Put Down

Assisted suicide, put out of misery, euthanize...
Over a dozen years ago I was living with an older man I called Cook. Cook had moved into my home with his pit bull/mastiff. When that dog had died after a long life, he needed to have the pet immediately replaced. (He remained dog-less for less than three weeks). Lucky I was replaced with Lucky II, a pit bull/Labrador mix. When Cook himself passed away, the care of Lucky II fell upon my shoulders. He had already lived with me for six years or so and was part of the household/family.
Yesterday, I had pre-arranged to take the day off. It was the day after Columbus Day and I was going to enjoy a long weekend. I contacted the vet to have the dog's nails trimmed. On the way home, I had stopped at the post office. When I returned to the car, the dog began to have a seizure. His back leg twitched uncontrollably and he was drooling and his head was banging against the seat. I raced back to the veterinarian.
They 'stabilized' him and said that there wasn't anything they could do for the first time event. "Watch him. Make sure his head is protected. And keep him well-hydrated." I sat on the kitchen floor while he drank water. He then paced circles around me. After about 3 or 4 rounds he got on his side on the floor and had another attack. I filmed it. After that, he walked outside. From inside the house, I could hear his nails scratching against the field-stone path. He was seizing outside; his tongue was digging into the soil. We went back to the vet for a third visit in one day.
This time, poor Lucky had three separate seizures during this 2½ mile drive. The vet put an IV catheter into him and gave him oxygen. He then came into the room and told me that Lucky was an older dog and a larger dog and that tests would be very expensive. I stopped the dialogue there and just asked if it would be considered a humane thing to simply end the dog's life. The doctor agreed.
So the dog that had been sedated and given oxygen was lying under covers and towels. I thanked him for his loyal friendship and for sharing a bed with me at night. I told him that he was my alpha and omega and reminded him that there would never be a replacement for him. And then I left.
Today is the first morning where I will not feed him.
A new life begins in my dog-less home.