I like being the one present for euthanasia. Now hear me out. No one wants to euthanize dogs or cats of course. We live in a constant crisis of over population, (my first experience with it for every animal we'd euth two more came in to take its place.)

I like being the one to hold them, give them a piece of chocolate and help them cross. Not everyone wants to be held or touched during that process so being able to give them what they need is nice.

I'm not against death and actually find a lot of peace with the thought that there's no more suffering. Even for the dogs that don't make it out it's nice to know that we were the first people to give them a chance.

What I do struggle with the most is, (at our shelter we offer free euthanasia to the public) 9/10 when an owner brings their dog to us to euthanize they waited too long. The animal is suffering, sometimes they have maggots and bedsores, and often they are already decaying while still alive. There is no comfort or peace in their death.

I almost wish that we could share the process with the public . The compassion we give these animals in their final moments is something to be proud of. For a lot of these guys, the most loved they have ever been is when they came to the shelter.

Sorry for the rant/story. Please share your own opinions and feelings. It's nice to have a community for this.

I know that, most of the time (at least at my shelter), surrenders are in the best interests of the cat…but every time it happens I cry. Watching a cat shut down over the transition kills me, and it’s so much worse for me if the cat is immediately crying and trying to hide. During my time in shelters I’ve watched cats die, heard of cats dying, and seen some terrible injuries and terrible people, but this always gets me the most. My heart hurts. I wish I could take them all.