Our pets play such an important role in our lives. They are often there for us when no one else is. They can be our best friend and companion or a connection to others with a shared experience. Pets rely on us and offer us unconditional love. Our daily routines are set around them. Our pets give us a reason to get out of bed in the morning and they often remind us of this if we are late to feed them. They remind us not to work too hard. I know that if I sit at my desk for too long, my dogs are sure to remind me to play ball or go for a walk. They make us laugh and sit with us when we cry.
All of this and much more can make saying goodbye excruciating. We understand that we are doing the best thing for our pet, by alleviating pain and suffering but it doesn’t really make it any easier on us. Our team understands this and so we have been dedicated to assisting you particularly during this difficult time. We have encouraged pet families to be as involved in the decisions surrounding end of life as possible. We encourage a ceremony that best suits everyone involved. Rituals and planning can aid in the healing process caused by the grief of loss.
During the COVID 19 Pandemic many of our families have noticed that these rituals have become more challenging. As with everything, there are new restrictions in place at veterinary hospitals to protect everyone’s safety. We all agree that these restrictions are reasonable and necessary but some families are struggling with them all the same. We recommend that each family contact their veterinarian to learn of their specific regulations to understand what will take place at their appointment time.
We want you to know that we are here to continue to support our pet community. Our appointments might look a little different but our goals for a peaceful farewell are still the same. We have been getting a lot of questions about what an end-of life appointment will look like at this time so we wanted to take a minute to let you know what changes you might see from us.
At the present time we are not entering homes so all meetings will be outside. We will discuss as much as possible with you on the phone prior to your appointment and will meet you outside when we arrive . A few people have been concerned about this but we can say that being outside surrounded by nature can have a calming effect on pets and their people, especially on a bright sunny day in the shade of a tree while the birds chirp above. We continue to offer you the time you need with your pet and encourage you to include any rituals, such as music or prayer that make sense to you.
We will visit you as a team of 2 so we ask that you do not have more than 8 family members present, allowing us to stay within public health guidelines. We also ask you to respect social distancing rules. We will come prepared with masks and gloves for ourselves, and we will ask you to step back a couple of times but otherwise we will stay distanced to ensure that you are with your pet as they slowly drift off to sleep. If at any point you need more time we are able to accommodate that, just let us know.
Although you can definitely follow us to the car we do ask that you allow us to carry your pet and place them into the comfy dog bed in our vehicle, to prevent cross contamination into or from the vehicle. We will continue to treat your pet as lovingly as if s/he was our own. The crematorium has on-line services so that you can choose any options you prefer from the comfort of your own home without outside contact. Of course, we are only a phone call away to assist with anything that you may need during this process.
Just as before the pandemic, in the time following any euthanasia will stay in touch to support you through your grief where needed. We know that this isn’t easy. We have been there ourselves and we want you to know that you are not alone, even when all of us are feeling the strain of social isolation.
Dr. Janet Henderson
Palliative Tails 