Together to the very end

I think the crux of the problem here is a matter of choice.

A human being who is terminally ill can make a choice to end his life. No one else can make that decision for him. In the case of a dog, the dog is never consulted. Yes, to our eyes, the dog is suffering. How do we know that the dog does not prefer to live on as long as possible so long as it can be with its owner even though it's suffering?

We console ourselves by saying that death is peace. How do we really know that? How do we really know what is on the other side of the great divide? If death is really a total void made up of absolute nothingness, then isn't just one more second of life, even though it's a second of pain and suffering, still better than a total blank?

Remember death is a one-way journey with no return ticket.