The Death of Casper with Compassion from Strangers

Last night I went with mom to put her dog Casper to sleep. The whole experience went as smoothly and as gently as it could have but it was of course a hard evening.  

Casper was 16 years old and a rescue dog. He had a sweet disposition and a loving spirit. He was undisciplined and incredibly hyper for a Cocker-Spaniel. He was the first dog that Kiernan ever met and was a good introduction. Over the last few weeks he was in decline, not eating, having seizures, experiencing a great deal of incontinence and sleeping much of the time. It was the right decision to put him down but not an easy one.

Mom met me after work with Casper and we drove over to the humane society talking about deep philosophical stuff and patting Casper's head. It was cold and rainy for the first time this year and that felt right. We did the sort of inappropriate joking you do when you are uncomfortable. We found the very crowded parking lot with no trouble and entered the waiting room full of kids and parents looking to adopt a pet. The kids were very excited by Casper and all rushed to pet him. He was very friendly and a bit tired so they all got some time petting the doggy. That kind of broke my heart a little bit because it was clear that the parents knew why we were there and the kids had no idea. That is the way death often strikes me. Normal and part of life but still a bit heartbreaking.

Mom went up to the counter and asked for the bathroom for me (even a small car trip is too much for my baby squished bladder now) and the paperwork for Casper's death. She started crying a bit at that point and that went on an off for the rest of the procedure. I made it into the private room (what do you call that room? execution room? euthanasia room?). Two volunteers took us back. They wore red shirts and were professional, gracious and kind to me to mom and to Casper. I can't say enough about how well they handled us all. They gave mom tissues, they described the procedure, they talked to Casper and they stroked him. 

There was a brief exam, in which they weighed Casper and moved him up to the table. They asked about his eating and drinking and about his decline. They gave him a shot, it was hard to do because his fur was long and he was a bit dehydrated so his veins were recessed. We all talked to Casper reassuring him of the things we thought best and within half a minute it was over. It was peaceful and quiet and sad. They gave mom his collar and more tissues, they gave me tissues and they showed us a back exit so we wouldn't have to go through the crowed again weepy and dog free. They said they were sorry. They were very kind. 

We drove back to my place and hugged Kiernan.