It has been a very sad day. We had to put our dog down due to her suffering. For the first time since i left the farm many years ago I dug a deep grave.  I dug it for her in my back yard. It is our plan to plant an ornamental tree over top of her. When I worked on the farm this kind of thing was commonplace. In my senior years i have mellowed, and find the event highly disturbing. No longer will we be greeted at the front door with a loving creature bringing us one of her doggy toys.