I've only been a dog owner for abut six months. Before that, I never really had a pet of my own. I had cats when I was growing up, but they were my mom's cats really. We never had a dog, and I never dated anyone with a dog or anything like that either. So I'm kind of new to the game.

But, I have to say, in the short amount of time we've had Neko, I've grown unbelievably attached to him. I never had kids either, so I feel like I'm sort of getting the concept all wrapped into one, here in my late 40's. If there's one thing I can guarantee you, I love my dog as much as you love yours, 100%.

That said, if I had to make an end of life decision for my dog, I don't think I could ever be the one to do it. I'd be there til the very end, but I couldn't be the one who closed the curtain, so to speak. But under cirtain circumstances here in Maine, you can euthanize your own pet, according to the BDN.

Here in Maine, if an animal is sick or traumatically injured, an owner of a pet can administer a gunshot to put the animal down. Some vets even believe it's possibly more humane than conventional methods that utilize drugs to put an animal to sleep. That process can take up to a whole minute, where a proper gunshot is instant.

Now, that said, it should be done by someone who knows all about guns, and has a good working of animal anatomy, so as to be humane and quick. But this pracrtice may not be as uncommon in Maine as we think. there are any number of reasons why someone may want to take this process into their own hands.

Could I do it? No way. Would I ever judge anyone who did? No way. If you love your pet enough to do what it needs, and have the means to do so, why not? I could see where it might deepen a connection between a beloved pet and its owner. I just couldn't. But I get why it happens.

So as crazy as it seems, it's a perfectly legal process. Here, check out all the legal scmegal stuff yourself. It may be the hardest thing anyone will have to do with their pet, but if it's humanely done, I hope it brings that person some peace.

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To prepare yourself for a potential incident, always keep your vet's phone number handy, along with an after-hours clinic you can call in an emergency. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center also has a hotline you can call at (888) 426-4435 for advice.

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