Protecting Pet Hospice
As pet hospice becomes more commonplace, there’s a greater likelihood for abuse by hoarders and well-meaning individuals lacking the skills and resources to provide adequate end-of-life care.
December 17, 2007
Pet hospice is increasingly an option for people wanting a dignified death for a terminally ill companion animal. Like its counterpart in human medicine, pet hospice, also known as veterinary or animal hospice, resonates with pet owners who see their companions as important members of the household and deserving of a peaceful end. Yet as pet hospice becomes more commonplace, there’s a greater likelihood for abuse by hoarders and well-meaning individuals lacking the skills and resources to provide adequate end-of-life care.
Pet hospice has been around for at least two decades. It is modeled after human hospice with its emphasis on managing a patient’s terminal illnesses while preparing the family for the end. Today, a growing number of veterinarians and nonveterinarians alike offer owners the option of hospice as an alternative to immediate euthanasia (see JAVMA, Aug. 15, 2006, page 484). Seeing that pet hospice was becoming more and more popular, the AVMA in 2001 issued its Guidelines for Veterinary Hospice Care, which were reaffirmed earlier in 2007.
The AVMA guidelines are a valuable resource, according to Dr. Gary J. Patronek, but the assumption is veterinarians and veterinary technicians are part of hospice when that isn’t necessarily the case. “Those guidelines, while helpful for veterinarians who choose to participate in hospice, don’t completely address the larger issue of who can do hospice,” said Dr. Patronek, director of animal welfare and protection at the Animal Rescue League in Boston.
Read more on the American Veterinary Medical Association web site.
