Last Minutes with Oden

December 18, 2009 5:38 PM

Last Minutes with Oden, A beautiful but heart-wrenching short documentary about an ex-convict saying goodby to his best friend
posted by Lord_Pall (15 comments total)

I started to watch it and then realized it was about a guy saying goodbye to a pet... I can handle someone saying goodbye to a person, but not a pet. Don't really want my heart broken tonight... maybe another time I can watch it... bookmarked it for later... Thanks for posting though!
posted by newfers at 5:46 PM on December 18, 2009

I can handle someone saying goodbye to a person, but not a pet.

ditto.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 5:57 PM on December 18, 2009

been through this twice. going to go through it again soon. how do you know when it's time? how do you know when they're in too much pain? good post. i shouldn't have watched that right now.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 6:01 PM on December 18, 2009

well, i watched it and cried a river.
posted by rainperimeter at 6:32 PM on December 18, 2009

.
sniff.
posted by clarknova at 6:38 PM on December 18, 2009

I had to stop when the needle went in, although this documentary is beautiful. We had to let go of our dearest girl two years ago when she was too sick with kidney disease to eat. I often think of her sweet face looking at me with trust as she got the shot, and then gently going to the floor as she put down her head for the last time. I couldn't watch it happen to this dog. Knowing it is right does not make it easy.

This is the second post today to break my heart.
posted by bearwife at 7:15 PM on December 18, 2009

when i was nine my parents had our seventeen year old samoyed put down. she was so weak and old she could no longer stand on her own. my father couldn't handle it so my mother called to make the appointment and i stood in the other room as she dialed the number. we had rotary phones and as she spun the dial i would spin the dial on our second phone. she kept dialing the wrong number and couldn't figure out why... finally she started crying and i felt bad and told her what i had been doing. i just couldn't understand why we would have to put our dog to sleep.
posted by nathancaswell at 9:39 PM on December 18, 2009 [2 favorites]

nathancaswell: "...and as she spun the dial i would spin the dial on our second phone. she kept dialing the wrong number and couldn't figure out why... finally she started crying and i felt bad and told her what i had been doing. i just couldn't understand why we would have to put our dog to sleep."

Well darnit nathanc, now the crying pattern continues.
posted by Hardcore Poser at 10:02 PM on December 18, 2009

Amazing, moving and yes, utterly heartbreaking. Even watching this video after reading the comments here didn't prepare me for my reaction. When he looks down at the empty leash afterwards, my heart just broke.

I'm going to go hug a dog now.
posted by so much modern time at 11:58 PM on December 18, 2009

I can't watch it. I just can't.
posted by maxwelton at 12:05 AM on December 19, 2009

I couldn't finish it. Jesus.
posted by ZakDaddy at 10:55 AM on December 19, 2009

Nope. Cannot watch. Gonna hug my bird now.

.
posted by Splunge at 12:14 PM on December 19, 2009

As soon as I saw the vet choking up I lost it and cried my eyes out. It's so weird how you lose yourself when you cry. I guess it's been a while.
posted by erikvan at 3:36 PM on December 19, 2009

That... was powerful. I lasted a couple of minutes before starting to tear up. Unconditional love, redemption, suffering, guilt, guilt, guilt, saying goodbye in the moment of death to a companion who can't speak to you... fuck. That video is pepper spray.
posted by eddydamascene at 5:33 PM on December 19, 2009

I cried. I have five dogs which I often consider to be about four too many, but now I can't wait to get home and hug them all. Beautiful documentary, but yeah - I can't imagine someone watching it and not crying.
posted by Bageena at 6:58 PM on December 20, 2009