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Veterinary medicine's progress has made end-of-life decisions harder, not easier.

Pets now hold emotional roles once reserved for people, deepening grief at their loss.

Love can cloud judgment: sometimes it means fighting on, sometimes it means letting go.

As a veterinary internist for more than 35 years, I have helped thousands of people make one of the hardest decisions they'll ever face: when to stop treating and let a beloved animal die.

Surprisingly, that decision has become more difficult.

Not because veterinary medicine has failed us. Quite the opposite. It has succeeded.

How the Human-Animal Bond Has Evolved

Forty years ago, the human-animal bond was there, but it didn't even have a name. Today, our pets sleep in our beds, accompany us on vacations, have insurance policies, and increasingly occupy a place in our emotional lives once reserved almost exclusively for other people.

Our world changed, too. We became busier, more isolated, less certain. In a chaotic world, our animals became a refuge. When I read the headlines, I hug our cat, Tommy. When I watch the evening news, I take our dogs Gracie and Eliza for a walk. Nothing seems to abate stress quite like burying one's face in a warm flank of fur.

I have known countless clients who sheepishly admitted that losing a pet was harder than losing a parent, sibling, or friend. They often feel guilty saying it. I understand why. Our animals share our homes, beds, and routines. We cook for them, talk to them, and worry about them. They don't judge us or hold grudges. Their love is pure love.

And we are responsible for them. Entirely.

That responsibility........

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