Choosing to euthanize your pet (put your pet down) is one of the most difficult choices to make. For me, that’s because we’re making a conscious decision to let a beloved companion transition.
As you consider the decision to put your pet down, you may be worried about their discomfort or pain levels. You don’t want their death to be traumatic. Maybe you worry about the timing. You think, “Are THEY ready to go?” Do they want more time on the planet or have they lost the joy of being in the body?
(By the way, I don’t love the term “put your pet down,” but it is widely understood. If you like, please substitute, “let your pet go,” “euthanize,” “allow your pet to transition or move on.” But no matter what the wording, it’s super tough to say it or think it without emotion. Just saying because that’s true for me.)
As an animal communicator, I often help people and their animals during this time of transition. Here’s what I’ve learned from animals nearing the end of their lives.
You can find out if your pet’s ready
You can relax once you find out whether your animal is ready to be put down or transition. Sometimes the answer is no. But in many cases, the animal is ready to let go. Their body no longer brings them joy. When they are ready, I assist you in explaining how and when the euthanasia is going to occur.
Saying goodbye
I facilitate a conversation about how much you mean to each other. This does not take away your grief, but it does open your heart to a sense of peace about what’s about to occur.
To make it easier to transition, I share with your pet how to leave their body — to just step out like they’re going out of the house.
I do this remotely because it’s so hard. Join me in sending out a blessing to all the veterinarians and techs who do this on a regular basis.
Putting Peanut down
I assisted my son, Patrick’s, dog, “Peanut the Pit Bull” during her transition. It was gut-wrenching because she was part of the family and I loved her.
Peanut was diagnosed with kidney disease at a young age, but she did not show it. She was healthy, rowdy, loving, and enjoyed life until the final weeks when her kidney disease flared in 2017.
Intuitive body scan can sense the life force
Hoping for a reprieve (who doesn’t?), I did a body scan to feel how she was doing. When I do a body scan for a very sick animal, I get a sense of their life force – does it seem strong or weak? A strong life force indicates to me that no matter what the prognosis, this animal has some life left.
Rudy’s strong life force
For instance, I worked with Cathy’s dog, Rudy, who had been diagnosed with terminal cancer in mid-2016. When Cathy and I did a session in January 2017, Rudy was nearing the end of his expected lifespan.
Not knowing that, I reported that Rudy’s life force was strong; he wanted to support Cathy and Sakari, the other dog in the family. A year later, Rudy was still around. No guarantees of course –I simply share a current snapshot and bodies can change pretty quickly
Peanut’s life force
However, I did not find the same strong life force with Peanut. Sadly, her body felt like, well, the words that were given to me were a “ghost town.” In a ghost town, the buildings are still around, but the people who used to live there are gone.
In Peanut’s case, her body was there but there wasn’t much left of Peanut’s life force inside her body. Shortly after, her physical body matched what I had felt energetically. She became dehydrated, lost her appetite, lost weight and had trouble moving.
Peanut’s last day
Pat scheduled a date for the veterinarian to come to the house to put down Peanut. That day, Pat took Peanut to the Belle View Marina, one of her favorite hangouts. He put her in a kid’s wagon. Pat and Genesis (pictured) pulled her through the nature trail – she was smiling and happy to be there.
My husband Charlie and I joined them on this walk. We loved creating a good memory for both Peanut and ourselves on her last day.
Saying goodbye
Back at Pat’s house, my husband and I brought my dogs to say goodbye. I communicated to Peanut how much we loved her and how much she meant to us. She got it and we were able to feel her love for us. I cried a lot!
Helping Peanut get ready
I explained to Peanut how her body was shutting down – that’s why she was feeling so lousy. I said it was going to stop working at some point. When that happened, she should just step out of it, like stepping out of a car. She started getting physically uncomfortable a few hours before the vet came. I did energy healing for her and after about 15 minutes, she quieted down and slept.
Setting up a welcoming committee
I invited two of my dogs who had passed to welcome Peanut when she passed. Eddy and Mitsubishi were glad to help.
Peanut’s spirit leaves her body
Some point after the vet administered the drugs to Peanut, Pat and I looked at each other. I said, “Did you feel that?” He did – we felt her soul release even though her body was still winding down. That brought us a lot of peace. She’s happy in the afterlife, checking in on Pat and his family regularly.
Peace in passing is possible
I love to help animals pass peacefully when you have to put down your pet. It’s a great blessing. If you know anyone who would like to experience a loving and peaceful passing with their pet, please tell them about me. Or share my Amazon bestseller, which I wrote to help people heal – Peace in Passing: Comfort for Loving Humans during Animal Transitions.
Help your animals pass peacefully!
Watch “Path to Peace: Navigating the Last Leg of Your Beloved Animal’s Life”