Before the pandemic hit the world, our two “goldie oldies” were already having some health concerns. Prissy, our elderly Dachshund, was paralyzed and had limited mobility in her canine wheelchair. Shirley, our senior Pug, was deaf and blind when we adopted her but had recently been diagnosed with dog dementia. This, paired with her other impairments, made life challenging for her. (And then there was Olive, our one-year-old Boston Terrier who was in her own little puppy world, blissfully unaware of anything other than her toys and treats.)
Then the pandemic was declared in the US. We started working from home, which became a bit of a double-edged sword. We loved being able to spend extra time with our dogs, but by being around them 24/7, it also easier for us to notice subtle declines in their quality of life. Because of this, we had to make the difficult decision to let both of our “golden girls” cross the rainbow bridge within 6 months of each other.
My experience with pet loss was limited: when I was 19, I said goodbye to my family Beagle, Snickers, in a sterile room at the vet. We simply gave her some last hugs and kisses and left the office, leaving the hard work to the veterinary staff. (To this day, I feel terrible no one from my family was with her when she passed.) In 2018, I tragically lost my Boston Terrier due to a seizure from a brain tumor. He was in the care of the emergency veterinary staff and succumbed to his seizure without me being able to say goodbye.
Needless to say, when we felt the time was near for Shirley and Prissy, I was determined to make the experience as painless and comfortable as possible, not only for them but also myself. This is my story.
About Me
- Age range: Early 30s
- Location: Renton, WA
- Living situation: My partner (36M) and I own a single-family home in Renton, about 35 minutes south of Seattle.
- Pets: We had three dogs, and currently only have one. This is associated with our two senior pets, Shirley (12, Pug) and Prissy (17, Dachshund). Our current dog is Olive, a 4-year-old Boston Terrier.
- What are we reviewing: We had to let our two senior dogs cross the rainbow bridge within 6 months of each other. In this, I cover the end-of-life care costs for both.
Prissy — Nov-Dec, 2020
November: $0
Prissy was 17 when we decided it was time for her to cross the rainbow bridge. Three years before her passing, a flare of IVDD caused her to become paralyzed in her rear legs. She also had Cushing’s Disease, and had a mass on her liver, causing dangerously high enzyme levels. She was on several medications and continued to challenge us with her lack of appetite.
Once we noticed the absence of her normal behavioral quirks, like barking at us for food, being less irritable towards her Pug sister (this was big, because, after her paralysis, we could not let Prissy near Shirley without a muzzle on), and increased time sleeping, we started to think her time with us was nearing its end. In November 2020, we began conversations about end-of-life care.
During this time I started looking into other options available to pet parents since my experience with a pet’s passing was very limited. In addition to my limited experience, my sister’s dog’s health had begun to rapidly decline. Since this during peak lockdown and COVID-19 protocols, pet parents were not allowed inside the clinic. As a result, my brother-in-law had to hand their ill dog over to the veterinary staff to take inside to let her pass.
I knew that in no way, shape, or form did would I want that experience. So it seemed like in-home euthanasia was the best, and really only option for us. Surprisingly, this service was still available during the pandemic.
December 29: $30.
During this time we were both off work for the holidays. We did a few things to bring Prissy joy in her last few days. We intentionally got takeout so she could enjoy some french fries. We took a trip to Dairy Queen so she could have a few licks of a vanilla cone, and we walked to the coffee stand near our house to get her a pup cup.
Prissy, enjoying the best pup cup. Photo by Amber Christensen
Spending was minimal, as we were still in the early days of the pandemic. We also took her on several walks, let her do as much sniffing as she wanted, and made sure she had access to all of her favorite beds and cozy spots. (This all had to be done manually since she had limited mobility due to her paralysis. Care for a paralyzed pet is essential 24/7.)
December 30: $571.65.
After doing research online, we decided to use Gentle Hands, Cherished Paws based on their reviews. (One thing no one talks about is how terrible it feels to schedule your pet’s euthanasia as if it’s some kind of routine medical appointment. “Are you free on Thursday? Does noon work?”)
The morning of her appointment, we spent time with her on the couch, getting her nice and comfortable on her favorite bed. By the time the veterinarian arrived, she was tired from the prior two days and was sleeping comfortably on her bed. She didn’t even flinch when the IV catheter was inserted, and drifted peacefully, surrounded by her favorite bed, and favorite people.
We opted for individual euthanasia since we plan on spreading Prissy’s ashes in the future. Opting for that was an additional charge, and was provided by Resting Waters, an aquamation service in West Seattle.
Cost: $285. Individual cremation was $270. 3% card swipe was $16.65.
Shirley — May 2021
May 1-6: $0
In the beginning of May, my partner and I started having conversations about letting Shirley pass peacefully. She struggled with dog dementia, which was making it increasingly harder to keep her calm and relaxed. After thoroughly discussing her quality of life, we realized there really was nothing bringing her joy (besides food) and, acknowledging her dementia may actually be scaring her, we decided to reach out to the same euthanasia service we used for Prissy.
On May 6, I sent them an email to schedule an appointment for Shirley.
May 10-13: $150
Being a Pug, Shirley never gave up her love of food. Because of her dog dementia, it was very hard to get her comfortable enough in any spot in our home enough to take a nap or relax. The only place she could ever relax (we tried everything!) was in the back seat of my 2011 Toyota Rav4. The moment she was placed in the car, she would immediately lie down and be comfortable.
Shirley, the pug, resting sweetly in my arms. Photo by Amber Christensen
Knowing my car had essentially turned into her safe space, we decided to give her a little tour of all of our favorite food spots. We went for tacos, ice cream, tater tots, Mcdonald’s breakfasts, you name it. Since the food was relatively inexpensive, and we also purchased food for ourselves. We spent about $150 driving Shirley around for what we called “Shirley’s Food Tour of Renton.”
May 14: $664.65
On the day of Shirley’s passing, we treated her to one final breakfast from Mcdonald’s ($8). The day was warm, the sun was out, and we spent all morning outside on a blanket, under the apple tree. We let her pass peacefully around lunchtime and spent the rest of the day mourning. That evening, we ordered delivery ($85) so we didn’t have to cook. We definitely ate our feelings worth.
Again, we opted for individual cremation since we plan on spreading Shirley’s ashes in the future.
Cost: $285. Individual cremation was $270. 3% card swipe was $16.65.
A Re-cap of Expenses
Total spend: Overall, I spent $1416.30 on costs associated with in-home euthanasia for my two senior dogs. While “putting your pet down” is the one thing every single pet parent dreads, I wholeheartedly believe that by us choosing an in-home euthanasia service was the best choice we could have made. Not only were our dogs able to be comfortable in their own home, but we were also able to be in a space where we could freely grieve without having to leave our own home.
What do you wish you knew? The cost was higher than we would have paid at our veterinarian’s office, and I did have some sticker shock upfront, but now feel it was worth every penny. It’s not something I, or many pet parents budget for, but I feel fortunate enough to have been able to afford to go this route for both of our girls.
While we opted for both Prissy and Shirley to be individually cremated, in the future, I can see myself being open to not needing their ashes returned to me as part of the grieving process. Having the ashes returned can provide a feeling of completion for the loss of a pet, but now I find myself longing for them to return to the earth, rather than be memorialized by being tucked away on a shelf.
Also I wish I could have done this when scheduling the service: the option to pre-pay. I cannot tell you how terrible it felt to watch your pet pass and be an utter mess, to only hand over your credit card and pay $500+ dollars for the torture you just went through.
With this being my first time, I now know I could have asked them beforehand to pre-pay. I will recommend that to anyone I know in the future.
Would you spend the same amount again? Yes. 100% I will always choose to spend this amount as a final send-off for my pets as one last act of kindness for all of the love they gave to me over their short time on earth.
“Now I have to remember you for longer than I have known you.” – C.C. Aurel
This story chronicles the cost of end of life care for two dogs in 2020. A more recent look into the costs of dog parenthood show that end of life care may range from $250 to 2,500, depending on factors from location to your dog’s health condition.
