October 2007

 When Is The Right Time To Euthanize?

 

by Karen Anderson, America's Animal Communicator

One of the most difficult decisions we will ever make is when to say goodbye to our beloved animal companions.

Those of you who have struggled with this painful decision know the ups and downs of your emotions, the guilt, the uncertainty and the sadness of it all.

You are not alone in your pain. I receive many calls from distraught humans in the same situation who just want to be sure the time is right. Although their situations are each different and unique, the ultimate result is the same. They have made the decision to end their animal's life.

There are so many things to take into consideration with such a monumental decision. I truly believe this is a personal endeavor. I will never tell you when you should euthanize. No one should. It should be a decision you make based on your own instincts, your animals' needs, medical condition and input from a trusted veterinarian.

1. First, take the animal's wishes into consideration.

Some animals want to pass on their own, naturally. Many times animals will distance themselves from us as their time approaches. This is quite common in the animal kingdom. Animals will go off by themselves; they will leave their pack, colony or herd to die alone. This keeps predators from coming in to the rest of the group.

This is not a personal statement about you or their love for you. It is just their natural instincts playing out.

Checking in with your animal before they pass into the spirit world may provide you with insight and the information you need to make this crucial decision. I always ask the animals if they would like to pass on their own or if they would like assistance from the doctors. Their answer may surprise you; it’s not always what you think.

2. Place the animals' needs over and above your own needs.

None of us want to say goodbye. It's hard, it hurts, and we miss them so much. Take a step back and look at your situation.

Are you keeping them here for yourself?

Is your animal struggling just to get through each day?

Can they get up, eat, drink, etc on their own?

If they can't do these things their quality of life is greatly diminished. Many animals talk about keeping their dignity and how they want to maintain their dignity even in passing into the spirit world.

3. Ask them to give you a sign.

Most animals will let you know with a look, a sigh or some other type of sign that they are done with their struggle here on earth. When they just don't seem like themselves anymore, they have lost that spark or that thing about them that made them so unique.

One important thing to remember, animals don't view a successful life in terms of how many years they spent here. That is a human concept. Animals view a successful life as the quality of their time, with you, on this earth. Not the quantity of time.

This reminds me about a beautiful kitten named Timmy who died unexpectedly at only 1 year of age. Timmy told us he was "fulfilled and completely satisfied” with his life.

Honor, love and respect your animals each and every day while they are here with you. We can steer their destiny by providing them with love, quality food, warmth, protection and exercise, but be sure you honor their wishes when it is their time to pass into the spirit world.

America's Animal Communicator, Karen Anderson hears and speaks with animals, both living and in spirit. Her first book, "Hear All Creatures! The Journey of an Animal Communicator," is due out this November. Visit her at www.animalcommunicating.com.