I wasn't when I had to euthanize my last cat and I've regretted it every day since....
I'll be with my current friend when the day eventually comes.
My point exactly. If it can’t be you then at least have somebody there who the pet likes.
If you get a new pet don’t make the mistake of expecting that pet to behave almost exactly like the old one. You’ll notice some similar personality traits but always remember, you’ll miss so much in the new pet if you do.
If you have other dogs and want to replace the departed one, try to get one nearly the same size as the rest. It’s not really a problem but it can lead to some awkward behavior. My girl has a Teacup Chihuahua named Cosmo. Her brother got a Labrador Retriever* named Rebel. Both are great dogs but I even joked with Cosmo that he now has a trainee. So being nine years old Cosmo taught Rebel everything including how to get in his people’s laps. Not bad when Rebel was a puppy but now that he’s full size it’s like having a miniature horse climbing up on you. Rebel doesn’t recognize that his size does does matter.
*Not great apartment dogs mostly due to size.