R.I.P. Thor...

I knew the end was coming. My Norwegian Elkhound was 17 ½ years old. I have had him for over 17 years ever since he was a puppy. The last few years he had not been very active, but still was very gentle and appreciative when you petted and sat with him.

The last few months he became incontinent, and could not control his bladder and bowels. We cleaned up after him, and tried to keep him outside for the most part. Now that the weather had turned nice, we decided it would be better to keep him outside full time as he has a dog house, and the mess on the patio can be hosed off.

He had Arthritis and had a hard time getting around, he no longer cared if he urinated on his feet. He started whining and barking more and more the last month. Last Monday, I was going to take him to the Animal Hospital and have him put to sleep, but I couldn't do it.

We had decided he didn't have much time anyway, so we would just let him pass naturally. But as the week progressed he got even worse, and we hated to see him suffering. Last night was the worst, he was lying down yelping and barking and scratching his paw on the cement until it bled, lying half off his inside pillow which I put outside for him to be more comfortable with the drool from his constant barking wetting the cement.

So this morning I decided, I wasn't going to impersonally take him to the Animal Hospital or to the Shelter (which destroys animals at no charge) to reach his end. So I dug the hole for his body, and tried to lure him closer to the hole, but always a smart dog he was not having any of that. So back to his pillow it was to be, and I would just have to carry his 50-60 pounds to where it needed to be.

I fed him a last treat and petted him and held him and talked to him. Then I put a gallon sized zip lock bag over his head, covered by another plastic bag from Vitamin Shoppe. I then laid on top of him and held the bags on his head. He didn't struggle much, but he still could breathe the air in the bags. I squeezed most of the air out of the bags and held his mouth closed, and covered his nose, and he passed much quicker.

I held his nose and mouth for longer than necessary, but as he had been suffering for days, I did not want him to go through this final ordeal more than once. His warm body below me was comforting as he moved the final times. When he stopped moving, I knew that it was over.

I placed him gently in the hole, made him comfortable told him I loved him one final time and started shoveling dirt over him. After I had one layer on him, I retrieved some of his things. I placed some treats, his flea and tick medicine, and his personalized stainless steel dishes and placed them with him, and covered them up as well.

I still remember when he was a puppy and I was training him to stay with me as we walked through the woods as some of the happiest times of my life. He would wander too far ahead on the trail, and I would duck behind a tree or log, and call his name, and he would have to find me. He would run by me, then I would call him again, and he would run by again and I would call him, then when he did find me I would hold him on my chest and he would lick my face until it was soaking wet.

I love you Thor, I will miss you buddy....

Keith S. :{)>