Today we’d like to introduce you to Marie McInerney.
Marie, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Pet owners are incredible. Their pet is the brightest star in their lives and many tell me that they love their pet more than most people they know! They buy the best food for their pets, groom them regularly, take them on vacation (or find them the best and most comfortable boarding facilities), take them to work, shopping and even out to lunch. If their budget allows, and even when it doesn’t, owners spend whatever it takes to diagnose and treat any ailments their pet might have. Sadly though, when it comes to the end-of-life process, owners undergo the stark realization that they have no control how their pet transitions into this final phase. They feel hopeless and frightened.
My name is Marie McInerney and I am an in-home hospice/euthanasia veterinarian. I became interested in this branch of veterinary medicine when I was an associate at a large practice in Plantation, Florida. During my 14 years at this hospital, clients would ask me to come to their homes to euthanize their dog or cat. Usually, the owners felt their pet was too anxious or painful to be transported to the hospital. After years of being caregivers and giving their animal companion all the good that life has to offer, owners didn’t want their pet’s last day to be frightening or uncomfortable.
For some reason, I was always the veterinarian elected to make house calls. I didn’t mind. There is a beauty in seeing an animal that has lived a long, full life be able to pass peacefully and painlessly in his or her own home and even in their owner’s arms. The practice I worked for was encouraging in my efforts to make this type of appointment, but in reality it’s hard to find time in a busy practice’s schedule to allow doctors to leave the premises for one to two hours. For this reason, I made a lot of house calls at lunch time or after work.
Fortunately, many veterinarians are now offering options. No longer does a pet have to be place on a cold metal table while a technician places a catheter in a thirty-minute time slot. Some clinics will allot a special room with comfortable surroundings for the euthanasia process so owners don’t have to sit in a waiting room holding back tears until their name is called.
Personally, I feel that the pet and owner are most comfortable when they are in their own home and they don’t have to make that final drive. For that reason, in 2013 I opened up my own hospice/euthanasia service – Compassionate Home Vets. I service Dade, Broward and southern Palm Beach counties. The appeal for me is that there is no rush or urgency to get to the next room with in-home appointments. Dogs and cats are comfortable in their own beds and some clients will even play soft music or create a mood in the room with incense and dim lights. Extended family and friends are often present and it is not unusual to have ten or more people around wanting to say their last good-byes. Conversely, it also allows owners to grieve privately at a very personal time. I always give both dogs and cats a heavy sedative before euthanizing so there is absolutely no pain or fear experienced. Owners often say that this is the most peaceful their pet has been in weeks or months. This not only keeps the animals calm and happy, it gives the owners a feeling of peace and closure.
Afterward, I make a clay paw print and if there are children, they can decorate the clay and talk about the good times with their pet. I have even attended a celebration of life for a pet of one of my clients where pictures, poems and sentiments were shared.
I also arrange aftercare. If owners would like to have their pet cremated, I transport their pet and have the ashes hand delivered back to the client. Most clients feel a sense of relief afterward and say they would never allow another pet to pass without the benefit of a home visit.
My belief is that every pet deserves to pass this way in a place where they feel safe and loved – and every owner deserves to be able to give that last gift to their precious pet.
*Dr. McInerney is a graduate of Texas A&M Veterinary College and a member of The International Association of Animal Hospice and Palliative Care, the Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement, the American Veterinary Association and the Broward County Veterinary Medical Association. She has also completed certification with Compassion Understood, a program devoted to the end-of-life process and attended a three-day seminar in Fort Collins, Colorado given by Kathy Cooney, DVM.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It was a slow beginning. This type of service has been available on a wide scale only for the last several years. It took time to get the veterinary world to understand that the services that cater to in-home patients were not taking clients away from the general practitioner. The truth is that most general practitioners don’t have the time to make house calls or spend an hour in the exam room with a client.
Some clients even have a negative association with the hospital where their pet was euthanized and won’t return there with their other dogs or with a new one.
I don’t perform any routine procedures and I always refer the client back to their own vet if anything is needed outside of hospice (supportive care) or euthanasia.
Now I would say that most of my referrals are from general practitioners.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I think that once you go through a major loss in your life, you become more empathetic to others. I have lost both my parents and many pets. In fact, it was overcoming the grief of a dog I had – a Mastiff – that helped me to know that grief can and will pass. This helped me tremendously with the loss of my parents.
This time in person’s life can be one of the most difficult time ever. A lot of clients have told me that losing their pet was more difficult that losing their parent. Our pets are with us 24/7 and they are so good, loving and loyal even in the worst of times. Also, when people are dealing with a human loss, they usually don’t have to make any major decisions. It is a huge responsibility to ensure that our pets don’t suffer and I completely understand the indecision and reluctance to euthanize that many owners feel.
I work seven days a week. 8am to 9pm. It is hard to schedule this type of thing way in advance so many of my calls are last minute. I do my best to help people and even when there are financial constraints. I love to make people feel good about their choice.
What were you like growing up?
I grew up in an Irish-catholic household so there was a lot of kids, a lot of noise and a lot of animals! At different times we had cows, sheep, ducks, geese, chickens, rabbits, frogs, snakes, turtles, birds, and of course dogs and cats. I was always the one that my mom would call to clean up the cat’s vomit because no one else could do it! It really didn’t bother me. I always liked caring for animals – even when it came down to cleaning cages and aquariums. My parents never said no when it came to pet ownership. There was always one caveat: the pets ate before we did. All pet had to have been cleaned, fed and watered first. It was important to my dad that we had respect for animals.
I think the pet I bonded with first as a child was a cat. It amazed me that she could know how I felt at all times and seemed to know when I needed comfort.
Even though I loved animals as a child and even considered being a veterinarian, it wasn’t until I was older and had a dog that had a lot of ailments that made me interested in medicine.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.compassionatehomevets.com
- Phone: 954-999-7712
- Email: drmac@homedvm.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/Compassionate-Home-Vets-444289702441353/reviews/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/compassionate-home-vets-tamarac-35
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