Sadly the time comes when our beloved companions must leave us behind. At such a time what you need is a caring and professional team who understands and gives your pet the dignified end it deserves.

 

Saying goodbye to loved pet is always a difficult and emotional decision. We would like to give you some general information about what you can expect and the different options available. Please feel free to call the surgery with any questions or queries. Our staff are animal lovers and have all lost our own pets in varying situations so are very aware of feelings of distress, guilt and grief at such a difficult time.  We will always do our best to be professional caring and accomodating of your wishes wherever possible.

 

At Portland Road we offer the following

 

Some people find that thier pets are more relaxed and comfortable at home and would prefer us to visit your home. We will always do our best to accomodate these wishes and unless at very very short notice or out of hours we can usually arrange a time that is mutually convenient. All we need will be good lighting and preferably a power source for electric clippers.  This option does not suit everyone so we also offer

Again this is done with as minimal stress to your pet and yourself as possible and we generally will try to organise these appointments at a quiet time so that we can take as much time as needed and the waiting room will not be busy. We have always a private room  free so you can wait with your pet in privacy and spend as much time with them as your need.

 

The Proceedure.

The following description explains what happens when your pet is put to sleep.

The majority or cats and dogs will have a small amount of hair clipped from their front leg. They are then given an intravenous injection (into the vein) of an overdose of anaesthetic.  Once the injection is in the vein the proceedure is quick, a few seconds at most, which can surprise some people. The injection is completely painless but occasionally some pets will object to being held or to the noise of the clippers. If they do show any sign of distress we can give them a sedative before administering the overdose of anaesthetic. This takes a little longer (up to 10 minutes) but can make the proceedure less stressful for the few pets that do get stressed. Surprisingly however this is very rarely needed but is something we will happily discuss with you.

 

You can always take your pet home to bury.

We use the services of the The Surrey Pet Cemetery and Crematorium (www.surrey-pet-cemetery.co.uk). We find this company very caring and professional and the members of staff who have had their own pets cremated can highly recommend them. They offer several different cremation options which are outlined below. The will collect your pets body from us and ashes will be returned to the surgery. Alternatively you can take your pet directly to the crematorium during working hours. For further information please look at their website.

a) Communal Cremation.

Your pet is cremated and a small token of the cremains are scattered at the cemetery. You do not get the options to have the ashes returned to you.

b) Special Cremation.

Your pet is cremated individually and you have the following options.

- cremains returned to you within a scatterbox

- cremains returned to you within a wooden casket with an engraved name plate

- cremains buried at the pet cemetery in a chosen grave

- cremains scattered in the gardens of remembrance.

 

It is very normal to find the loss of a pet very difficult. If you feel you need some extra support please contact the surgery or alternatively call the Pet Bereavement Support Service on 0800 096 6606 or email pbssmail@bluecross.org.uk.