Apon the recent loss of my loyal companion Jake, I was unable to bring him home with me for burial. I was assured by my local surgery (Coonamble, Australia) that due to my circumstances, he would be "Looked after and buried for me", on the vets property. It had been clearly expressed just what Jake meant to myself and 3 small children. Having him for 11 years, he was a part of my family.
I Later that night had second thoughts and looked into him being cremated. I contacted the surgery and wasassured thathe had already been "buried". Aftera conversation with the crematorium, I was relieved to hear that this service was still possible despite a burial being performed, if I was to find the location of Jake. I once again contacted the surgery to find the location, and was told he had not been buriedon the property, but buried at the local rubbish tip.
This news was devastating. I was once again assured by the surgery that he was buried, and retreival was impossible. I could not cope with this, and went to the tip first thing the next morning. I was completely shattered once again,to find Jakein a mass grave pitof dead animals, and had been left in the sun to rot. A burial had not at all been performed, despite paying a fee for this service.
I then removed Jake from this mass grave myself, as I was broken hearted to see him left this way. I drove him home and felt somewhat releived to have done this. He has today been taken to the crematorium, to be properly laid to rest. In a digified way that a companion of this loyalty deserves. I cannot understand why I was told that he would be "looked after", when this statement could not be furthur away from the truth. I was lead to beleive that he was laid to rest in a humane manner, not thrown away like garbage.
I asked anyone who is going through the difficult time of deciding to have there much loved friend euthanased, and not able to possess their pet after passing, to demand to be told what happens to the animal afterwards. The devastation that this has caused my children and myself should never be an experience a pet owner should face. Losing Jake was hard enough on its own, without the devastation of finding him thrown away in a rubbish tip.I did not think a surgery that cares and looks after your pet could be so heartless.Please let anyone you know who makes the decision thatI did to leave their beloved pet at the surgery, to look into the next stage a little closer. I would never like anyone to else to go thrugh what my family is still trying to cope with.
I honestly thought that he had been laid to rest on my behalf.
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That is indeed the most horrific thing I have read about the way your loved one was treated. I am so sorry you had to deal with this. There are others here on board, that might be able to help you with this, (I don't know tho). If you need to vent, cry or just downright blow off steam, please do so here.
Sorry again you are dealing with this after being told something else.
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Aside from the emotional upheaval -- which is horrific enough -- it sounds like you were the victim of fraudulent misrepresentations. You should contact the licensing agency that monitors the vet.
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I was going to suggest that but didn't know if there were things like that.
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I hope you called them and gave them heck--what a horrible thing to do !! Jake was part of your family--I am about tired of vets treating our beloved pets like throw aways. I am sorry for your grief--no one should have to go thru what you did.
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I've worked for three Veterinarians here in the States. I can assure you that that type of disposal is not common practice. In fact, in the US, I believe it is against the law. The options are to either bury your pet yourself or have the pet cremated (which maybe returned to you that is your wish). Never ever did the Vet just dump the animals, ever.
I am terribly sorry for what you went through. That is just awful.
I agree that you should follow up on it.
Keep us posted.
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I am so sorry for your loss and the HORRID ordeal you had to endure after.
That practice is just terrible and you should see if there is anything that can be done! They really did take advantage of you!
Again- I am so sorry for your loss.
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Hmm? The vets I worked at kept all the dead dogs in a meat cooler like you'd find at home and waited for biohazard services to take them away. Or perhaps the vet sent them to the bad dog food factory, hmm. :/ Well I'm pretty sure it was biohazard services anyway.