September 23 2012
A Peaceful Passing
Poor doggie. Poor Max. Just four years old, the black and brown boxer had been diagnosed with stomach cancer a short time ago, and he was slipping away fast-twenty pounds in just two weeks-and now he couldn’t eat, couldn’t even move. Euthanize, the veterinarian at Rancho Santa Margarita Hospital said. That was the best thing to do. …
The decision making process is always the hardest. As heartbreaking and stressful it may be of a dog’s passing, putting him, or her down is the one procedure that provides relief to the client and to their furry friend.
Euthanasia is a very quick, yet pain-free procedure. Director of Shelter Medicine of San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SF SPCA), Kate Kuzminski, euthanizes animals when they are unconscious. First, the sedative is injected in their muscle or leg, then the euthanasia solution, which consists of pentobarbital sodium and phenytoin sodium as the active ingredients, is injected in the vein, which stops the heart within seconds. …
Sherri Franklin, founder of Muttville Senior Dog Rescue, works with SF SPCA to put down their rescued, sick dogs. This is where the “fospice” program comes in.
“We look for homes that are willing to take care of them and give them lots of love until their quality of life is no longer good and then we euthanize,” says Sherri Franklin, founder of Muttville. … “Euthanasia when done with the purest of intentions is useful and I hate to the to use that word being ‘useful.’ But [ending a pet’s life can be] the most caring thing you can do, the most loving thing you can do, when done with the right intention,” Franklin concludes.
[Includes stories of fospice and caring for Muttville’s Collette, Scooter and Frida.]
