Old thread, I know. Last post was one of the most humbling replies I've ever read. I hate threads such as this. Let me explain...
The DW and I have always had furkids running around the house. Even when we were children. We met in high school, went our own way, met again later, started dating again. I married her (and her Doberman/Rottweiler mix).
Ever since, it's been one adventure after another accepting animals into our home. Everything from Macaw Parrots to abandoned 6 week old puppies. We keep wondering why God keeps sending us rescues with medical problems. The DW stumbles across these poor things usually at pet stores. We discover the medical problems after the fact.
Even our long time vet called us about a month after having to put down a GSD we were working with that had behavior issues. Another rescue that was a stray that came in for a checkup and shots before going to the shelter. Her pic is my avatar. Been here ever since.
Both our cats are rescues. One needing B12 shots every week, the other pulls his fur out due to neglect.
This is not thread drift. My point being that over the years, we've had to learn the hard way what having to let any one of our many pets go is never easy. Regardless of where they came from. Rescues deserve a second chance too. We have had to let them go for different reasons. Both medical/behavioral and just plain old age. And it doesn't get easier. Tears are shed every time.
I'm not looking for kudos. And sometimes we bitch a bit about what we have to do each day. We also cry when one of them has reached the end of their life. If you love animals and have a better solution, please fill us in.
In closing, I really hope the Rainbow Bridge exist. If so, I hope I'm stampeded when I get there!