CASE STUDY
Madeleine, Mr. Biggle, and Miki
The Hardest Thing
One of the hardest parts of being a pet parent is deciding when to let go.
We all wish our feathered, furry, and scaly friends could live longer, but as your animal’s guardian, caretaker, loving companion, and friend, the time will likely come when that decision has to be made.
Madeleine, parent to two adorable Chihuahuas, had to make that decision twice.
“Of course we never want them to go, but we also don't want them to suffer. There's this saying: Rather a week too early than a day too late. As a parent, you don't want to go there. You're fighting it. You're waiting for that miracle to happen, or you're waiting for that sign that no, he has another day.”
Mr. Biggle's Story
Mr. Biggles was having difficulty breathing. He’d lapsed into congestive heart failure.
He’d stabilize while in an oxygen tent, but Madeleine wondered, “How much longer can we keep doing this? Should we keep doing this?”
At the last vet visit, the ER vet recommended euthanizing him that day.
The Challenge
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As is often the case, Mr. Biggles had days where he’d rally and stabilize.
“Of course, he wasn't healthy, but he wasn’t unconscious or actively dying. It gives you a glimpse of hope that maybe he's okay. Maybe he's going to perk up.
I had a lot of doubts and I wanted to hear from my dog if he was ready.”
The Intuitive Connection
Madeleine wanted to hear from her dog how he was feeling physically and emotionally and whether or not he was ready to let go.
“The first thing Sophia told me was he feels tired and it's hard to cough. And then she said he trusts me to decide. Between all the meds and having a hard time breathing, his little body was tired.
Hearing it from my dog helped me make the decision."
The Results
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Having connected with Mr. B through Sophia, Madeleine was able to let him go with peace and confidence. “I got validation before letting him go. I felt like I needed to know we were connected, and I needed to know he would find me again. It was priceless.”
Mr. Biggle’s favorite toy was a stuffed hedgehog. Some time after he passed, Madeleine and other friends who were close to him began seeing hedgehogs often, wherever they went. Each time they saw hedgehogs, they knew it was Mr. B’s way of saying hello.
Miki's Story
Incredibly, the same day Mr. Biggle’s death, Madeleine’s dog Miki was diagnosed with bladder cancer.
After chemotherapy, she survived another two years, but eventually her condition worsened. She was diagnosed with bone marrow cancer.
Again, Madeleine and her husband arrived at the difficult decision. Miki had perked up with steroids, but they didn’t want her to linger or suffer.
Messages From Miki
This time, the message was different. Miki wasn’t quite ready yet. The time was near, but not now.
Miki communicated that she wanted patience and time. She needed a time of rest to prepare for the next step. She wanted Madeleine's husband, Adrian, to know she needed some more time to get ready.
Madeleine made a tentative appointment for euthanasia four days later.
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They were able to use that time to be fully present with Miki and to take the time they needed to say goodbye. “We were able to spend quality time together. She was able to lay by her favorite sunny spot. We were able to take her on a walk in the neighborhood.”
When the appointment time came, Madeleine was relieved they had taken the time to process the goodbye. “I could feel that Miki was at peace too. Usually she hates the vet, especially having gone through chemo. She would shiver and whine every time. But that day, she didn't tremble. I felt like she was fully aware of what was going on, just like Sophia said, and she was at peace.”
Words of Wisdom from Madeleine
“Knowing when to let go is the hardest thing. It’s comforting to have that insight from the animal itself. There are a lot of people like me out there who don’t know when to say goodbye, or after they say goodbye, they can't cope. I hope my story helps people who have doubts or don't believe, because what Sophia did for me was amazing.”