Report Pet Euthanasia Gone Wrong

Document the failures that occurred, discuss them with the vet, research vet complaint history, file new complaint, and post reviews

POSSIBLE BENEFITS OF TAKING THE ABOVE ACTIONS:

It is very important to take action after a pet euthanasia goes badly, in order to ensure that the same tragedy doesn't occur again to other pets.

Taking action can also be personally therapeutic for pet owners, as it can help relieve some of the pain, grief, trauma and guilt that is usually is caused by a botched euthanasia.

 (For credits, click on or tap photo.)

Refuge in Grief explains that taking action can serve as temporary respite for those who don't think perpetual or prolonged grief is a disorder or failure to be treated therapeutically; respite while fashioning a new self to carry this permanent loss into a new life. 

For accounts of bad pet euthanasia, to understand why it might need to be reported, read Pet Euthanasia Gone Wrong, by Jill Breitner, professional dog trainer. (Also see her follow-up article Euthanizing an Old Dog: How it Works and What to Expect. This follow up article also applies to cats and all other animals, and gives guidance on how to make sure a pet euthanasia goes smoothly, peacefully and painlessly.)

ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE AFTER A BAD PET EUTHANASIA: 

1. Write down a full account of what occurred, with as many details as possible, as soon as you can after the euthanasia procedure.

- It might also be helpful to create an audio recording of what happened using a tablet or Smart phone app, or another type of voice recorder, in order to document as many details of what happened as quickly as possible.

2. Address the issue with your vet.

- Express to your vet as needed why you feel the euthanasia failed or was unacceptable, or why you are upset.

- Find out and record all of the details of what was done and what went wrong. Try to get these details in writing from the vet via email or text.

- Obtain your pet's records. You have a legal right to a copy of them.

- Find out what the vet is open to doing or planning on doing to address the damage done. (For example, return your payment or not require payment, apologize, etc.)

- Find out what they plan to do to ensure a failed euthanasia won't happen again to another animal that they are responsible for. 

If you'd like to view a sample letter to a vet clinic, click here.

3. Request a Euthanasia Case Review.

“The Companion Animal Euthanasia Training Academy (CAETA) Euthanasia Review Department specializes in case exploration to help pet owners and veterinary services understand patient response to the procedure. Talking through successes and challenges may help observers with the complexities of euthanasia, and assist those who may be struggling emotionally with what occurred.  CAETA's objective is to provide neutral expert assessment of companion animal euthanasia performed or authorized by veterinarians, for pet owners and veterinary professionals seeking to understand the manner of a pet’s death.” (From the CAETA Case Review Department)

4. Find out if your vet has been reported previously by searching complaints on your veterinary board website.

- The more reports already filed, the better the chance that significant action will be taken by the veterinary board. If there are none, yours will be helpful for other pet owners in the future.

5. File a complaint with your American state, Canadian province, U.S. possession or national veterinary board by taking the below steps: 

Note: The reporting process will likely ask if you already tried to resolve the issue with your veterinarian, and what specific actions you took, so it is important to take that step first.

a) Go to the website of the American Association of Veterinary State Boards.

b) Scroll down on the page to the Board and Agency Directory section.

c) Use the drop down menu where it says "Select" to find your veterinary board website and contact information.

d) Go to that website and file a complaint online at your veterinary board website. 

For tips about complaints and filing them, click here.

To view a sample complaint, see here.

6. Post reviews of your vet clinic, veterinarian or vet service online at review sites. (Yelp, Google Reviews, Angie's List, etc.)

In the likely event that any complaint you file yields either no official results or unsatisfactory official results, you may find posting reviews to be a most effective method of encouraging improvement as this can often put pressure on a practitioner to change their methods. They don't want their reputation and business negatively affected by bad reviews. You may also find reviews the most direct and effective method of alerting other prospective pet euthanasia clients about what happened to you and your animal companion at this facility. That may reduce the chance of recurrence. If you'd care to view an actual review, click here.

Both vet clinics that mistreated Tinkerbell were notified during February 2023 that my reviews would be edited accordingly if they documented that they’d taken measures to prevent recurrence of the adverse medical events. The notification also included a wealth of suggestions and online resources intended to assist in their efforts to improve. Neither vet clinic replied.

VETERINARIAN OATHS: 

Reviewing the Veterinarian Oaths below may help you determine whether or not they were violated in your case. If so, this may be an important point to include in any complaints you file.

AMERICAN OATH:

For pet owners outside the United States or Canada, please search for the Veterinary Oath for your country.

VETERINARY PRACTICE ACTS:

Consulting the Veterinary Practice Act of your state, U.S. possession, province or nation may help you determine whether or not a violation has occurred. The Preamble of the Model Veterinary Practice Act by the American Veterinary Medicine Association states:

The purpose of this Act is to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public and animals by ensuring the delivery of competent veterinary medical care.

For a directory of U.S. state Veterinary Practice Acts, click here.

VETERINARY LICENSING BOARDS:

No directory of Canadian, U.S. possession or other national Veterinary Practice Acts has been found, but a directory of U.S. state, U.S. possession, Canadian and many international Veterinary Licensing Boards exists and may be helpful. Scroll down on the page to the Board and Agency Directory section, then click the drop down menu that says "Select", after clicking here.

POSSIBLE BENEFITS OF TAKING THE ABOVE ACTIONS:

As mentioned, taking some or all of the above actions may be very therapeutic in that it may help you to endure and/or recover from any trauma you may have experienced due to a bad pet euthanasia. Equally important, taking action will hopefully also reduce future occurrences of traumatic pet euthanasia.

Please feel free to share your questions, comments or feedback on this topic on our Message Board or below. Thanks!

(Dog photo courtesy of cityslide.com, licensed from Ron Chapple Photography.)

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