A mother and daughter have made the decision to put their family pet to sleep - but it means going against the father's wishes and doing it in secret. The 27-year-old daughter has taken to Reddit to ask for advice as her senior dog Simba has become paralysed and is unable to live a healthy and happy life.
In her post, she wrote: "He can barely stand up anymore without help, often crying in pain as he struggles until I come over and pull him up. His painkillers no longer show any effect either. It's not uncommon for me to wake up in the middle of the night to the sounds of his screams."
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The woman explains that she and her mother "believes he's reached his limits now" at 17-years-old, and most of his days are spent curled up in the corner.
"He's also started biting me when I give him meds. I think he wants us to leave him alone," she wrote.
"But no matter how much we try to discuss this with my father, he refuses to put Simba down. He argues that it's wrong to kill him off like that and we should simple let him take his time."
The woman admits that caring for Simba in his poor condition is making her feel tired, stressed and helpless.
Her mum has come round to the idea of putting him to sleep and suggested having the old dog euthanised while the father is away.
Reddit users were quick to support her decision and criticise the father for his "cruel" choice to keep the pet alive.
Someone said: "Phone the vet and ask him to do a home visit so Simba is in a familiar place. Do tell your dad so he has a chance to say goodbye, but stand firm on easing Simba's suffering. If your dad decides to stop you then go with your mum's plan."
Another suggested: "I know it sounds cruel, but just bring his body back home and tell your dad he passed away at home. That way you've done right by your dog, who is in obvious agony, but you won't cause a family conflict."
A third wrote: "It's a very tough, but very loving call to make and while it sucks, at this point, it's the right thing to do. Your father is just prolonging the suffering of an animal he supposedly loves."
Many veterinary surgeons commented on the thread and agreed with her choice to euthanise the pet - but told her to be honest with her dad.
In an update, the woman wrote: "I decided to talk about this more thoroughly with my mother and suggested informing my father that yes, we are going to have Simba euthanised.
"The local vet does offer home services so she can come here and put him down with everyone present, and we will tell my father that it's up to him whether to watch or not.
However, the decision is final. If he fights this any further or tries to stop us, than we can say we'll simply take Simba to the clinic instead and have it done without him. Period."
Do you have a dog story to share? Email nia.dalton@reachplc.com.
