My dog has not been feeling well. Nothing serious, I hope. But I took her in for some tests Monday afternoon, the last day of my recent mini-vacation.

As we walked into the front door of the vet's office, there laid a beautiful Irish Setter. She was clearly an old girl with a lot of white on her face.

As my dog went into full -oh my gosh, I'm at the vet's office!!!- nervous mode, I couldn't help but walk over to the old Irish Setter and give her a pet on the head.

"Someone else is not feeling well." I said.

"Yea, we're about to put her down. She has lung cancer and can't walk any more," said her owner who was standing at the counter.

Being the big, dumb softee that I am, I could feel the tears well up in my eyes immediately and all I could say was "I'm sorry. But if she's in pain and there's no more hope, it's really the right thing to do."

"I know, " he said.

From there, it became almost surreal as I watched this man say his goodbye.

The dog flopped her tail a couple of times as he said, "Good bye, Lucy," and walked out the front door holding the now empty leash and collar that the nurses just gave him.

Then, the nurses carried her off to finally give this ailing dog some peace.

"Please don't tell people what a big blubbering idiot I am" I asked the nice young lady behind the counter.

"It's our little secret," she said with a kind smile.

To the man who said his final goodbye to his beloved "Lucy." I hope you're hanging in there today.

And to the vets and nurses at Companion Care Pet Hospital who help take care of my dog. I have new found respect for you and all the people in your profession who have to do this heart-breaking, but kind task at the end of a beloved pet's life.  It's something that I am way too much of a big, dumb softee to handle.

J