My golden retriever, Lucy, is an absolutely ancient dog. She's at least ten, probably more (though my atrocious memory can't promise that). So for a while now, I've had to significantly cut down the distance I walk her.
Aaron and I hadn't taken the two Lucys walking for a few days, so we decided to go down the canal and back through town. It seemed to be going fine most of the way, but then turning into Park Road Lu stopped and refused to go any further.
Her paw had started bleeding. I knew it was probably really uncomfortable for her but it didn't seem to be bleeding too bad and we really weren't that far from home, so I kept pushing her to keep going.
Eventually she lay down at the front of someone's driveway and refused to get up, so we had to take a break. The poor woman who owned the house gave us a weird look through the front door and I nervously explained that I was just letting my dog rest and we weren't scoping out her home for a robbery or anything XD;
Long story short, we didn't get far after that. Every time I got her to start walking again she stopped after about five steps until she eventually collapsed about a quarter of the way down the main road. I panicked when I realized how much her foot was bleeding now (it was leaving long red stripes on the pavement) and called for her to get a ride home in the car.
I walked back with Aaron and his Lucy.
I feel incredibly guilty and awful now. I really didn't think a short walk down the canal would be too much for her. I'm gonna have to start walking on my own I guess..