Tommy has been with us since we've been in our house, almost 13 years. He's a big dog, going 135 lbs. He's a happy dog. He's been through a lot. When he was six months old, he popped his knee cap out of place, chasing a tennis ball. He didn't stop chasing. When he was 9 months old, he tore off a toe nail, chasing a tennis ball. He didn't stop chasing. When he was a year old he had to have bone scraped out of his shoulder joint. We had to toss a tennis ball to where he was since he couldn't chase for while. When we had our pool put in, he was the next one in just after we were and he got out long after we did. Over the past few years, he got more use out of the pool than we did. Ruined a couple of pool parts with his hair, but what of it, it was Tommy.
Tommy has been a friend to everyone, as most labs are. His tennis balls went to anyone who would throw them and if no one would, he'd lay on his back a drop them into his mouth on his own. Then he'd drop them in the pool so he'd have an opportunity to go in and get them, and get a swim in as well.
But now Tommy is old, and hurting. Most days he lays in his crate and barks out his pain. He has trouble standing and his back legs collapse under him. Tommy doesn't have much fun any longer, and as much as it pains us to do it, we must. We have the opportunity to give him a gift, to return some of the pleasure that he's given us, by allowing the vet to take his pain away. It's not easy because his mind still seems to be pretty sharp, but the body just won't cooperate any longer. The vet says that a dog his size and age is like a 110 yr old human, and there aren't many of them around.
Dogs, no matter how bad they feel, how hurt they are, just won't show you. They'll still show you the love that they've always shown you and that's what makes it hard. We see the love, and the tail wag, and tell ourselves that they're still okay, that they can keep going. Tommy probably could keep going, but for what? To lay in his crate all day and bark out his pain? What kind of life is that for a dog who is so used to running and chasing tennis balls, who swam all afternoon? What kind of life is that for a dog? He just can't live like that, and for that we're able to help him. It won't be easy, but we know when we get pets that their life span is much shorter than ours and for that reason we aren't allowed to keep them forever. But for the time we have them, there is that unconditional love, and it's because of the love that is returned to them that we help them move on.
Tommy will be there at the rainbow bridge, waiting for us to show up, tennis ball in mouth, shaking water off his fur. He'll be waiting, and we will greet him, like we will all of our other animals, and give him our unconditional love and gratitude.
