Veterinary clinics in the Edmonton area typically see euthanasia requests more than double each year after the holidays.
It can be a sad time of year that takes its toll on pet owners, and on staff.
Jesse Rudiger-Aasgard learned his 10-year-old Rottweiler, Hazel, had cancer just before Christmas 2015. He thought about euthanasia but chose not to make a decision until the holidays had passed, so he could have one last Christmas with his beloved dog.
“I probably cherish it more,” he said. “It was the last hurrah.”
He eventually had Hazel euthanized in March 2016. Rudiger-Aasgard said he can relate to other dog owners who want to keep their family pets around for the holidays but decide to give them peaceful deaths shortly afterward.
“I totally understand it,” he said. “As long as you’re making the best decision for your pet. That’s all you can do, right?”
Dr. Louis Kwantes prepares the drug needed to euthanize an animal at Park Veterinary Centre. (Josée St-Ongeé/Radio-Canada)
At Park Veterinary Clinic in Sherwood Park, that’s a common sentiment Dr. Louis Kwantes hears when talking with owners about their pets’ declining health.
The veterinarian said staff typically euthanize one or two animals each week. But after Christmas they sometimes treat five animals every day. So far this year, they’ve seen a 20-per-cent increase in such cases, he said.
Some emergency clinics in Edmonton see close to 20 animals each day after the holidays.
“That might be because family is coming in and the whole family wants to be there,” Kwantes said.
“There’s an emotional attachment to Christmas. We celebrate love, joy, peace and hope. When an animal is incorporated into that, to some degree, I think a person is a little able to let go when they have that as their goal.”
It can be a difficult time not only for pet owners but for staff who have to administer the deadly doses of medication. The increased demand for the procedure after the holidays can lead to emotional fatigue for some veterinary technicians.
“We’re grieving as well, and then we have to act professional on top of that, to not show that emotion,” said Karen Melnyk, spokesperson for the Alberta Veterinary Technicians Association.
“But it’s very difficult.”
Technicians and veterinarians who feel the stress of the season are encouraged to seek mental health resources.