Hi, Wayne...

WC>Still, that said, reality sucks.

  It is like losing a member of the family or a loved one. But, if the
animal is obviously suffering, it's the best thing for them. We have a
lot of good memories of Fritz.

  A few days before I proposed to my wife, I was walking Fritz with one
of those retractable leashes (that lets the dog go in the grass, and you
don't risk getting "offerings" on your shoes!). I will swear to my dying
day that the leash was firmly attached...but, somehow it came loose,
retracted at full force, popped me in the groin, and I went down. Just
then, Janice came outside (she said "something told her to do so"), and
saw Fritz jump on the same area as if "what happened?" or to apologize.

  We went back inside, and I basically "asked her to look", as I felt I
was in mortal danger. I asked her if she thought any less of me, and she
said "I give you credit for your common sense...as you could've been
needing an ambulance run". I cried and gave her a big hug...and just a
few days later, I asked her to marry me. We had known each other for 17
years before then, and never thought of getting married, let alone to
each other.

  Another time, after we got married, we were "intimately involved", and
just before "the moment", I guess Fritz got jealous for
"being left out
of the picture". He dropped a methane bomb, that meant "the party was
over"!! But, he "apologized" later...he'd always stand on the floor,
and while I petted him with one hand, he'd lick the other one. He also
would hold up a paw to "shake hands", constantly switching, as if to
"negotiate". He always liked to jump up on our Futon, and whenever he
saw me coming, that tail would start wagging like mad!!

WC>I mean I know I could have held onto him a ciuple of more weeks but for
WC>who?

  My wifes health care aide wanted to "run away with him" the day before
we took him to put him down. Fritz was quite a bit more mellow than
Slinky is now. But, I first met Fritz in his later years...we got Slinky
when he was 8 weeks old.

WC>He went easy which is more than I can say for the alternative.

  It's like a gross overdose of a barbituate that they give them, and
it's over quick. That's how Fritz went.

WC>Still I don't have to like it.

  I sat in the car, and cried like a baby for 10 minutes after I walked
out of the vet clinic. My wife, being biologically minded, would've
loved to watch the procedure...but out of consideration for me, she just
talked with the vet techs for a bit, then came out to the car.

  But, we've seen so much trauma with the Animal Planet rescue programs
of the SPCA groups in Detroit, New York, Miami, Houston, Phoenix, and
San Francisco...that we know...as the workers do...you can't save them
all. Sadly, although it's part of their job, humane euthanasia is the
only way sometimes.

Daryl

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