A veterinary surgery in the South African coastal province of KwaZulu-Natal has begged owners not to leave their pets during the final moments of their lives.
The post which was made public in August is still making waves on social media as pet owners who have had to put their pets to sleep, are relating to what the owner’s post, written by another veterinarian, has to say.
“When you are a pet owner, it is inevitable, the majority of the time, that your pet will die before you do….But please, I beg you, DO NOT LEAVE THEM. Do not make them transition from life to death in a room of strangers in a place they don’t like.
“The thing you people need to know that most of you don’t is that THEY SEARCH FOR YOU WHEN YOU LEAVE THEM BEHIND.
“They search every face in the room for their loved person. They don’t understand why you left them when they are sick, scared, old or dying from cancer and they need your comfort.”
The post ends: “Don’t be a coward because you think it is just too hard for YOU, imagine what they feel as you leave them in their most vulnerable time and people like me are left to try our best every time to comfort them, make them less scared and try to explain why you just couldn’t stay.
From a tired broken-hearted vet.
