Although most medical practitioners don’t talk about the end of life, the reality is that the end of life is just as important as the beginning and the middle. The way we handle a death is a direct reflection of the way we have loved.
All of us at Rockledge Veterinary Clinic have experienced the death of our own beloved companion animals. Those deaths have ranged from just born pups and kittens to young animals stilled from disease or accident or even aggression to the geriatric ones that have lived a full life and needed help making the final transition.
And while it is sad to relive these experiences, we know that anything we can do to make your grief a little less painful is worth the tears. Yes, we will cry with you and share our stories and if you
don’t mind we will laugh and remember the happy times when you came to our office with your beloved companion, because we care for them too. Many of us here have been with you from that first office visit – full of promise and wonder and questions. Now we are with you for that final visit and the questions and wonder of what is to be next is there again – and that’s OK. None of us have all the answers but what we can assure you that those final moments will be as peaceful and full of love as we can humanly make them.
The majority of euthanasias are done in our office unless prearranged for a home visit. We encourage you to discuss the final arrangements for your pet in advance. This will enable you to make the best decision for your situation without any feelings of pressure or immediacy. People
ask us “what do we do with the pet once it has died?”
We offer you several options:
Burial: pets may be buried at home. We suggest checking your local municipalities for details and restrictions. There are also several pet cemeteries in the area. Below are two pet cemeteries:
Abbey Glenn
Pet Memorial Services
Private Cremation: with this service, your pet will be cremated individually and the cremains returned to you. The crematories we use and recommend have been in business for years and have always treated our clients and their deceased pets with the respect they deserve.
Group Cremation: your pet will be cremated and his/her cremains will be buried with those of other pets at the crematory facility. Most crematories also offer burial options, so your pet will not be put out with the trash as you may fear.
If your pet passes at home and you are not able to bring them into the office for cremation, some of these crematories offer a pick up service. Paws To Heaven in Pennsauken, NJ, recently helped one of our families when their pet passed and the feedback from the family was A+
No matter what you decide for your pet’s final resting place, we can snip a few locks of your pet’s hair to keep as a remembrance (let us know if you want several of these for family members).
We encourage you to talk to family and friends and remember all the happy times with your companion animal or if you feel you have no one to discuss your true feelings with, call us. We
can recommend a certified grief counselor or one of the grief support groups/hotlines in the area.
Below are grief support websites we have found helpful. These sites offer chat rooms, memorial pages, suggestions for memorials at home and recommended reading materials:
PetLoss.Com
The Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement
Rainbows Bridge
Bridge Called Love
It takes us back to brighter years,
to happier sunlit days
and to precious moments
that will be with us always.
And these fond recollections
are treasured in the heart
to bring us always close to those
from whom we had to part.
There is a bridge of memories
from earth to Heaven above...
It keeps our dear ones near us
It's the bridge that we call love.
Author Unknown
© 2008 Rockledge Veterinary Clinic. All rights reserved.
