Do you draw the line?

You love him for the droopy eyes he gives you while you scold him. You love him for the howls he lets out in the middle of the night, alerting you to strange noises. And, you love him for unconditional love he shows you when there's no one else around to see your tears and hear your sobs. He is your best friend. He is your pooch.

Pets are our child-raising tests; they are integral members of our families and once we have 'em, we can't imagine living without 'em.

So if that's the case, how do you make the decision to put your pet down?

For some, the decision is a little easier. They've had Charlie for 16 years and he's developed cancer throughout his body. He's starting to feel the pain and his quality of life will rapidly decrease. The family knows Charlie will be better off. They hug him, kiss him and hand him over to the vet.

For others, it is far more difficult. Chance is two years old. He's been in an accident. His hips are broken, he has a collapsed lung and his eye, permanently damaged. Chance's mom and dad are living pay cheque to pay cheque, barely getting by and are devastated when the vet says it will be $11,000. Do they put it on their credit card, or do they ask the vet to put him down? They have to make a decision fast.

When Brody and I got Barkley, we struggled. That dog has put us through a lot in his four-year life span. I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with him, but when it comes down to it, he is a part of our family and he would be missed if we didn't have him around.

When we first went into puppy training, I received a piece of advice from a trainer: you have to draw a line in the sand. Before you find yourself in an emotional situation, sit down and decide what your number is. What can you afford? What is the furthest you'd be willing to go to save your pet? If you have the number in your mind before something tragic happens, it may help remove some of the emotion from the decision.

It is a valid question. If you can't afford to foot an astronomical vet bill, is it worth it to put your financial well-being at risk? A $500 bill, for most, is do-able. $5,000? A stretch for some, but not for others. $15,000? A stretch for many, I would say. You would be tied to that decision for quite some time.

We never did draw our line in the sand, but I am wondering just how far I'd go to save my pet.

I don't know what the right answer is, but I pray I never have to ask myself that question. Like Kelsey says - our pets will live forever. She has already read the riot act to Rocky: he is not allowed to pass away.

Here's hoping none of you ever have to make that really tough decision.