Sherri, please don't feel bad. You absolutely made the right decision, and Dexter thanks you for it.

Many people here have said that they felt the same way about losing their dog, how it was much harder than losing a human family member. You definitely aren't alone or odd. Dogs give us so much unconditional love, when we say goodbye, it is grief in it's purest form. Grieving for human relatives, on the other hand, seems to always have emotional baggage that goes along with that kind of relationship, which changes the whole grief process. At least that's my theory.

The day we said goodbye to Jerry was very similar, in that he showed some energy just prior to the procedure. As we sat on the lawn outside the vet's office, he suddenly got up and hopped over to see some dogs kenneled behind the office. But then, like Dex, he too was wiped out just as soon as he was finished sniffing them out. Later, we realized that he might have just been saying "See you on the other side, fellas."

Give yourself time to grieve, and keep your senses alert to Dexter's presence, we are betting she's there right now, proud of you and thanking you for giving her back that strong spirit that we all love so much about our dogs.

Many many hugs to you. Don't hesitate to write here if you feel like it, you always have support.

Rene, Jim & Spirit Jerry