A Post That is Not for the Faint of Heart

The worst part of owning an animal is the time when you're faced with make the ultimate life-or-death decision:  the one that ends in Death (euthanasia).  The second worst part of owning an animal is what to do with that animal after you've made that God-awful decision.

I had Justy euthanized yesterday.  Even though I logically knew it was the right thing to do, I was still a basketcase all day, until Greg (the vet whom I have known for 20+ years)  finally showed up.  Then the question became:  What do you do with a 60-pound dead pygmy goat?

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when Annie died

I had her cremated...

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when Stuffy err.....  Fluffy died....

I brought her home to be buried in the backyard.

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Toby was cremated and is, I think, still in the hall closet...

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After her dramatic demise, we buried Maria

because she was awfully special (to no one but me!)

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But what do you do with your animals when you've run out of burying holes and it costs too much to cremate them (not to mention having enough room on the mantel)?  Well, I discovered two options here in San Diego: one was D & D Disposal Services.  They pick the animals up and deliver them to a rendering plant.  The other was ThaniCare, who calls ahead to our local landfill to have them dig a hole, and then he buries them there.

The latter may sound rather undignified and kind of gross.  But let me say that I am not a bleeding liberal. I am not a card-carrying member of PETA. I am not a vegetarian, much less a vegan. But I do believe that these animals deserve fair and honest treatment and -- whether they are beloved pets or food animals destined for the table -- a quiet and pain-free death.

 That said, do you have ANY IDEA what a rendering plant does?    This gets a little graphic here... use some discretion as to whether you want to read on. 

A Melancholy Sort of Day

I took PerfectGrace to the vet today.   Nothing life-threatening, but the arthritis in her knees has become bad enough that she's having a hard time getting around.  She can't jump up onto the bed or into the car anymore; she slips on the hardwood floors and goes down.  It's very sad.  We're putting her on Rimadyl daily, plus a month's worth of weekly Adequan injections.  She is truly PerfectGrace...

And while I hate that she -- or any of the animals in my life -- are getting old 

 this post isn't really about PerfectGrace.

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It's about my Justy.

Justy's not even old, but I've decided it's his time. 

What a horrid decision...

...and it's one I didn't want to make...

...But I did.

I made that decision

and called the vet today...

 Justy is tired and he hurts.

I suspect he had an injury before he came to live with me

that affected his shoulder.  He has terrible arthritis in that leg and 

 has become so lame on that leg, that he rarely walks upright.

He recently has taken to scooting along with that knee on the ground..

I've had him on double the recommended amount of Previcox

to make him comfortable.

He's only five.

He was never very friendly -- a little timid --

but he's a good boy.

Even though he didn't ask to be mine, he is.

and he deserves a soft landing...

The Story of a Pony

This is the story of a pony:  Silver's Bonnie Lass, a registered Shetland pony, who came to live with us many, many moons ago.   Stewie* bought Bonnie as a yearling and gave her to us when Emily outgrew her.  Bonnie was fourteen, and Jess was four. We've had Bonnie for 16  years.  Add it up.  What a lucky pony to have belonged to only two families, and how lucky we are to have Bonnie.

Bonnie was Jess's first pony.   We had Bonnie shipped down to us from Chico when we still lived in Lakeside.  We gave Bonnie a day or two to settle in, although Jess was dying to ride her.  On about day 4 or 5, I got Bonnie out and lunged her around the front yard before I let Jess get on her.  Bonnie raced and jumped and bucked and farted before she finally settled down.

I knew I was in serious, serious trouble...I knew I was in deep s**t...I knew it was the end of life as I knew it because Jess ran up to Bonnie --  who was starting to sweat -- threw her arms around the pony's neck to hug her, and exclaimed: "Oh, Mom, she smells soooo good!"

*Stewie is one of Diane's best friends, who in turn, has become one of my best friends -- we have played horsie-swap more than once.  Emily is Stewie's daughter, who has grown up to be delightful.  Thomas is Stewie's son, Jess's first-and-always-love, who is delightful, but needs to grow up and remember how much more delightful he used to be....