Emotional Thread Has People Telling Stories Of What Their Dogs Did When They Were About To Die
Dogs have a way of making every day feel ordinary, until the day they suddenly do not. For pet parents, the hardest part is often not just losing a dog, but noticing the quiet signs that something is changing and wondering what it means.
This story centers on a Quora discussion about what dogs do when they are nearing the end of their lives, and the replies are full of personal memories, heartbreak, and small details people never forgot. Some of the stories are gentle, some are devastating, and all of them show how deeply people notice their dogs in those final moments.
The comments turned into a moving thread, and a few of them are hard to shake.
1. The best of lives
2. My beautiful dog spirit
Some of these replies hit harder than expected.
3. My dear, Bugs
I was not in India when Bugs died.
I went to lay him to rest. After the burial, the whole family stood still. We couldn't talk. We had it coming, but none of us seemed to accept the reality.
Dad canceled all his schedules. He pulled a chair and sat near a tree. Mom sat nearby.
My brothers and I looked at each other, trying to console one another. Shock and disbelief were everywhere.
Finally, my brother asked Mom hesitantly, "Ma, what was he doing before he died?"
Tears trickled down her cheek. In an obviously pained voice, she said:
"He stopped eating. I gave him everything he would love. Nothing worked. He gestured to me to the tree. I came out and sat here," she said, pointing at the tree near her.
"When he saw that I was there, he gave a mild bark, jumped playfully, and slept. He never woke up," she finished.
That was the tree under which Mom found him ten years ago.
Was he saying thanks, maybe? Or love you? Or just a dance of joy? I don’t know, really.
Run wild and free, little bugger.
4. "She licked her hands and went to sleep, forever."
She went to her room
5. A cute doggo story
She started showing a lack of energy
Her owner knew what was coming
The dog showed no interest in things it used to love
More pictures of this cute doggo, Floyd are coming right up
Adorable
Happy life
"I still miss you every day, Floyd, my angel."
One story after another, the thread keeps getting sadder.
6. So sad
My dog Jonesy is dying. She has heart disease and was diagnosed this time last year. She has done well for the most part until this last week, and we know it is time. We have a vet coming to the house on Monday to help her move on.
Her favorite place of all time is in between both my husband and me. So we are going to sit on the front porch with her in between us and pet her and love her as she passes.
Sleeping a lot
What is she doing? She is sleeping a lot. She can’t travel very far because the heart disease makes it difficult for her to breathe. So she pretty much stays in one place. One of us (my husband and I) or both of us are with her at all times right now.
Earlier today, I had her on the porch, and my husband was leaving. I ran out to the Jeep, and as I was coming back, she was sitting halfway in between the porch and the Jeep—that's as far as she could make it (that's what she does; she loves us and protects us even now).
She doesn’t want her favorite treats; she doesn’t want to eat. We have cats she usually chases for fun, and she doesn’t want to do that. So they have been coming to her to lay down with her or be at her side. Anyone who says cats are mean-spirited and can’t love has never had a cat.
It is heartbreaking
Most of all, it’s breaking our hearts—all of ours: the cats, my husband, and I. It is tearing us up. We have the weekend with her, and we are going to love her up. It makes me cry. So here are some pictures of our Jonesy girl.
7. A true story
Dharma came to visit?
8. The story of Lassie
Lassie couldn't be saved
Then the memories turn even more personal.
9. No signs at all
Big heart
The news was not good
Goodbye, Ocean
10. Our little Laika
Laika with Tom
She was a free spirit
Another picture of Laika
One noon, Laika didn't come home
Nobody wants to consider their dog’s final moments, yet every pet parent will eventually have to deal with this reality of life. However, it is hoped that having some level of knowledge of what to expect can alleviate some of the worry and uncertainty.
What do you have to say about this heart-wrenching topic? Drop your replies in the comments below.
After “Bugs” left you speechless after the burial, read how “heart failure” broke one owner’s heart at the Rainbow Bridge.
Share this article:
