When Bobby the little Lhasa Apso went over the Rainbow Bridge

"It was another house call, my third and last of the day... I'd seemed to have zigzagged all over central Scotland and I was ready to be at home. Regardless, I still approached each visit with the same kind friendly but not overly familiar manner. The Cloud 9 Vets Care Coordinators always give me clear details for each visit, but this one felt different, his visit had special instructions tagged on - "owner in wheelchair, park around the back and call when arrived".

I followed protocol and sweet Bobby the little Lhasa Apso and her owner came out to greet me. He said she could be shy at first with strangers but is easily won over with treats, I had some in my pocket and gave her one for reassurance.

We walked in, and I could sense he was upset, despite the tentative big smile and light-hearted jokes he made about the state of his house (it was so clean), one thing I've learned, humour is a powerful coping mechanism in times of grief. He asked where should "it" happen? I said wherever the two of them were most comfortable, he motioned to the open living room floor, and that way he could be out of his chair and lay with her.

He swung out of his chair and they sat next to each other as I explained the process, all the while offering Bobby lots of treats. He was a young man, lived by himself. He said that Bobby was so loved by all, and many of his friends wanted to be here with her, but he wanted to be alone with Bobby on her last day, for some reason that just felt right.

I gave Bobby a sedation, and explained I usually leave, but he asked me to stay, so he wasn't alone.

We talked about Bobby as she drifted off in his arms, snoring away, and forgetting her severe arthritis and her worsening epilepsy. She hadn't been very well the last few months, and her owner knew this was the right decision, but it didn't make it any easier, especially when she seemed to be so happy and bright today.

He told me he wasn't always in a chair, and the first few years were really hard for him. He decided to get a dog for some companionship, and his friend found Bobby on gumtree. The lady didn't want her anymore, he couldn't understand why, she was two years old when he got her and they quickly bonded and became inseparable. Everyone knew the pair and he said she was welcomed into the local shops despite not being a formally recognised service dog.

He said that earlier this year his vet had suggested that he should consider putting Bobby to sleep. That was following a series of uncontrolled cluster seizures. He wasn't ready and wanted to give her a bit more time and knew she would pull through and he said he was so thankful because just two weeks after Bobby's seizures, he had lost his mum without warning.

He told me that his mum had been his carer and he wouldn't have got through that time without Bobby. The way he looked at me when he said those few words, told me how true those they were. They found strength in each other, when she had her seizures, he would sit on the floor and hold her; when he fell out of his chair or struggled to do something by himself, Bobby would be right by his side, tail wagging encouragingly, licking his face with reassurance.

But Bobby's seizures became more frequent in the last week, despite her medications and he said that one morning, she looked at him and he just knew it was time.

He said she had done her job, got him through the last few months without his mum and made sure he would be ok. It was his turn now, to ease her pain. Bobby slipped away peacefully in his arms. I left the two of them for a few minutes to go and collect a bed to carry her away in. I came back to see them lying on the floor next to each other.

Despite the many heartbreaking moments I see each day, I can usually control my emotions, I can see the clinical side to my actions, easing suffering, ending pain and I am calmed by this. My medical logic and sense of duty to the well-being of the animal outweighs my emotion, normally.

But as I placed Bobby gently into the bed and helped her owner as he requested to take her out to my car himself with her on his lap, I was crying. I couldn't stop the tears, I apologised and he stopped and gently said to me, "I hope you're ok, doing this can't be easy for you," and I tried to laugh, as he had when I arrived, I said "it should be me comforting you." But in a loud whisper he calmly said, "at this moment I feel peace, I know Bobby is with my mum again now, I don't know how I'll get through this without her, but she taught me to be strong, so I will. I guess it is a cliche but life doesn't send you anything you can't handle."

He let me take Bobby from him and I carefully put her into my car, he muttered a swift but polite goodbye and turned away, tightly holding in all his emotions as he disappeared inside. I needed to take a few moments to compose myself, heartbroken for him to be in the flat alone for the first time without his faithful companion by his side. I gathered myself and slowly drove away, leaving the house lights in the distance, Bobby and I safely continued towards the crematorium for her final resting place. Cloud 9 Vets have given me the opportunity to provide this needed home service, it can be emotionally challenging at times, yet so rewarding to help pets when they really need us.

Best,
Charis

www.Cloud9vets.co.uk

Cloud 9 Vets provide gentle at-home euthanasia for elderly or terminally ill pets. We are a family owned and managed organisation. Every member of our close-knit team works with dedication and commitment and we treat every call and every visit with respect and compassion. We are faithful to our objective of making home visits personal, un-rushed, peaceful and dignified. We have the time to talk to you and will always do all we can to support you and your pet at a time when you need us most. We are not an emergency vet, however we will strive to help you regardless of the urgency of the situation. We provide unhurried pet euthanasia services in the secure and loving environment of your own home. We really do understand that it may be difficult to make that first call, so, our Care Coordinators are available for you to speak to, 7 days a week, from 7am to 8pm Monday to Friday and between 8am to 5pm at weekends, and when you pick up the phone, we will treat your call with kindness and understanding. Cloud 9 Vets, we do our utmost to provide empathy, compassion and respect in everything we do.