Comment on Pet loss and self-forgiveness by Tanya.

My dog Melman died two days ago. He was 15.5 and I knew he wouldn’t live forever and that I would have to take him to be euthanized one day. He was a small dog, a shitzu mix. I just lost him tragically though. He was very attached to me like a velcro dog so it was very difficult to leave him. He would poop in the house every time we left this last year and we had tried putting him in a kennel but he pooped all over himself. It had gotten worse this last week twice when I left him inside while I was outside with a neighbour or a friend he pooped in the house even though he had just been outside with us. So I took him with us to my Mom’s for the night. She had planned for us to go to her neighbors that afternoon and I wasn’t really sure we could take him with us there and I didn’t think she and her bf wanted him pooping all over their house so I agreed to leave him tied up on the deck in a shady spot where they leave their dog outside. But I should have known and been more careful or took him with us or stayed home with him. He absolutely can’t stand me leaving him. When he came back less than a few hours later he had wrapped the rope around a table and then squeezed through the tiny slats on the railing and hung himself. When I found him he was gone but where he was hanging looked like he could have almost touched and I’m tortured thinking how long he may have struggled to stay on his tip toes before failing and wondering where I was and why I left him there to die. I don’t know I am ever going to get over this. Such a horrible way for his beautiful life to end.

I have no real words of comfort for others but it has been comforting to hear others stories sharing in this pain and the guilt. It’s much easier to say to any of you, it was a tragic accident and you’re all obviously good pet loving parents grieving.

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