Years ago, before there were apparatus to help crippled dogs walk, I had to put my beautiful, black, pure bred German Shepherd to sleep. She was only nine years old, her heart was good and strong, but, she had stopped eating due to the pain in her hind quarters.
She had hip dysplasia, which we knew about when we adopted her at six months old, but, as she aged, arthritis set in and no matter how much she may have wanted to live, and I wanted her to live, the pain she was in must have been horrific.
She could no longer walk up the short flight of stairs to the main rooms of the home (we lived in a bi-level.) She stayed at the front door landing.
I brought food and water to her and the look in her eyes was as if she was saying, "No, I choose no more of this." She refused to eat or drink. She could no longer climb the five stairs to the upper level where the bedrooms were. She had always slept on the floor at my side of the bed.
I firmly believe in quality of life over quantity. As heart-wrenching as it is to put our pets to sleep, it is much kinder than letting them die naturally if "natural" is a painful course. 
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