That's an amazing story Steve and it does bring back some very sad memories.
Years ago, I came home with two twin puppies for my two young daughters. Eventually we discovered that one had kidney failure. We nursed her for years and we had good days and bad. Eventually the bad days out numbered the good til one day my wife and I had to take her in to our vet.
There wad not much we could do so they recommended we get our other dog and say our goodbyes. At the end our little Zoe left this earth on her own terms and we did not need to put her to sleep. She died in my wife's arms were it was meant to be.
That was a bad but it had its blessings.