End of Life Pet Care
A difficult decision.
When a pet’s quality of life deteriorates to the point where they experience more bad days than good days, you may be faced with the difficult decision regarding whether to choose euthanasia.
When the time comes to face the difficult decision of whether or not to put your pet to sleep, the team at Best Friends Animal Hospital is here to guide you. If you make the decision to say goodbye, our pet euthanasia room provides a private, peaceful environment to say goodbye.
Anytime a pet euthanasia is taking place at our hospital, we make sure the entire staff and all other pet parents in the facility are made aware using a candle lit in the waiting area. This candle is a visual reminder to be quiet and respectful during this very difficult time.
You may sit on the floor with your pet, or in our comfortable chairs or stand beside your smaller pets at the table. The lights in the room dim for optimal comfort for both you and your pet. You can stay in the room with your pet as long as you need.
As part of our pet euthanasia services, we make clay paw prints for each pet and offer both individual cremation (you receive your pet’s ashes back) or general cremation (no ashes returned) for aftercare.
If you are interested in cremation for aftercare, we offer two options. The first is general cremation where your pet is cremated alongside other pets and no ashes are returned. The second is individual cremation where your pet is cremated by itself and the ashes are gathered and sent back for you to keep or take and scatter in their favorite spot.
Coping with Pet Loss
Pets are family and losing them comes with the same grief as any other loss. If you’re struggling with grief following the loss of your pet, remember to:
- Give yourself time to mourn and cry
- Do your best to stick to your regular routine
- Talk about your feelings with family, friends, or even our hospital staff
- Memorialize your pet in a way that’s special to you
You can use these resources if you need additional support:
Please reach out to us at (406) 453-2200 if there’s anything we can do for you.
