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It’s a hard thing to do, but I also always stay with them in the end. I want the last thing they are aware of to be me, and I think it comforts them. But, I had one dog who had a difficult time with the injection. Fortunately my next 2 died at home or on the way to the vet, and I have decided that the next one, I will have them sedated first.

Thanks for offering your perspective. The cat I put down was the main reason I became a cat lover to begin with. I can’t see living at all without at least having one cat. Looking back I just made it worse by not wanting to be there. Saddest moment of my life. I have two “sweeties” now so I will probably go through that again. But neither of them will go through it alone if I have anything to do with it. I learned a very painful lesson.

When my mother's Pekingese, Penny, was old (16 years old), she was in terrible health and failing. My mother didn't want to put her down, but it was getting to be too much to take care of her. We all went with her to the hospital; my mother, sister, grandmother, and I, loving on her and offering her kisses and gentle words. She was surrounded by loving women, all comforting her, and went quickly.

My precious Pekingese, Muffin, had to be put down when she was 12. The Vet told me what time he would do it, so I specifically took off of work and went to the Vet hospital to be by her side. My sister was in school and my mother had the stomach flu, so it would be just the two of us; but it was enough for me that she was not alone.

When I got there, I was informed that it had already happened earlier in the day and they had already disposed of her body. No goodbyes, no loving embraces, no last kisses.

It's getting difficult to swallow, twenty years later, just thinking about it.

I never used that vet again.