My gosh, I'm crying as I read this thread. I'm so sorry to those of you who have lost your best friends (aka children). I just lost my dog on Christmas Eve. She was 10 years old and like a daughter to me. I am so thankful we have such a kind vet...I called him as I saw she was dying and he rushed over and gave her the shot, carried her to the garage and said he'd pick her up the next day. This man has a family and that he left his family on Christmas Eve and Christmas day was beyond kind. My husband was overseas visiting his family, so I spent the next two days just crying alone.

Weirdly, a week later we found a cat who had a huge gash in her neck. Rushed her to the vet and now we have a cat to look after. We never had a cat before and we're learning quickly, but she's as sweet as can be and I guess we'll keep her...or rather, she will keep us.

Best wishes to you all for a better New Year.