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One of the reasons (in fact the biggest reason) I started a program of making homemade dog food was because of a book I read entitled Dog Food Secrets by Andrew Lewis. Andrew wrote the book after his dog, Noble, died. Like any of us, he loved his dog very much.

In his book, Mr. Lewis recounts how he held Noble in his arms as the vet gave the animal a lethal injection. Andrew watched, and felt, Noble’s life slip away as he held him close to his chest. He wanted Noble to know he was with him until the end.

As I read about Andrew and Noble, it struck a chord with me. I went through a similar situation with our old and trusted family friend, Maggie. The one difference, however, is that I opted out at the end.

I took Maggie into the examination room. I cried shamelessly and held her and hugged her. But when it came time for the shot, I had to turn around and walk out.

I just couldn’t stay for the final scene.

Maggie was 13 years old. She was a fairly large dog and had lived out her allotted years. She had a good life. At the end she was nearly blind and incontinent and frequently angry because she was in pain.

She hadn’t always been that way.

Maggie was our family dog for 13 years. Each of our three sons claimed her as “his dog.” And each of them was right. Maggie watched them grow into tall, strong young men. She had played with them, slept in their rooms, and watched over them.

She was there when they were sick, she licked their wounds, and she commiserated with them when they were sad. She made them laugh and she protected them.

These strong young men weren’t so strong when it came time to accompany her on that final trip to the vet. Each came and took ten or fifteen minutes with her, alone, to say their goodbyes. Not a one of them had dry eyes.

But I was alone on the drive to the vet.

Looking back, that drive was the hardest part. I kept stroking her head and telling her, as I had many times before, “It’s okay, Maggie.”

I felt guilty trying to comfort her because I was betraying her. I told her everything was going to be alright — but, of course, it wasn’t.

Most importantly, though, I thanked her sincerely, and from the bottom of my heart, for being such a good dog.

And I meant it. She had been, and was, a very good dog. There could be no greater compliment paid her.

I have to remind myself that Maggie really did enjoy a good life. We live in the woods so she had the freedom to chase squirrels, wild turkeys and deer.

She loved the freedom to run when she was younger, and liked to spend autumn afternoons outside laying in the sunshine on the warm driveway as she aged.

She had a family that loved her very much and she knew it.

To this day, when we are all back together, we still tell Maggie stories. Perhaps I will share them in another post on another occasion.

But back to Andrew Lewis and Noble. Noble’s situation was different.

You see when Noble died, he was only four years old. A few months prior to his death Noble had appeared healthy, energetic and playful. What happened? Noble was poisoned.

Now before you assume it was a fanatical neighbor or a mean-spirited teenager pulling a ghastly prank — let me tell you that it was neither of those.

Noble’s kidneys were failing. The vet told Andrew the condition was caused by preservatives in the dog’s diet. Andrew fed Noble commercial dog food. Not cheap commercial dog food, mind you, but “natural” commercial dog food he bought at one of the big box pet supply stores that sells the pricey stuff.

Noble’s death was the catalyst that catapulted Andrew on a mission that would last three years: Find out why the commercial dog food he fed Noble was deadly. He spent that time doing research, traveling, and paying for lab tests. He spent twelve thousand dollars of his own money.

What Andrew Lewis found was horrifying and his story is the reason our dog no longer eats commercial dog food.

Why did Mr. Lewis go to all that effort and spend all of that money? If you are a dog lover, you understand why. If you aren’t, I can’t explain it to you — except to say that sometimes it’s not enough to do the right thing.

Sometimes you have to make someone pay for doing the wrong thing.

When you read the book, this will all become very clear to you.

The book will make you laugh and it will make you cry. The damning documents and the graphic photos you’ll see will make you very mad. All in all, it is the most enlightening book (or article or paper) I have ever read on pet nutrition.

The book is named Dog Food ecrets. It will change the way you feed your dog and your dog will thank you for it.

And as an added bonus, you will add many years to your dog’s life.

CLICK HERE to VIEW “THE DOG FOOD SECRETS”