Euthanasia: Making the Right Choice, Josh's Story

One of the most dreaded and possibly painful experiences all animal lovers must go through comes at what seems to be the end of your animal friend’s life.

Do you know if it’s time for you to let go of your animal friend? How can you know if you don’t ask them first? After all, who else would know better than they do?

Josh, a 7 year old cocker spaniel, had lost his vision and hearing within the space of a few months due to cancer. He felt his life was over and just wanted to die. Severely depressed, he wasn’t eating or interacting much at all with his human, Susan. With the loss of his senses went his connection with the outside world.

When Susan called me, she was on the verge of putting him to sleep, but wanted to be sure there wasn’t anything else she could do to help him before she made the decision.

I spoke with Josh and it was true, he had fallen into a deep depression and didn’t know how to get out… My work that day focused on showing him how to use his other wonderful senses and engage his bodymind’s recuperative power to start living again.

For instance, I taught him how to tell Susan when he needed to go outside. All he had to do was find the door with his nose, sit down and bark. Susan promised she would hear him, come and take him out. In spite of the fact that Josh had never barked before in his life, he got the message and it worked like a charm!

Josh even figured out that barking was the way to ask for what he wanted, whatever it was! Susan told me that one day she was thinking about going into the kitchen and having a snack, and Josh began barking at her! And he wouldn’t quit until she agreed to go get him a snack too.

Josh began interacting with people again. Never a very affectionate dog before, Josh began seeking Susan out with his nose and inviting physical contact and comfort. They were able to connect on a deeply personal and spiritual level that neither could have imagined only a few short months before.

Susan’s life was forever changed too. She learned how to telepathically communicate with Josh on levels he could ‘hear’ and understand. Between the two of them, they taught each other many profound life lessons.

One of the interesting things about his remarkable life was that as Josh aged, he became lumpy with benign tumors and sometimes lost his balance. Occasionally he would get grumpy, and felt the pangs of arthritis. He slept a lot in his final years too…

Many other people would view him with dismay and tell Susan she should put him down. His appearance disturbed them so they thought his quality of life – from their viewpoint – couldn’t be good and he must be in a lot of pain. They thought she was keeping him alive beyond what was reasonable.

She somehow never felt that was the right thing to do for her dear friend. And every so often Susan would check in with him to see how he was doing, and if he was ready to go yet. He would always tell her he was fine, perfectly happy and content, was coping with his pain well, and was still enjoying his life.

One day that changed. He woke up and knew it was time to go. He communicated that it was his desire to transition. His transition was made possible with the gift of euthanasia. Against the odds, Josh lived to the ripe old age of 17 years.

He felt he had a very good life, and was grateful that he had gotten a second chance. He was also grateful that he and his much loved human friend, Susan, had been able to grow so very close.

And Susan was grateful that she listened to both her heart and to her dog, and chose not to end his life prematurely, before he was truly ready to go.

Do yourself and your animal friends a favor by giving them a voice in what happens to them and when. You’ll both be glad you did.