Program helps pets, families say goodbye with love

Saying goodbye is never easy.

And, when a Better Together Animal Alliance supporter heard about someone who was faced with surrendering their beloved senior pet so it could receive end-of-life support or seeing it suffer, they knew they had to do something.

Friday, BTAA announced the launch of a new program — Lovingly Letting Go — inspired by that story. The program gives pet owners a chance to say goodbye to their beloved pets in a humane, personal way, BTAA officials said. Thanks to a special donor, who asked BTAA to remain anonymous, the shelter will be able to provide humane euthanasia services for free — and keep pets and people together through the process.

It’s never easy to say goodbye to a family pet, be it due to old age or illness, BTAA executive director Mandy Evans said. It can be more challenging for families who may not have access to the resources needed to have their pet humanely euthanized by a veterinarian.

“I heard [the] story of a woman who needed to have her senior dog euthanized due to declining quality of life,” said the BTAA donor who started the Lovingly Letting Go fund. “She asked another shelter for help but was told she would need to surrender the dog to the shelter for that to happen. I couldn’t imagine having to make such a decision."

Luckily, BTAA was able to provide the support she needed for her elderly dog, the donor said.

"This story called to me and I wanted to make sure everyone who is in need of end-of-life care for their pet has access to it,” the donor said.

As part of the new program, BTAA created a designated room for Lovingly Letting Go to keep people and their four-legged family members together until the end of a pet’s life. And that's where another longtime BTAA supporter stepped in to ensure the room was a special place for people and their pets to say goodbye.

After hearing about the room, BTAA supporter Mike Green commissioned a mural by local artist Savannah Pitts to make the room a celebration of the human-animal bond.

“My hope is that the mural will serve as a comforting and calming presence for pets and their loved ones, as well as a tribute to the preciousness of life,” Green said.

Being able to help people and their pets during a difficult time is why they decided to fund Lovingly Letting Go, the program founder said.

“To have the opportunity to help someone ease their emotional and financial stress by allowing the end-of-life decision for their pet to be done with love and compassion is what this program is about,” they. “If the program can provide a comfortable environment to keep owners and their pets together during the final stage of life, it has fulfilled its purpose.”

If you or someone you know may benefit from Lovingly Letting Go, or another one of BTAA’s community programs, contact the BTAA Helpline at 208-217-4453 or email helpline@btanimalalliance.org.

Information: bettertogetheranimalalliance.org