Dear DA Friends,

Last night, 08-03-08, around 1-1:30, my dog was put down.
That morning, I woke up to my father frustrated. He had told me Max had fallen up the stairs of the deck but wasn't injured. He had kept Max outside then to clean his ears... thinking that was the problem.
In the past, ear infections were a big concern and usually started other problems, like walking funny because of his ears irritating him. After, my father let him in to let Max lay on his bed; an hour or two hours later, Max could not get up. At first we all believed it was because of his nails being too long. But it was something else, something a doctor would only know.
My sister and I were left alone for a few hours to take care of him. The part that was killing me the most was we had to drag him on his bed to get him around. 75 pounds of love.

Around 10ish maybe 11, we were determined to get him to a Animal Hospital. The doctor inspected him and found dangerous issues.

1. A growth on one of his toes.
2. The way he walked, showed a possible problem with a disk in his spine.
3. Another, but larger growth in his groin area.

She said number one wasn't much of a problem but 2 and 3 were. She said it was possible that the growth on his groin might have been cancer that went up into his spine. She told us with a MRI and blood tests and such, she said we were looking at 81,000-120,000 dollars... which wasn't gonna help solve the problem. It just was gonna tell us what was wrong with him. So, with that we had our choice, to say goodbye.

When he came in, he wasn't himself. And when a big dog is down like that, you think 'Where's all the strength in the World?' You feel just hopeless. And saying goodbye was harder because he thought that he was staying. We all gave him a treat from a jar and told him we loved him very much. He didn't understand why we were acting this way

My sister left outside the room because she couldn't stand watching him being put down.
When the doctor came in, and injected it... sadly and alwly he finally understood what was going on. He was actually trying to stop her by putting the liquid in by putting a paw on her hand. I felt like stopping her but it was the best for him.

In mere seconds,
the last we all had with him,
Max was gone.
The doctor even started tearing up afterwards. She came outside and walked us out and we asked that she could take his bed; for that's how we got him out of the house.

Just going inside without him was killing me and is now. Nobody is normal... I'm even crying as I write this. I feel there is something I could have done, but wasn't strong enough to do whatever it was to save him. I feel regretful that I let it come down to this, and so quickly.

This morning I couldn't eat because I was waiting for him to come clicking around the corner to mooch. But he never came, no clicking was heard, no panting, no nothing. Just a house of people hurt by a loss.

My father was crying because he had no one to take out to go to the bathroom as he smoked on the deck.

My mother had no one to take out at night to get a drink or use the bathroom.

My sister has no one to brush and wash when he started to smell.

And I...
I have no animal sweet enough to kiss on the head at night and tell him that I love him and that I'll see him in the morning.

Our house is now pet-less...... and I wanna just curl up and die.

His name was "Maximum Overdrive" or just short Max
and was 14 years old. Almost near a hundred in human years. He was a black lab, and the greatest dog and best friend I ever had.
I never felt this much pain.

~Dark Raven 22~