In-Home Pet Euthanasia
End-of-Life decision-making is incredibly challenging for everyone involved. It is so hard to bare witness to our dear beloved pets in any compromised state. It is normal to have conflicting feelings and emotions during this time.
There is great value in our Quality of Life Consultations, which aid in pre-planning euthanasia when the time is right. We are here to help. We understand that this may be the most difficult decision you have had to make in caring for your dear friend.
This is an intimate, private time for families and their pets, which we handle with the utmost care and respect for both the pet and their grieving family. We believe the act of euthanasia is the last loving act of kindness we can give to our pets.
Read more about how saying goodbye at home can be a deeply meaningful celebration of life.
We welcome you to read more about the beautiful shared experience of Harley James last moments in our blog.
Why Choose In-Home Euthanasia for My Pet?
There is great comfort in being home for both the pet and family
Pets are more relaxed, less stressed, and less anxious, and so are their family members. Gathering together at home allows as many loved ones, including children and pets, to be present and lovingly say goodbye without feeling rushed.
Home euthanasia provides increased privacy. It allows you to grieve your loss openly as you need. It can also be a deeply meaningful experience, filled with love, ceremony, memorialization.
Read our Blog with true-life stories from Dr. Erica
Our role is to be a kind, respectful presence for the whole pet family
For peace of mind, read our client testimonials
We are here for you, supporting and guiding you every step of the way. Let us help make the hardest day a little easier.
Meet Dr. Erica Dickie, DVM, CHPV, CPEV
Veterinarian. Mother. Empath.
With a compassionate, calm presence, our mobile veterinarian attends to your furry companion's end of life care with dignity, respect, and grace. Our in-home euthanasia service focuses on providing the most comfortable experience for the pet and family.
Dr. Erica, our Certified Peaceful Euthanasia Veterinarian is here to guide you every step of the way.
Compassionate, respectful, professional expertise you can trust.
Supporting Pet and Caregiver Needs is Our Priority
Once the decision is made, there are other considerations:
who, what, where, when, and how.
Who?
The inclusion of loved ones - who (family, friends, other pets, children) is ultimately the decision of the primary caregiver. Please consider if there is enough space to all safely gather together and the preferences of your pet when making this decision.
What?
It is important for everyone involved in your pet’s care to understand that euthanasia means humanely ending life and that this is a permanent event.
Where?
Anywhere your pet is most comfortable and there is enough space to safely gather. We are honoured to be invited into your home at this delicate time.
Special location requests may also be accommodated.
When?
When should it happen? If your pet is relatively stable, some choose a favourite time of day for their pet, or a time when all are able to gather. Our mutual goal is to facilitate the most peaceful passing - understanding your pet’s condition and possible progression may be helpful in timing euthanasia to avoid a crisis or prevent undue suffering - talk to us if you are unsure.
How?
Gently and respectfully. This information will be reviewed by our team in as much or little detail as our clients would prefer, including during the appointment as we talk you through what to expect. Feeling prepared can help ease tension during the last shared moments with your pet. See below for a brief outline of the technical aspects of euthanasia.
Testimonials from Clients
Pet Memorial Keepsakes
We are honoured to help you create precious paw, nose, and fur keepsakes during our time together.
🐾 Paw Print Memorial Keepsake 🐾
Want a special way to remember your pet?
We offer Pawpals instant foam impression paw prints with all our appointments.
🐾 Pawpals offers a simple way to keep beautiful paw prints for you to cherish forever. Paw prints are protected by a clear plastic case to preserve your faithful friend’s paw for you to hold dear.
🐾 You may personalize them with adding your favourite photo and other mementos in the foam imprint - dog or cat tag, fur clippings, gems, stickers, and letter imprints for their name.
🐾 Pawpals are created with pet families while Dr. Erica is in the home. You get to keep your precious keepsake right away.
A Helpful Guide to Planning Ahead
We love our pets from the moment they come into our lives and become a part of our families. Yet being a pet parent or caregiver also comes with the heavy responsibility of making End-of-Life decisions. Preparing yourself in advance for the death of your pet, while extremely difficult, can be very helpful and may lessen some of the stress and burden of decision-making during an intensely emotional time.
Please take some time to reflect upon what is important to you, your pet, and your family in reviewing the Pet Loss Professionals Alliance’s (PLPA’s) Guide to Planning Ahead: A pre-planning Resource for Pet Parents.
How is Euthanasia Performed?
We use a gentle, gradual two-three-step process to help ease the transition.
The first 1-2 injection(s) is a sedative and/or anesthetic combination that is given under the skin or into the muscle depending on your pet’s condition. This initiates relaxation and a deep sleep.
The final injection takes the medicine through the bloodstream to the brain. It acts as an overdose of anesthetic. Most sleeping pets pass quickly and peacefully.
We care deeply about your pet.
Our goal is to promote the most peaceful passing possible, not only for your furry companion, but for you and your family too.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know when it’s the right time for euthanasia?
Unfortunately, there is no perfect answer to this question. It is highly personal, and dependent on your pet’s condition and overall quality of life, as well as your family beliefs, values, experiences, and resources (time, support, finances). It is normal to have conflicting emotions during this time: our Quality of Life Consultations can be of great help.
Why should I choose in-home euthanasia?
When the decision has been made to say goodbye, a home euthanasia offers privacy and comfort for both you and your pet and removes the stress of travelling.
What happens during the euthanasia process?
We use a humane two-step technique to help ease the transition. The first injection is a sedative and/or anesthetic combination that is given under the skin or into the muscle depending on your pet’s condition. This initiates relaxation and a deep sleep. The second injection takes the medicine through the bloodstream to the brain. It acts as an overdose of anesthetic. Most sleeping pets pass quickly and peacefully.
Should my children, friends or other pets be present during the euthanasia appointment?
The decision to include loved ones is ultimately up to you. All are welcome if there is enough space to safely gather. Having family and friends present may offer great support as well as an opportunity to pay tribute and mourn the loss of their dear friend. Including children in the appointment can greatly help put their mind at ease about the process and give them another opportunity to say goodbye. Pets grieve the loss of their pet housemates too. If not too disruptive, we welcome their presence. Some families choose to bring them in afterwards to say goodbye.
Will my pet experience any pain or discomfort during the euthanasia process?
Our goal is to provide comfort, relaxation and peace during the euthanasia process promoting the most pain-free and anxiety-free experience possible.
Do we have to be outside during COVID?
No, our goal is for your pet to be as comfortable as possible, during the colder months, we do move to indoor appointments. We ask clients follow our enhanced COVID Safety Measures.
We support you having all the undisturbed private time you need to say goodbye, honouring the bond, the life, and the love shared with your beloved pet.
We understand that this is a very difficult and overwhelming time. We are committed to helping through the decision-making process, actively listening to your concerns and needs, providing comfort and relieving pain for your pets to facilitate the most peaceful End-of-Life experience.
Please reach out at 226-779-KIND (5463) with any questions.
We are honoured to help you and your pet in your time of need.