Last week, we had to put one of my dogs, Shak, down. He was roughly five years old. His condition came on suddenly, which made it even harder for us to deal with, but we didn’t want him to be in pain.
We adopted Shak from a rescue service, and he was one of the best friends I have ever had. It was the kind of friendship that couldn’t be replaced. Shak had his own personality and walked to the beat of his own drum, as it were. He and his brother, Meeko, were inseparable. This didn’t make the situation any easier. We knew we weren’t the only ones hurting. Meeko knew something was wrong even before we did. Meeko stopped eating and barked at his brother every time he was in pain as a sign of encouragement. Essentially, he was telling Shak to keep his head up, and encouraging him to fight on. Shak did the best he could of course, but it was tough for him.
I knew it was going to happen soon when my mom called me. The way she was speaking had a sad, and frankly painful, tone behind it. She told me over the phone that we had to put Shak down the next morning, so I was going to leave earlier than usual before work to say my last goodbyes to my best friend. Just in case, I packed my bag early. Thank God I did.
A few hours later I get call from mom. They are taking Shak to the pet hospital a half hour away because he was having a seizer. It was time. They were already on their way, and I wasn’t going to say goodbye to him for the last time over the phone. I ran back to my dorm, got my bag and left. Normally, it takes 50 minutes to get to the pet hospital from school. I got there in 30. No, you don’t want to know how fast I was going and yes, I was careful.
I made it just in time. I was so worried I wasn’t going to make it, but I did. Thankfully, the doctor had another emergency he had to take care of before Shak. I got into the room where my mom, dad, Shak, and the doctor were. I spent the last five minutes Shak had holding him, petting him and kissing his head. I got to say my goodbyes to him. He gave me one last kiss on the face as his goodbye. I spent the next few minutes just petting him as the doctor injected the serums into him. I made him as comfortable as I could, and I continued to pet his body even after he had passed on.
This was one of the hardest things I have had to do. He was my best friend, my dog, and in some ways, he was a brother. I still hold his tags with me. I take them everywhere I go. If you are going to get a dog, adopt. Trust me, it will be one of the greatest things you can do. Give a dog in need a home. They have a history that may need to be drowned out with your love and affection. If you can have one best friend in this life, make it your dog.
I love you, Shak.
