Dear Lizzy,

My 14-year-old dog can barely walk, eats very little, and often goes to the bathroom in the house. He seems restless and uncomfortable most of the time. I know him better than anyone, and I can tell he’s miserable. He even cries when I leave the house. It’s breaking my heart to see him like this.

I know it’s time to put him down, but some people close to me say that would be cruel and that I should let him live out his final days naturally. What kind of life is it when there’s no joy left, only endurance? How do I make peace with the decision to let him go and ignore the criticism?

No New Tricks

Dear No New Tricks,

I’m so sorry you are going through this. Pets can be so important in our lives, but they almost always end up dying before we do, so that means the choice to be

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