BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. – Saying goodbye to a beloved pet is one of life’s most painful decisions, often made harder in a sterile clinic setting.
For many pet owners, though, at-home euthanasia offers a more compassionate alternative, allowing pets to pass away in the comfort of familiar surroundings.
Chrissy Wright, a devoted pet parent to Italian Greyhounds, has adopted five dogs over the past two decades, each of whom she calls her “fur babies.”
She describes the breed as affectionate and close, often sticking to her side like “Velcro.” But with the joy of her dogs has come heartache, as she’s faced the loss of several to cancer.
After her dog Skylar passed in a veterinary office, Wright was left shattered.
“I was there for like two hours, just crying, weeping, over my dog who is laying on a cold steel table,” she said. “And I was like, never, never again.”
Determined to change that experience, Wright chose at-home euthanasia for her next dog, Misty Mae.
“I had her in a doggy bed and we were just loving on her, and she just slowly passed,” Wright recalled. “It was beautiful and very private and loving.”
Being at home also allowed her other dogs to say goodbye, something that provided comfort to her and her pets alike.
“When my next dog passed away and Dr. Lugo came for her too, Luca got to say goodbye to her,” Wright said, holding Luca, one of her current Greyhounds.
Aileen Lugo, a mobile veterinarian specializing in at-home euthanasia, says that giving pets the chance to pass in a familiar environment can make a profound difference.
“Once we do this at home, being in the familiar environment, in the comfort of your home, with your pets, the other pets are at home, the parents, all the family that they love close to them, it makes a big difference definitely,” Lugo added.
While pet owners often struggle with when to say goodbye, Lugo encourages them to remember that ending a pet’s suffering is a final act of kindness.
“Let them go peaceful, relief from that suffering, like otherwise some conditions and the dying process can go from days to months,” she explained. “When you are making the choice for them, it’s a sense of relief and respect -- it’s a kind gift that you do for them.”
Reflecting on her experience, Wright said she would make the same decision again if needed.
“I would do it again, and I will if I have to when I have to,” she said. “It was as beautiful as death could be.”
For pet owners, in-home euthanasia may carry an additional cost, often $100 to $200 more than a traditional veterinary visit. However, for those like Wright, the peace it brings is worth every dollar.
Click here for more information on how you can provide compassionate in-home euthanasia and end-of-life services for your pets.
