Humane Euthanasia

Our animal friends never live as long we would like them to, so we can only hope that their passing will be peaceful, painless, and dignified. If Quality of Life has declined due to age or disease, humane euthanasia is a caring and gentle option. As difficult as this decision can be, sometimes it is the kindest choice we can make on a friend’s behalf. Having euthanasia performed in the comfort of your home minimizes the stress on your pet and allows you to personalize the process.

We are dedicated to giving your pet a loving and respectful good-bye in the place they know so well—HOME, where they feel happy, safe, and are surrounded by familiar scents and loved ones. Our hope is to provide you with an experience that you feel is worth all of the love that they have given you.

To assist you in this difficult decision you can visit our Information section where you will find an entry with the Quality of Life Scale, a very useful tool in helping to get an objective idea about your pet’s life quality at this time. There is also an entry about the actual process of Humane Euthanasia that will hopefully answer some of the questions that you may have.

If you are struggling with the decision about euthanizing your pet, please feel free to give us a call. We can help you to determine if it is the right time to say good-bye to your beloved pet. Sometimes this can be done over the phone, but if not we can arrange for an in-home consultation. Some questions to ask yourself include:

• Is my pet eating and drinking like they should? Does he/she have an acceptable appetite? Has there been appreciable weight loss? Is he/she able to get up to eat and drink on their own?

• Is my pet comfortable? Is he/she free of debilitating pain? Is he/she urinating and defecating in a way that decreases quality of life? Is there frequent loss of control of the bladder or bowels and an inability to move away from it? Is urination or defecation chronically painful (due to cancerous masses, injury, etc)?

• Is my pet still doing the things that make him/her happy? These things change with age, but could be anything from playing with toys to lying in their favorite spot to greeting you with excitement. Is my pet still engaging in family activities? Or is he/she isolating themselves?

• Is there a still a desire to try, to engage, to enjoy life? Is there still that “spark” in the eye that makes my pet who they are? This can be very hard to answer, but nobody knows better than you—your pet’s best friend.