That time of year...

From Jim: Around here, Fall is a conflicted season. We're glad to be nearing the end of "Fly Time" and the heat and dust. We are also reaching the time when the horses on our watch list will either go into another winter or not. Because we take mostly unadoptable animals-They're old or injured, we face hard decisions every year. For us, quality of life is everything. When the days will be filled with pain and suffering or the chill of winter with no good body weight, then it's time for the last act of kindness. It is never easy! We check and recheck. We change diets and supplements. Teeth are floated and worming is done. Animals are stalled and sorted into compatible groups. And so on and so on! Dr. Gary consults and treats and worries with us. Finally, there's just nothing left to do. This ultimate responsibility is the hardest part of what we do. The worries about finances, the work load, the upkeep, the long hours are easy to accept. The fact that quality of life outweights quanity of life is a hard equation. When the moment for your beloved critter comes, be there for them. The loving and peaceful end we can give them is an unselfish and proper thing to do. We seem to have to learn this every single time.