Ignoring odds, the dog abides

by Philip Martin | February 26, 2012 at 3:01 a.m.

Last April, I wrote about my old dog Sherpa and how, it seemed to me, she had stopped trying to live. I wrote about how one morning she couldn’t or wouldn’t move, how she spurned her food. I wrote about how I carried her outside into the sunlight and sat beside her for awhile, waiting for her to die.

This story is only available from the Arkansas Online archives. Stories can be purchased individually for $2.95. Click here to search for this story in the archives.

Perspective, Pages 72 on 02/26/2012

Print Headline: Ignoring odds, the dog abides

Sponsor Content

Comments

You must be signed in to post comments

NickieD
February 26, 2012 at 1:04 p.m.

Once again Mr Martin, given a chance to do something human, has chosen to do something inhuman. He says the death of his old dog is neither remarkable or a tragedy... damn, how much 'wronger' could he be?
To let this loved(?) member of the family linger in the darkness of a fading, painful life is more than thoughtless or remarkable or even a tragedy, it is plainly cruel and self-serving beyond my understanding. Apparently he believes that not only dogs but humans are better off suffering through extended lives rather than getting to or being allowed to reach the end with grace and dignity.
Old people warehouses are full of reasons why euthanasia is a mercy rather than a crime... and for a supposedly loved family pet or even a relative, to be forced to continue just because her heart still beats is ludicrous. In the case of Sherpa, Mr Martin is the supposedly intellignet human in control of the decision to end her prison sentence of continued life.
Sometimes a beating heart should not presumptive of real life.

Permalink Report Post