We saw your pup come through the door and fell in love. We watched him grow through the goofy puppy stage, all legs and tongue hanging out.
We sat up all night with him when he ate the pesticide and had the shakes and needed IV fluids and meds all night.
We saw him every year for his healthy check ups and heartworm tests and had a good laugh when he knocked the cookie jar off the counter and helped himself.
Remember that time when he ate the underwear? No one in the house confessed as to whose they were when we removed them from his intestinal tract, but I still remember, they were Fruit of the Loom, size large….all that was left was the elastic and the tag.
We took his blood and cleared him to take his arthritis medicine in his senior years, and scratched his ears and fed him a ton of cookies even though he couldn’t jump up on the counter anymore. And now he has cancer, and it’s time to say goodbye. We’ll shed a tear or two in front of you, but we will be professional and be as supportive as we can for you. We love you just as much as we love him and have developed a wonderful relationship over the years.
Please know that as we say goodbye with you, and as a single tear rolls down our cheek, we are trying to be objective, professional, composed, but trust me, as soon as you leave, we are sobbing.
The hardest part is that we know exactly how you feel about him. We could see the incredible bond you had over the years. We know that he was a cherished family member and he was your best friend in the whole wide world. We know that your heart is ripped apart now, as you leave the clinic with just his leash and collar, and that you are going home to a house that will never be the same without him.
We often just can’t say the words that will make it better. There are no words that will make it better. But we want you to know, we have all of those memories tucked away, and will also cherish them forever.
Sincerely,
Your Veterinary Team – here for you at the beginning, here for you at the end.
