I am wondering if anyone has heard of a dog who runs away from home to die? My Boston terrier ran away 5 days ago and he seems to be gone for good. He was very sickly and had been pacing and trying to fit himself into small spaces for about two months now. His health had decreased rapidly over the last year but my vet could not seem to find anything wrong with him. I have heard that cats go away to die alone, but not sure if a dog would. He went out the back door and into the cornfield and never came back. We have been searching high and low for him for 5 days and hope if he did pass, he had peace at the end. If anyone has some advice, please let me know. Thank you in advance.

I'm very sorry about your dog... all the dying dogs I know about wanted to stay closer to their people, but some animals do go off alone.

Dogs are loyal to the end. I've had dogs that lived when they really shouldn't have. My theory, they stayed alive only so we wouldn't be sad.

My one dog, Silver, a poodle, was almost 19 years old, had one tooth, could no longer walk, had to wear a diaper, was completely blind, couldn't eat, and still lived. We had gone to the vet and the vet said it wouldn't be long, he wasn't in pain, so we took him home, gave him love, stayed by his side, and a month later he was still hanging on, by a thread. We finally ended up doing what we felt was best, and ending his suffering. My mom took him in, because I was pregnant at the time, and she held him while the needle went in. She said that right before he died he licked her hand, as if to thank her.

If Silver could have run away to die, I'm sure he would have.

I really wish I could tell you what happened, I can't. You may never know. But I do believe that dogs, if they can, run away to die, so that they can spare us the suffering of watching them go.

I know it's hard not knowing what happened to your dog. You loved him, you cared for him, you gave him a good life. Don't spend every day wondering why, or wondering what happened. Let it go, have a memorial for him if it helps, and know that he's in a better place either way.

I wish you all the best.