Tomorrow afternoon our beautiful golden cocker spaniel, Chester will be put to sleep at home.
He's 16 years old and we've agonised over the decision after a long period of slowly declining health. He has dementia, is double incontinent, soils himself in his bed, has an inoperable ear tumour that frequently gets infected and irritates him, struggles with mobility and spends much of his day either sleeping or pacing.
The hardest part is that he hasn't been in pain or a crisis. He still enjoys his food and will still gently wag his tail and seem to perk up for a gentle walk (or shuffle) But when we look at the whole picture, we know that it has become "time"
We've chosen a home euthanasia because he hates going to the vets, and we want his final day to be peaceful for him, familiar and surrounded by the people who love him, rather than waiting until an emergency forces the decision for us.
I know many people here will understand this awful stage of dog ownership. Deep down, I know we're making the kind and responsible decision, but emotionally I feel utterly heartbroken and guilty. He's been part of our family for 16 years and it's impossible to imagine the house without him.
I don't really have a question. I just wanted to share Chester's story with people who understand how devastating and heart wrenching it is to say goodbye to a much loved old boy. 💙