Providing home euthanasia has been on my mind for more than 16 years, ever since my own beloved dog passed peacefully at home with help from a fellow veterinarian friend. I’ve now retired from the Army and have been providing home euthanasia for the past few months. In this short time, I’ve helped many families say goodbye to their dear pets. People often ask if it’s sad or difficult. The answer to those questions is a resounding yes, absolutely. Providing home euthanasia is sad and difficult both emotionally and physically. But that’s not how I respond to the questions, especially when asked while I’m in a home helping a pet, or if the questions come when I’m back to return a pet’s ashes. The answer I give is that it is an honor to help pets pass peacefully in the comfort of their own homes.

This answer—that providing home euthanasia is an honor—captures how I feel about this aspect of veterinary medicine. It’s much more accurate than my replying that yes, providing home euthanasia is both sad and difficult. Being a home euthanasia veterinarian is more draining emotionally and physically than I’d ever imagined. I’ve sat in silence while families grieved both in person or by Zoom due to COVID, carried dogs who’ve weighed more than me, and have helped elderly clients say goodbye to the only other being who lived anywhere close to them. I’ve knelt next to animals who desperately needed relief from their pain while shedding my own tears wishing all animals could know such loving kindness and that the pet before me could live more healthy and happy days here on earth.

But stating that home euthanasia is sad and difficult would not accurately portray the entire range of emotions I feel when helping a family say goodbye to their pet in the comfort of home. Home euthanasia to me is love, compassion, service, and peace. It’s an honor to a life well-loved and a final act of kindness. It’s as much each of these and maybe even a little more of these than it is sad or difficult. To me, there’s no other medical care I could offer that’s more important than providing comfort and peace to a pet surrounded by those they love, in a place that holds treasured memories and always will.