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My X called me today (she lives across the street from me). Her BF's dog which he has for 15 years had a seizure. It has had cancer for a spell now, it's left eye swollen up to baseball size.
They had the paperwork all ready to take it to the shelter and have put down, but he just could not do it (and worried if my X and I took the dog it might not react well, it is a rottweiler - not that such is bad, just a huge and strong animal). He had had the big dog 15 years now, was like a child to him.
I knew the dog as well for some time, wonderful animal. He (her BF) was at work and I told the X I would be there to help her. So I called dog warden and talked to them. Apparently he did not have a license for it (he did in AZ where had lived and thought he did here, but it was a rabies shot he got for her each year) and they said they would come pick up the dog for $20 - but there would be a $100 ticket for not having a license.
A wonderful lady finally made it out here. She could tell how upset the X was, and I was just barely able to hold it together myself. Said she could give me the ticket if she wanted, but X have her her ID and said it was fine.
She went to her truck, came back, and said "I am not going to issue a ticket, just get a license if you get another dog ok?" I went in and put the leash on Reese and brought her out to the truck and said goodbye.
This wonderful lady was compassionate and understanding, and more importantly gentle with the dog (she has a dog herself which was riding shotgun in the truck).
I felt like I betrayed her in some ways. She liked me, I put a collar and her and took her to the truck knowing what was going to come next.
Yeah, it was the right thing to do to end the pain she was in, and she was not even my dog but she knew me and trusted me.
So sorry if I seem a bit more assholish than usual today, just been trying to get rid of this nagging sense of sending a good animal to it's death when it trusted me enough to let me lead it to a strange truck.
I offered to drive it to the shelter myself, but was asked not to out of worry of being bitten if she got freaked out.
Sorry Reese - you were a good dog and living in extreme pain these last few weeks, and you were a good dog to my daughter who enjoyed playing with you day in and out.
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