INTRODUCTION

As a veterinary nurse or receptionist, it is important to be able to cope with and offer support to clients when they suffer the loss of a much-loved animal.

Most owners would prefer their pets to die peacefully at home in their sleep. Unfortunately, this is not often the case, and euthanasia (the humane destruction of an animal by putting it to sleep) is often performed in practice:

• on humane grounds - to alleviate suffering in the event of a terminal and painful condition
• on legal grounds - the humane destruction of an aggressive animal

When an animal is euthanased, the pet owner does at least have the opportunity to say goodbye. It is often harder to come to terms with the death of a pet as a result of a tragic accident, or with the actual loss of a pet (i.e when it goes missing).