Pets deserve long, comfortable, happy lives. However, a time comes when you face a difficult decision: to have your pet humanely euthanized because of health or behavioral issues.
If your pet is sick or injured, consult your veterinarian for advice. If your pet can no longer experience the things it once enjoyed, cannot respond to you in its usual ways, or appears to be experiencing more pain than pleasure, you may need to consider euthanasia. Likewise, if your pet is terminally ill or critically injured, or if the financial or emotional cost of treatment is beyond your means, euthanasia may be a valid option.
The Florida Keys SPCA believes that euthanasia should take place at your veterinarian’s office where you can be present with your pet. Please make every effort to coordinate this service with your veterinarian first. If you are in an emergency situation and your veterinarian cannot accommodate your pet please contact us directly.
Euthanasia may be necessary if a pet has become vicious, dangerous or unmanageable. Certain undesirable or abnormal behaviors can be changed, so it is important to discuss these situations with your veterinarian or behaviorist.
A pet is also a friend and a family member. When a pet dies, it is normal to feel grief and sorrow. The grief process is unique to the person, but you need not face loss alone. Many forms of support are available, including pet bereavement counseling services, pet-loss support hotlines, online Internet bereavement groups, books, videos and magazine articles.
Some people may feel they would never want another pet after the emotional loss, especially when euthanasia is involved. A new pet may help others recover from loss more quickly. If a family member is having difficulty accepting the pet’s death, getting a new animal too soon may imply that the life of the deceased pet was unworthy of the grief that is still being felt. It’s important all family members agree on the appropriate time for a new pet to share your lives with.