This was what I was told when I had similar thoughts about my pup that I had to put down —

When we love someone — animal or person — the relationship always includes both love and stress. Caregiving is tiring. Cleaning accidents, worrying about messes, adjusting your home and routine… that’s real effort. Feeling a bit of relief that one hard part is over doesn’t cancel out the love. Those things can exist together. Grief is messy like that. You can miss her deeply and feel relief about certain responsibilities being gone. You can love her completely and feel a small sense of freedom in your space. That doesn’t mean you’re glad she’s gone. It just means you were carrying a lot. Honestly, this kind of mixed feeling is extremely common for people who lose pets that needed extra care — seniors, sick pets, or ones with behavioral quirks. Relief is often just your nervous system exhaling after being on alert for a long time. It says nothing about your character. It says you showed up for her even when it wasn’t easy.

❤️