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Tabi's care had become my mother's responsibility.
Mom wanted the dog gone; my father procrastinated. There was much arguing about the grave that should have been dug before the ground froze. What would they do with poor Tabi's body if she died during the winter? From the moment my mother slammed the door of her T-bird shut and headed off to take care of my sister's kids, Tabi's days were numbered. My father became the dog's primary caregiver, and he quickly realized how poor her quality of life had become.
He led her to her bed, a bunch of blankets in the corner of his workshop. The building was warm with a fire burning in the woodstove. The dog lay down in her favourite corner and quickly dropped off to sleep.
My father returned to the house to load his rifle. Tabi didn't stir when he reappeared; her hearing was long gone. He lovingly scratched her behind the ears, pointed the rifle at her head, and with one quick pull of the trigger, she was gone.
I'm a city girl. I buy my meat nicely wrapped in plastic. I rarely tell this story because people gape at me in horror. They can't believe my father performed such a cruel, cold-hearted act on his beloved dog.
They don't understand why he didn't just take her to the vet to have her put down. I don't even bother trying to explain that my dad's a farmer. Good farmers don't let their animals suffer. It was an act of love, kindness and gratitude for all their wonderful years together that he was able to save Tabi that most hated, fearful trip to the vet. He couldn't let a stranger shoot his dog. Illustration by Peter Mitchell. This is a space where subscribers can engage with each other and Globe staff. Non-subscribers can read and sort comments but will not be able to engage with them in any way.
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Comments that violate our community guidelines will be removed. Commenters who repeatedly violate community guidelines may be suspended, causing them to temporarily lose their ability to engage with comments. Read our community guidelines here. Article text size A. Open this photo in gallery: Facts illustration July Published July 22, Updated May 1, My heart was racing from the phone call that had just ended. Story continues below advertisement. Follow us on Twitter globeandmail Opens in a new window. Log in Subscribe to comment Why do I need to subscribe?
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Everyone has to deal with grief sometime, and most people work through it in time. They spoke lovingly of their animals but when the time came to stock the freezer, kapow , out came the hatchet and the pot of boiling water, and away they went. Facebook Twitter 1K Shares. My father became the dog's primary caregiver, and he quickly realized how poor her quality of life had become. Even if you're having a bad day, if you don't feel popular, or if you're having trouble at school, your pet loves you. Click here to subscribe.
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Millions of families throughout the world own pets, which means that every day someone goes through the heartbreak of losing an animal friend. Whether it's from old age, illness, or an accident, animals — like people — will die sometime. Veterinarians can do wonderful things for pets. But sometimes all the medical skill in the world can't save an animal.
And if a pet is in a lot of pain and will never get better, the vet may have to put it to sleep. This is known as euthanasia pronounced: The vet will give the animal an injection shot that first puts it to sleep and then stops the heart from beating. Euthanasia allows pets to die peacefully without any pain or fear. But deciding to help a pet die is still a hard thing to do. Emotions can get pretty complicated when a pet dies. You probably expect to feel sad, but you may have other emotions, too.
For example, you may feel angry if your friends don't seem to realize how much losing your pet means to you. Or perhaps you feel guilty that you didn't spend more time with your pet before he or she died.
It's natural to feel a range of emotions when a pet dies. If you're like a lot of people, you may have had someone say to you, "Sorry, but it was only an animal. After all, by the time we reach our teenage years, many of us have grown up with our pets, and they're part of the family. Just like losing a family member, when a pet dies people can go through a period of grieving. Grief can show up in many ways. Some people cry a lot. For others, the death may take a while to sink in. Some people temporarily lose interest in the things they enjoy doing or want to spend some quiet time alone.