26/07/2025
I was hoping for the next post on this page to be more lighthearted, but my friend Marshal has been waiting patiently for his feature. I've known Marshy since he was a tiny puppy (in fact he was a student in my puppy preschool course, and won "Musical Sit" despite being deaf... his mum still says that's where he peaked in life). At the beginning of June I accompanied Marshy on his last adventure.
I debated whether or not to tell his story, but it is an important one to tell. Marshal was 1.5yrs old and physically healthy when his humans made the decision to put him to sleep. For Marshal this was indisputably the right choice. For his owners it was heartbreaking beyond measure. Marshal started life as a "normal" puppy who loved the world and everyone in it.
As Marshal matured, his behaviour changed, and he found it really hard to cope with things that he'd previously found easy. His world grew smaller, but scarier, every day. Eventually Marshy couldn't hang out with his friends anymore, new people were terrifying, and any change in his routine needed a careful management strategy as well as medication to help him feel safe (which, eventually, wasn't enough anymore).
After exhausting all other avenues, his family elected for behavioural euthanasia. I commend them for being selfless enough to recognise Marshal's suffering and set him free from it. The hardest day for them, was the most peaceful day for their beloved boy. I am grateful to work in a vet clinic that understands and supports behavioural euthanasia, and I'm proud that we were able to offer him a beautiful goodbye surrounded by love.
I hope Hen and Moe have found their pal, Marshy. I hope they are all free from fear, free from pain, and know that we miss them every moment of every day. Marshy wouldn't be able to hear me if I called him a good boy, but he'd wag his stumpy tail at a 👍, so please use that like button in memory of Marshal. ❤️
