yeah people who havent had pets (particularly dogs and cats) just dont understand - our furry freinds are esentially "persons" and losing one is not really much different to losing a human freind.
Ive not had to go through that recently but I still remember stu - who was my/our king charles cavelier , who I had to have PTS when he started throwing up blood from stomach cancer (as a roughty toughty 20 year old it was most embarassing to cry like a baby in the vets), and more recently when kim got hit by a car last year I was quite prepared to go bankrupt paying for treatment before I let her go - fortunately it wasnt that bad in the end, about 500 notes , 35 stitches, and four or five vet visits all told, but if it had been more i was seriouslty prepared to sell all my kit to pay for it. (these days we have insurance- lesson learned)
Its also been the cause of some marital disharmony when Kim was declared persona non grata at the in laws after she pooped on the carpet (well if you will let her get at the cat food what do you expect :roll
swimbo promulgated the idea that we'd have to have her rehomed , because this would mean we couldnt visit, and i pretty much said "if she goes, I go" - we are all still together , and we just put her kim in kennels when we visit the inlaws.
anyway i digress - my condolences on your loss Roy, just try to focus on the good times together, and dont let it put you off getting another dog - its what (s)he would have wanted you to do.