A heartbroken woman has said her final goodbyes to her dying dog by giving him one last emotional hug and kiss in the car, before he was put down at the vets. Rachel March, from Sydney, Australia, was absolutely devastated when her family's beloved pet Bowie reached the end of his life, and they chose to let him go "painlessly and peacefully".
Rachel captured the touching moment they finally parted ways on camera, so she could treasure their special friendship forever. Rachel told the Mirror: "That last cuddle with Bowie is something I'll never forget and I'm so glad he got to pass away peacefully around his family with dignity."
Rachel, an ex-veterinary nurse, shared the video on TikTok where it was received kindly by fellow grieving dog owners.
The emotive clip shows the senior golden spaniel cuddling into Rachel's neck for one last time, then she kisses him and he rests his head on her shoulder.
"I sadly didn't get to spend much time with Bowie because of the pandemic so his passing felt very sudden," Rachel explained.
The 12-year-old dog lived with her parents, but they shared a "very special bond".
"He was in end-stage heart failure which gets very painful and uncomfortable for senior dogs," she said.
"My family humanely decided to put him to sleep via sedation and euthanasia. I was in complete denial that he was at 'that stage' until I saw him.
"Dogs really do have their own special ways of letting us know that they're declining and ready to go."
Sharing her family's decision to put Bowie to sleep, Rachel said: "The thought of losing him to a major heart attack, alone and in pain, before anyone got to say their goodbyes breaks my heart.
"I know euthanasia can be a fickle topic - we all want our best friends to live forever but they don't have to suffer in the end."
Fellow dog owners could relate to her heartbreaking goodbye and shared their condolences in the comments on TikTok.
"My old girl was the same... 16 years of amazing memories. Run free little one," someone said.
"I had to put my girl down four days ago. Hardest decision ever. She wasn't able to walk," another wrote.
Some social media users shared meaningful quotes and captions to comfort Rachel.
"He's loved by many and will be deeply missed. He's watching over you until you meet him at the Rainbow Bridge," one person commented.
"The loves continues as grief. Be well. They would want you to be happy. And for that, love them," a second said.
Did you do anything special to say your final goodbyes to your dog? Email nia.dalton@reachplc.com.
