To not be in the room when my dog is put to sleep?

This 100%

I think it is only right that she has someone she knows and loves but it doesn't have to be you. First off, I was nearly 50 before I took a dog to the vet to be PTS and that was my dad's. I was glad I did because it was a positive experience even though it was so sad. It took away the fear and so a few years later when our oldest dog at the time had to go I wasn't afraid to be with her.

We had to have dog put down last month. He was 14 and had been surrounded by love all his life. My daughter actually came home to spend time with him as we knew he was reaching the end. When it came time for the trip she went with my husband and I felt no need to be with him because I knew he would be loved the whole time.

Please don't feel bad. Not everyone has to be there and don't let anyone pressure you.

I couldn't bring myself to be in the room when my 2 cats were put to sleep. They didn't know whether I was there or not, they were drugged up. So please try not to beat yourself up about not going & don't let others make you feel guilty

Everyone is different. I didnt think twice about being with my dog when he was PTS, I needed to be there with him to give him peace in his final moments. But if there will be family with your dog and people they love and trust then I dont see a reason why you have to be with them. For months after my dog died I had the image going around in my head of him closing his eyes and falling asleep then the heartbreak that followed but that has slowly faded and I remember the happy times when he was fit and healthy instead.

Much as I hated it, I was there for all my cats when put to sleep.

I wanted to be the last person they saw and to be stroking them and talking to them. It's bloody hard though.

The last cat was PTS at home and that was better for him and me. It was expensive but worth every penny for him to be so relaxed and slip away in his home.

OP go . If you don't it will haunt you .

I'm sorry to hear about your parents. I also had reason to compare and contrast. Our much-loved cat had a peaceful, dignified end, when she still knew who we were. Our equally beloved human had to wait it out, under circumstances that were no less awful.

I've been there for 3 dogs and not for 1 dog and a cat which were in the Vets and had deteriorated and was kinder to PTS asap.

Its hard but I'm glad I stayed for the ones I did. The others were sedated and probably didn't know I wasn't there.

The only thing I do regret is not letting one of my dogs say goodbye to her bestie. I sent her and my small daughter to my mum and dads when the Vet came to the house. She looked for him for a long time.

Do what you feel is best for you and if you've already said goodbye then leave it at that. They go so quickly and peacefully so you don't have to worry about that.

I took my Mums dog to the PTS when she was on holiday. I stayed with him as I felt I should and when they injected him he screamed and it’s haunted me since. I am sorry if that upsets you but I want to be honest. If you already feel like you don’t want to and someone he loves is there.. don’t go x

I was you a few years ago. Every single fibre of my being did not want to be in that room when it happened. But I knew I had to for my dog, I went and it was very peaceful and dignified, I would have felt such guilt if I didn’t go based on how calm and peaceful it all was.

You don’t need to be there (especially if another family member is there). I’ve been with everyone of my animals when euthanised, but more for my benefit, I want to know they knew I was there. I was never there when they were anaesthetised (put into a sleep for an operation). So it’s the final goodbye that’s the human bit. If you feel you haven’t said a proper goodbye, then go see her before hand, give her a hug, tell her you love her & wait outside for your family members. Don’t feel guilty if it’s not right for you. There isn’t a right and wrong, just what feels right for you.

It’s hard and my Dad said he couldn’t stay when our dog was put to sleep. She knew it was the end and hadn’t moved all day. My brother and dad carried her to the car. My Dad said as he left the room she raised her head to look at him, her favourite human as if to say ‘I know, it’s ok!’…jeez I miss that furbag even after 25ish years. She was a smelly pest but she was also loyal and funny and sweet.

I'm really sorry you're going through this.
I think it's fine not to be there if that's best for you. Especially as people who love your dog will be in the room with her.
We went through this last year as a family. Two of my teenage children chose to come with me to say goodbye, and both then chose to stay in the room while it happened. The other didn't want to come, chose to remember the dog how she had been and not add those images to her last memories. None of the three of them regret the decision they made.
Try to remember, this isn't the defining moment in your relationship with your dog. That's the time you've spend together over the months and years you've had her, and those are the memories to hold on to, whatever you do today.
Take care of yourself.

Annoying that you assume that those people who are telling OP to go be with her are doing so because they "haven't read the whole post" when the alternative is that they DID, and it didn't alter their response.

I'd encourage you to do what's best for you, OP, rather than listening to a bunch of pixels on the www telling you what you 'have to' do. No, you don't, and certainly don't pay any concession to the hateful comments telling you what a terrible person you are if you fail to do the 'right thing'. There is no 'right thing'. This is an individual judgement call to make: you are the one undergoing this situation in the here and now.

Your beloved dog is under sedation and comfortable. Humans are the only animals which know we are going to die. She is sedated, being kept comfortable, and will have no idea what's happening.

I'm sorry: the loss of a beloved animal is very hard. Make this gentler on yourself in whatever way you need. It doesn't matter what we think - it really doesn't.

I was with my last two dogs when they were put to sleep. Im so glad I went, because it was so peaceful and easy. It gave me great comfort to know they slipped over the rainbow bridge and had no pain or fear. So I would encourage you to do it and not be fearful because (in our case at least) it was not traumatic or ugly at all. Sad yes, but not directly upsetting and it felt right and good and a fitting goodbye for our dear friends. Much more so, may I say, than watching my elderly parents fight and struggle against their hugely medically assisted attempts to keep them both alive

So long as someone they know and love is there its ok. Not everyone needs to be there. But they shouldn't be alone.

Your dog won't die alone and without comfort. She'll have other family members with her and also, veterinary professionals are good at that sort of thing. They will be able to put her at her ease, for, what for her will probably be just another procedure and another injection anyway. By the time our old lady cat got to that point, the medical stuff and those doing it were so familiar to her, it was like falling off a log. She was such a character, the practice even had a nickname for her - Duchess - because of her aristocratic demeanour.

You can only really make this decision for yourself. For me, being there meant the procedure was demystified. I saw my beloved girl drift off painlessly and wasn't left with a headful of horrible imaginings. That was comforting at the time and it helped a year later when we had to do the same for another cat. We now have two seniors, currently healthy, but inevitably, their time will come. I'm dreading it, but not nearly as much as I would if I'd not been there the first time.

We have had to do this twice in recent years and on both occasions we agreed that there should be just one of us with each dog at the end. The first time it was me and I cuddled him on my lap as they gave him the injection. The second time we thought that our girl was just going in for treatment and I couldn't get to the vets in time so DH went to sit with her. We would never have let our dogs go through that alone (although the second time the vet wanted to "if he's not here in 20 minutes we're going to do it anyway") but at the same time we wanted them to be calm and comforted. They were old and would have found it confusing to be surrounded by lots of sobbing people.

The only thing I regret was that when I whispered "go to sleep" to my boy, I realised later that he had already gone and wouldn't have been able to hear me. It really is so quick and painless. If I hadn't been holding him and felt the little sigh as it happened you would never have known.

They know you love them. So long as they are with someone they trust you don't need to be there.

I've been there when all 3 of my dogs had their last breath and I've never ever regretted it. They need reassure from the person they have loved at this scary time.
It makes me cry just writing this to you... but for me it was mylast act of love between me and my best friends. Be there for them...

There was 8 of us in the room when we said goodbye..we sang his special song to him and we all held A BIT of him ..he needed us there to know he was safe and loved I'm crying just writing this
He gave us so much love and happy memories it was the least we could do for him.
But saying that ,as long as your dog is not alone and has some family with him ,you must do what you think is right for you

She won't be alone

In the context that you’ve given, I think it’s fine to stay at home. In fact, it may be best as too many people crowding around could actually be more distressing for her.

Annoying that so many posters clearly didn’t read your whole OP, even though you asked them to literally in your first sentence.

I think this is fine; she’ll be sedated comfortable and surrounded by loved ones. So sorry for your loss. X

That's mean