Oh, boy. I'm so sorry to hear the sad news. We've been through it, too, and I must confess the only time I've come close to punching somebody's lights out since I left the armed forces was when my dear cat Cecil died and a colleague made a stupid joke about the vet bill.

There's no such thing as an ordinary house dog (or house cat), any more than there's such a thing as an ordinary child or spouse or parent.