A Gentle Farewell – In-Home Euthanasia

I DO NOT recommend this business for urgent matters, which I imagine would happen often when you run an in-​home euthanasia service.
We had an emergent situation with our dog, and Dr. Kimberly Parker was recommended through a local animal hospital. We left a voicemail, sent her an email, and even tried to reach her through
, which has her listed as the local vet who would be contacted through their 800 number. We left a message through this voicemail as well.
It looks like another reviewer/​tipper had the same issue a few months ago. We did not receive any contact from Dr. Parker for over 24 hours. This doesn’t work when you have a dog who is suddenly suffering and needs to be euthanized.
To be fair, she states on her website to call your local vet if she can’t be reached, but that was not an option for us when we’re trying to avoid anymore stress on our senior dog. If it were my business, I would have a way of receiving emergency calls so I could route the customer to someone else if I wasn’t available.
We never had a chance to use her in-​home euthanasia services. Luckily we were able to find a different vet who was available within a few hours.
Again, I do not recommend this business for emergent situations.

I could not have been more satisfied with Dr. Parker’s service. It was the most peaceful passing I could have hoped for Murph and the at-​home experience was worth it to me, and hopefully, my dog. No stress of a trip to the vet for either of us, and a peaceful passing in comfortable and familiar surroundings, which I think is very important. Dr. Parker offered several time availabilities over a few days time peiod (this type of service is probably not best for urgent emergencies) and kept in contact when running a few minutes late – which is important during such a sorrowful time. I really appreciate Dr. Parker and the important service she provides.

Dr. Parker was recommended by our vet. She and her assistant were professional and caring. They were able to come on short notice and were extremely sympathetic. The doctor was gentle and caring. Susie was already sleeping on the floor when they got to the house, so we all sat on the floor around our pup and petted her during the procedure. The doc and her assistant were quiet and allowed my husband and I to reminisce about our pup during the procedure. The doctor was patient and careful to make sure that the sedative had fully taken effect before administering the euthanasia drug. Susie never even flinched and seemed very relaxed. They even lifted her gently onto a stretcher and covered her (except her head) with soft towels before taking her out of the house. I don’t think this could have gone any better (considering how difficult it is to have to say goodbye to a beloved pet). Considering the amount we’ve spent on vet bills over the years, this was worth every penny.

Having to put a beloved pet to sleep is never an easy choice, but if it’s the right choice for the circumstances, I can’t imagine a better service than what Dr. Kim Parker provides. Recommended by many local animal hospitals and vet offices, Dr. Parker is a consummate professional, accommodating, empathetic and compassionate, allowing her clients to make the final call on their own terms, without ever rushing or hovering. If your pet gets nervous when visiting the vet’s office, the most humane, least stressful way to perform this final and sensitive procedure would be to have it performed at home, or where your pet is most comfortable.
Our 9-​year old rottweiler/​lab mix had advanced-​staged liver disease and the doctors predicted that even with the most costly medical treatment, it wasn’t a guarantee that her life could be saved for much longer. She was clearly in a lot of pain and a shadow of her usual, energetic and charismatic self. Watching her struggle to breathe, fighting with every inch of her body to just stay alive just became too much. Living was nothing but misery to her now, so we made the very sad and difficult decision to put her to sleep. However, we knew she’d be scared and stressed if we took her to the vet’s office, so we looked at options for in-​home euthanasia, where she’d be comfortable and calm before the procedure.
Our interaction with Dr. Parker was very smooth from the start. I was able to set up an appointment immediately. Dr. Parker is well-​accredited, a graduate of OSU’s veterinary doctorate program, and works on the emergency staff at Westpark Animal Hospital in addition to making house calls. Her website provides all the information you need and even some paperwork you can complete (e.g. consent form) beforehand so that the focus is on your pet and not on the logistics of the transaction when she makes her house call. She also provides aftercare options, as many vet offices do. When she arrived with her assistant, our dog, though ill and weak, immediately greeted her with as much energy she could muster, like an old friend, even though our dog’s known to be antagonistic to strangers. It was evident that Dr. Parker and her assistant were gentle and comfortable with animals. Dr. Parker was very clear in her explanations with how she would perform the procedure and let us pick the time frame and when the substances would be injected. She performed sedation before administering the euthanasia – many vet offices don’t perform sedation beforehand – which made the process much more calm and peaceful. The whole time, our dog was resting in her own cozy little bed, surrounded by her family and not at all nervous or scared. It was an anguished time for all of us, but thanks to Dr. Parker, it was also peaceful, loving, and natural.
We asked Dr. Parker and her assistant for aftercare services as well, and they were able to carry our dog out in her bed and with her favorite blanket, all of which would be cremated with the body at our request. A week later, Dr. Parker personally came to deliver the ashes and her paw print imprinted in a ceramic/​clay plaque.
When reviewing the cost of the in-​home visit and aftercare services, Dr. Parker’s rates in comparison against the rates of other vets that make house calls are reasonable. Truly, with the peace of mind, sense of comfort and calm she provides at this sensitive time to pet parents and the pets themselves, it is more than reasonable – it’s a precious gift that not money, but only a talented and kind-​spirited professional can guarantee.
It’s a sad and perhaps morbid topic, and of course a situation I wouldn’t wish on anyone, but if you ever had to arrange for your beloved pet to be put to sleep, Dr. Parker is the best option in Northern Ohio for an in-​home visit.