The moment you have to say goodbye to a beloved pet is a heartbreaking moment all owners dread.
However, some solace can be found in knowing that your furry friend will no longer be in pain.
Although there’s no easy way around it, a vet has shared a heartfelt plea to animal owners having to put their pets to sleep.
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The plea comes after she watched a dog spend its last few moments in a state of panic.
Instead of owners waiting in the hallway for the procedure to end, she urges them to stay with their dog until the end of the process.
In a very emotional Reddit post, she explained that while everyone deals with grief differently, it’s ‘depressing’ to watch a dog search for their owner as they pass away.
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She said: “I will always try to give grace and save my judgements on how people are able to deal with grief because everyone is different, but it is depressing to have a dog spending its final moments looking for where their owner went.
“I feel like it's the very last comfort you can give your friend, just being there by their side to comfort them. We had one recently that hit me hard, I just wish it could have ended differently.
She continued: “I am not judging the owner's emotional capacity for grief and I am not saying the dog died thinking 'OMG I'm dying alone'. I'm not even talking about the actual euthanasia, but the moments leading to it.
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"For those of you saying dogs 'just think their owners stepped out for a moment' are missing it. Even if that was the case, they still stress out.
"This dog we euthanised literally tried so hard to walk himself out the front door with his leash after his owners left and continued to cry and stress out until the Propofol got him. We did our jobs and gave all the treats and love, but the focus was always 'where did they go?'
"Say what you want, I just think it's a bummer that those were his final moments. He was a really good boy and I wish he could have been more relaxed because I think he deserved it.”
The post attracted a lot of responses, with lots of Reddit users agreeing, however, some vets in the comments shed some light on why some dog owners feel its too hard for them to be in the room.
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“I used to work at a clinic that did boarding, and we had one where an elderly boarder wasn't doing well and the owner couldn't get back in time to be there.
"The poor lady was literally on a plane that had just taken off on her way to her grandson's graduation when we called.
"We all felt so bad so we made sure to all love on this elderly golden retriever extra because it was so sad. I still remember this cute little old dog to this day.
"That was one I definitely understood why the owner couldn't be there. But on the same coin, not everyone can handle seeing death the way we do, especially when it's a loved one.”
Featured Image Credit: simonkr / FatCamera / Getty Images