**Diary Entry 12th May**
Today, I witnessed something that will stay with me forever. An elderly man had to make the heart-wrenching decision to put his dog down because he couldnt afford the treatment to save him. They say money cant buy happiness, but sometimes, its the very thing that decides our fate.
The clinic was silent, save for the laboured breathing of the dog and the quiet sobs of his owner. The old man, bent over the examination table, stroked his companions ears with trembling fingers. Ive seen grief beforemany timesbut this was different. There was something unbearably raw in the way he held onto that scruffy little mongrel.
I first met them three days ago when the man, Mr. Thompson, brought in his nine-year-old terrier, Charlie. The poor thing hadnt been able to stand for two days, and Mr. Thompson had no one elsejust Charlie. The diagnosis was grim: a severe infection that needed immediate, expensive treatment. Without it, Charlie would suffer terribly. If you cant cover the costs, Id said bluntly, euthanasia would be kinder. At the time, I didnt grasp the weight of those words.
Hed emptied his pockets thencrumpled notes and loose changebarely enough for the consultation. He scooped Charlie into his arms and left without a word. But today, he returned, eyes downcast. Im sorry, Doctor, he murmured. I could only gather enough for the end.
As he asked for five more minutes to say goodbye, something twisted inside me. The world is so unjustpeople with fortunes treat life carelessly, while a man like Mr. Thompson, with nothing but love for his dog, is forced to let go.
My throat tightened. I placed a hand on his shoulder. Ill treat him, I said, my voice unsteady. Ill cover the costs. Charlies not done yethell run again. Beneath my palm, his thin frame shook with silent tears.
A week later, Charlie was back on his feet. The IVs and care had worked. I wont pretend it was some grand act of heroismjust a small kindness for a desperate man and his scruffy little friend. But in that moment, it was everything.
Thank God there are still people in this world who care.
