W.w.n.d???

[Lise]

Another amazing tale of compassion, ingenuity, and animal rescue from Nanci.

As for the snake, I just feel for any creature who's heading to death but can't quite get there. The compassionate thing is to finish it, but that's hard to do. L.

[margo49]

I had a kitten in a "state" and everybody told me "let nature take its course. His last day I asked no less than 4 men to help me finish him off. Not one agreed! And this was in Israel not California! The best was a guy who constantly wears a pistol on his belt. He came into my Dairy saying "That kitten should be put out of its misery. Do you want me to do it?" So I said "Oh, *would* you?" to which he replied that he didn't really mean it.
So I drown-ded him myself.
I am for mercy killing of animals.
Your words Lise are perfect ("can't quite get there")

[Running Mommy]

I grew up on a dairy farm, so I know all too well about putting animals out of their misery. And I certainly would, as I hate to see them suffer. I just can't bring myself to get near a snake. I know, I'm silly... But I just can't handle the slithery things. But you know the funny thing is I love lizards?? Go figure?!

[Bad JuJu]

My dh and I have had three dogs put down in our 25 years together and it's painful every time--you never get used to that. But it beats KNOWING the animal is suffering and not ever going to get better and just letting the poor thing hang on in pain and misery. On the other hand, I don't think I could be the one to do it myself--give the injection or fire the gun or whatever it takes--so we're fortunate to have a responsible and caring vet to help with this.

But there are times when you're not sure--when the animal still seems to be enjoying life even in his or her pain, and then it's a tough call. Even vets aren't the universal authority--I've stopped seeing a vet who seemed to recommend euthanasia too easily and too often--I wouldn't go back to him if he was doing FREE animal care.

[Running Mommy]

We have a very sweet aging great dane named Abby. She's starting to slow down, and I know there are defintely fewer days ahead of her. I just dread the day that I have to put her down. But even worse, I worry that she will die here at home and I'll have to deal with a 110 lb dead dog..
And knowing my luck Tony will be out of town! This happened to my MIL, so it's always in the back of my mind. I mean who do you call??

[Geonz]

Animal control, I suppose... or the ASPCA...
I have a history of being part of handling the final days and moments of prob'ly half a dozen of my friend's cats ... but they say they rely on my Vulcan tendencies ;-)

[Nanci]

My kid's horse died when we dropped her off at a friend's house to be babysat the day before we were leaving for vacation in Mexico. So, here's this 1000 pound horse, way, way out in a pasture, in deep snow. We had to build a sled, roll her onto a tarp, roll the tarp onto the sled, hitch to pregnant mares to the sled (Worried about too much exertion causing miscarriage!!) (But, of course, they were the only two that could drive) help them pull the sled/body, I don't know, a quarter mile through two-three feet of snow, stopping to dig out the front of the sled countless times. Then, leave dead horse by the side of the road, covered with a tarp, for the six days it took the renderer to get there. Luckily she stayed frozen...Decide if we should tell Kelly before the trip, and ruin it, or not tell her and her not be able to say goodbye to Jenny- we voted for tell her. (She really milked it, too, on vacation- told _everyone she came in contact with!) That friend, coincidentally, has always had Danes, and they've always just been buried at her house. But that was on a farm.

Oh, nice- while my same friend was on vacation, a mutual friend of ours, a teenager, was babysitting the farm, and the current Dane bloated- stomach twisted on itself, expensive surgery is the only fix. So babysitter calls me frantically from the vet's car- vet has come to the house, diagnosed the bloat, put the dog in the car with an IV running so they don't lose a second while babysitter tries to reach owner for permission to operate. Can't reach her. Estimate is something like $1200. This is not a rich person- she doesn't even work outside the home- depends on husband's salary. I told the vet to go ahead- luckily, I was positive that's what my friend would have wanted, and I was right. Dane made it through fine.