillow, and in my experience, the vets who offer this service are very compassionate. They understand that some family members want to be there the whole time and hold and pet and talk to their companion as they go, and other family members can't bear it, and either is ok.

[GulfCoast66]

2. They had to know. A 13 year old Shepherd is ancient.

I have no doubt he was suffering and they had a vet come and put him down peacefully. Just had to do so with a 20 year old cat. A few months ago.

Which brings up something that surprised me. The vet agreed is was the only humane thing to do. So when the receptionist was talking about it she told me they would cremate Emma and we could pick up her urn. For $300 extra dollars. Never heard of that. When I asked her if I could just take and bury her in my garden she acted shocked. But said OK.

Realized it had been over 20 years since I had last been in that situation. Cremation was not even offered then.

[montanacowboy]

3. They offer both individual and

group cremations. It's much more expensive for an individual cremation but one I always choose as I want my pet back. We have a little bookcase with our pets and their ashes along with their photos and their collars. They are a part of our family and our home. We loved them so.

[GulfCoast66]

4. Thanks. Learn something new everyday.

Not our thing but I think it’s nice the choice is available.

Have a nice evening.

[Archae]

5. It's always sad.

I've lived here for almost 30 years now, and lost 4 cats.

[Ka-Dinh Oy]

6. I am glad Champ got to move on with his family there with him.

[BigmanPigman]

7. My fur baby died a few days before Christmas

but she had been going downhill for 6 months. I'll never forget finding her in the morning. I had never seen a dead body before. I was in shock for a while.

A year ago, June 2, my fur baby died. Due to Covid I could have had her put to sleep at the vet's without my being present but that would have killed me too. My neighbor lost her two dogs in Nov and April and she had to do it this way. I found people who come to your house to do it in a peaceful, home setting. This was much better than finding her dead. I was able to prepare a little bit emotionally. We had to wear Covid masks and the procedure went smoothly. Both of my babies were cremated. Their ashes are at the same tree in their favorite park and that is where mine will be too. I made a detailed, color map of the park and that particular tree in my will. My trust attorney said tons of people are including their pets in their wills now.

[Withywindle]

12. When COVID hit, my mom set up a trust fund in her will for her dog

In case she dies before him, she designated a few people she knows (with their consent obviously) as caregivers for him. (I can't do it, he's a rambunctious hunting dog and I live in a city apartment with cats and roommates)

I'm so sorry for your loss. It's so awful, that way. I had a furbaby (cat) die suddenly from an undiagnosed heart condition while I was at work. My roommate was trying to save her and basically narrated it to me over the phone and both of us were crying and wailing. One of the worst days of my life and I've lived over half a century. It's so, so terrible.

All blessings on vets who do the home service. My parents did that with their previous dog. It was gutwrenchingly sad, but it was also kind and compassionate and he got to be on his favorite pillow in familiar surroundings with none of the vet's office stress.

[BigmanPigman]

13. She sounds like a responsible person, wish there were more

like her. Older people should all have a plan for "what if" the pet outlives tube owner. Keith Olbermann always posts tons of dogs in shelters who need homes and a lot are from senior citizens who passed away. I know that if I died before my baby she would go into a state of depression and eventually die from it. I never had a baby so attached to me. I was listening to a Near Death Experience and a woman was in the "white light" and happier than ever here on Earth. Then she remembered her little dog left on Earth and she instantly left the white light and was back with her furbaby again. That would be me too.

[Effete Snob]

8. That's why they got Major in the first place

Champ was on the decline for a while. They got Major to keep Champ active.

[GoodRaisin]

9. It's hard to know without knowing what caused the dog's death.

I lost my dog of 11 years to spleen cancer in February. It's very deadly in dogs. I took a chance trying to save him to remove the spleen hoping for a benign tumor but it turned out malignant. That was late October last year. The operation bought me a little over 3 months more life with my dog.

He was chasing a rabbit about 2 weeks removed from the surgery. But spleen cancer spreads quickly and it became a daily "do I or don't I" call. In the last 2-3 weeks, some days he was down but on others he would bounce back up. He was literally up walking around two days before my son and I had to finally put him in the car to go do it, and we didn't make it. He died in my arms on the way. Now I wish I had gone sooner. It was the hardest call I have ever had to make.

In retrospect, maybe it's better if it's sudden.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

10. You know when the end is near

I am glad that the family was with Champ at the end