I both love and loathe having a dog.  The walks, the car rides, the games, the companionship and blind loyalty are all some of the best things you can get in life.  Conversely though, when your dog gets sick or old and the time comes to have it put to sleep, I would almost rather cut off my left hand then go through with the euthanasia.

My previous dog got sick relatively suddenly.  He (Buster) was a healthy 12 year old Boxer, who started eating less and less throughout the course of the week and then started to vomit the next.  We looked at his thyroid and a few other things although nothing was outside the ordinary.  A week and a half later, I knew it was time.  He had stopped eating completely, was lethargic and weak and hadn't responded to any treatment.  Aside from my grandmother passing away (my parents and sibling are still alive), this was one of the hardest days of my life.  Taking that last car ride to the vets office carrying the knowledge that I would return without my best friend, was brutal.  Turns out Buster ended up having stomach cancer, which was causing all his issues.

I didn't want another dog after that, but when I moved in with my gf, I acquired one by default.  Kompton was 11 when I met her, and was a Ridge-back, mutt mix.  She was one of the most mellow, easygoing dogs I'd ever met.  It was almost like she was high all the time.  She loved to take walks, crunch ice cubes and lay in the sun.  In the past 6 months she went downhill a bit with weight-loss, arthritis and a bladder tumour.  During the past week all the ailments seemed to collide resulting in a teary trip to the vets office on Saturday morning.

I will miss Kompton just like I miss Buster, but I think that I'm all set on owning a dog for a while.  Deep down I do realize that I am a dog person and love the boundless joy of a dog and companionship that they bring.  Someday I will get another, for now though I'll have the memories of two great friends to look back upon.