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Pets We Loved and Lost

Important Reasons to Talk to Your Veterinarian

By Lilli AdamsPublished 6 years ago 4 min read
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Anyone who has a pet understands the unconditional love that they give to us. They are always there for us whenever we need them. When they die, we cannot understand why they had to go away. Whether it was because of old age, a sickness, or another reason, we are devastated. Recently our dog died, but not in a way that you might ever imagine. My daughter and I had gone away for a short vacation. We had done this so many times before, so why would I think that anything was different this time? Whenever I was leaving for more than a few days, I would tell Popcorn, "Don't be sad, we'll be back soon. If you miss me just visit me in my dreams." I remember the day that we left. He was sitting on the dining room floor staring at me as if to say, "Please don't leave me here. Take me with you." I can still see his face. Whenever I think about that day I wish that we had never gone away. Just two days before we were supposed to come back, I got the worst news ever. At first I thought it was a twisted sick joke. It wasn't. Popcorn was dead. I frantically called his veterinarian, but of course nobody answered because it was a Sunday. I left a message hoping that he would call me back. Popcorn had been taken to his doctor by my daughter's dad. He was there to get antibiotics for his skin problems. Instead, her dad told the doctor to put him to sleep. Yes, that is what I said, Popcorn had been euthanized. My daughter was just as heart broken as I was when she found out. We just could not understand why the doctor would have listened to him and put Popcorn to sleep. Popcorn was my dog, not his. He had maybe seen this doctor twice, if that even, because one time was to pick him up from the groomer. To my knowledge he had not even talked to the doctor that day. There was nothing that I could do now. Popcorn was gone forever. I filed a complaint with our state veterinary office. They said the doctor had the right to put him to sleep because he was told to. This person who handles the reviews also told me that there has to be an established relationship. Established means a long term relationship. There was no long term relationship when you have only interacted with the person twice. The state veterinary office did nothing. Then he had the nerve to send me a link about a case where a family asked for pain and suffering for their loss. I did not ask for that. There is no amount of money that could ever make what happened to Popcorn okay! Here is the link to the article that they sent to me:

What my daughter and I wanted was for this doctor to say that he would never do something like this again. I want the state veterinarian office to insist that all veterinarians have to write right on the animal's chart, right near their name that no major decisions can be made, especially to euthanize an animal unless you have verbal permission from both of the pet's owners. In the State of New York they do this. Then they told me that this would have to become a new rule, and if I wanted this my state legislators had to make this happen. I am not only writing this to make this happen for all animals, but also to tell you about what happened to us, so that this never has to happen to another animal again. Please talk about what happened to Popcorn, tell everyone that you know. Nobody deserves to go through this kind of heartbreak. I will add a link to my state legislators. Write to them please, call them, and tell them that you want this, again tell them about what happened to Popcorn. Let me leave you with this. The veterinarian state person also told me this, if Popcorn was at a kennel, under their care, that they too could have put him to sleep. Think about that, let that sink in. Neither ones of these things is okay! We must protect our animals, the innocent ones who cannot speak for themselves much better than this. As the state veterinary board, people who supposedly care about animals, you think that they would want these rules changed. I honestly did not think that they cared, because if they had then they would have found a way to punish the person who put our sweet boy to sleep. These rules must change, so that no other pet has to be taken away from their owner like Popcorn was taken away from us. You can find your legislators by searching find my state representative. The link to my state legislators is here. If your state does what mine does then please do something about this. Please do something now before it is your pet that you are mourning.

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About the Creator

Lilli Adams

I'm a former flight attendant who still likes to travel. I love all animals. Please be kind everyone, because you never know what someone else might be going through.

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