Has anyone heard of a Vet's office doing this after a dog has been put to sleep?

[Denise & Hunter!!!]

This happened to a very good friend of mine in October when she had to have her 8 year old Golden Retriever put to sleep after complications from bloat. I had gone to the same vet but had quit going to her before this happened because I didn't care for her a whole lot and her office staff even less.  Another discussion made me think about this situation and I wonder how common it is?

My friend took her Holly, Golden Retriever, to this particular vet in an emergency.  She had to take her there 2 weeks before this when Holly came down with bloat, she somewhat recovered but never fully.  She found her unresponsive and rushed her to the vet.  Unfortunately, there was nothing to be done and my friend decided to have Holly put to sleep because she didn't want her to suffer.  After Holly had been put to sleep the vet refused to give Holly back to my friend.  She told her it was "illegal".  My friend is not a very assertive person at all and didn't really argue or demand that Holly be given back to her, she was such an emotional mess to begin with she just believed the vet.  This vet told her that she could have Holly cremated for $200 but other than that she could not have her back to bury her at home.  Financially my friend and her family were really hurting at this point and just two weeks before had spent $1500 for the emergency care for Holly when she came down with bloat.  She just did not have the $200 to pay for the cremation so she left Holly with the vet.  

I asked my current vet what she did when someone had to have their pet put to sleep and she said that she either gives them back or offers to have them cremated.  I asked her about the other vet saying it was illegal and she would not make a comment.  Thinking back I know why she wouldn't comment, she originally worked for the other vet and was supposed to take over the practice when the other vet retired but according to local gossip they had an ethical falling out.  The nice vet I go to opened her own practice and the other vet is still practicing as well.

Has anyone ever heard of this happened?  What would you have done if the vet would have told you this?  I am going to see if I can find any Ohio law that says its illegal.  

[Chelsea and Bailey]

I am still a young pet owner and the only dog we have lost has been on the farm, so there was no vet to take it to at the time. I do know though that in our province we are not allowed to take the animal from the vets office unless cremated, and I guess it kind of makes sense to me.

[Suzanne & Jack]

I have had a lot of experience with this for some reason.  When our first dog was put to sleep we were given the choice of leaving him for cremation or burying him.  We ended up burying him in a plastic pet casket.  We lived in the country and this was allowed.  Big mistake.  When we moved DH insisted that we move the casket.  I will never do that again.  When the second dog died we brought him home.  DH couldn't bear to part with him so he stayed in our chest freezer for a year.   When we moved, the freezer was moved and plugged in in the garage.  I have been fortunate to have a local mortuary that has a pet cremation service.  They are reasonably priced and guarantee that the ashes are only your pets.  They also return the ashes in a simple wooden box with a pawprint, fur clipping, and certificate.  A friend's golden had to be put down last year and I offered to take him to the mortuary.  Even though I got there with JP after hours, they were very gracious.  My friend wanted his favorite stuffed animal to be cremated with him so I had left it in his arms.  They called the next morning to make sure it was supposed to be there.  The cost was very reasonable and the ashes were returned in a few days as opposed to weeks.

 

I would definitely suggest doing some research for your area, talking to your vet, and have a plan.

[Elizabeth, Bailey & Bruin]

We live in a subdivision in Florida and my Vet asked if I wanted to bring Winston home to bury or make other arrangements..So as far as it is to be against the law to bury an animal in close proximity to other houses...at least in florida it is not.. 

 

A year ago October I had my pup of 15 years put to sleep.  He was cremated and I have his ashes in a pretty box.  It is in my curio cabinet with all of my grandmothers keepsakes..She is probably rolling over in her grave knowing she shares a place with Winston LOL. He had been sick for awhile so I asked ahead of time to make arrangements for him so when the time came it was written in his chart and I didn't have to make the decision while under so much emothional stress.

 

A few months, I lost both my kitties.  I opted for a mass cremation for the both of them.  My vet used a private source for cremation and once a month the owner of the crematory takes all the ashes out to sea on his boat and sprinkles them in the ocean...It gives me comfort to know they were well taken of.

[Angie, Hudson and Lily]

I believe it is illegal to bury an animal in most areas. I worked at a vet and although it would have been considered illegal for owners to bury their pets, we always returned them to the owner if that is what they wanted. My guess would be it is a convenient way for her vet to make some extra money by forcing the owner into opting for cremation.

[Denise & Hunter!!!]

I had the same thought about the vet making more money for the cremation.....

[Traci -Bexter & Maggie]

I don't remember how much it cost when I lost my Ruby and had her cremated.  We had already discussed all the options with my vet, but I don't remember if having Ruby returned to me was an option or not.  We have her ashes in a box on our fireplace along with her picture and a figurine of a person holding a dog.  This is the way I will do all my pets.  I cannot imagine being told I could not have my own dog's body.  How horrible.  I feel sorry for your friend.

[Kyoko]

I don't know..... When Butter passed, I looked for a bunch of different crimatories. Some places did the whole funural and all.

 So, what if the person has particular crematory or funural home in mind and wants to take his/her pet home? What if they do not want to use the crematory the vet is offering? Butter passed at home, but if he had to be put down, and I was not able to bring him home, that would have devastated my whole entire family for unable to put closure.

[Barbara B., Sasha & Oliver]

My BF had to put his dog down after a long illness, he took Trixy home and burried her in the back yard.  That was several years ago, I don't know whether the laws have changed since then.  I am sure you can find something out on line as to what the laws are in your state or county.  Sorry for your friends loss.

[Frannie & Callie]

My heart goes out to your friend. I KNOW that is not a normal vet practice. My parents (over the past 35ish years) have had to have 3 dogs euthanized and opted not to have them cremated (we're jewish) and buried them in their back yard. 

[Lindsey & Cocoa]

I live in Ohio and had to put my 8yr old yorkie down this past August.  I was given choices to take him home to do our own buriral, Have him creamated, Private burial plot or a comunal burial plot. 

I dont know why the vet would not let her have the dog?  Makes me wonder what was this vet trying to hide????

What if your friend wanted to get her dog stuffed?

 

[Lindsey & Cocoa]

Wanted to add the Vet bill was $275.00 and this was for a Emergency Vet since it happened at 11pm on a Friday night.

This included the clinic cost, having him put down and we opted for him to be buried with the comunal burial.  There is no way I could have taken him home. Just looking at the spot in the house where he was last laying still makes me break down into tears.

I did forget his color and dog tags and figured maybe they would mail it to me but never did... I just wish I would have remembered to ask for those.  I still have all his toys in my room.

[shelly]

YES!  That is exactly what happened to us with our golden retriever (our first baby)... I too never said anything and thought, okay, what was I thinking.... just what wold I do with him myself.  So I left him there, they cremated him and brought him to a pet cemetery..... never saw him or his ashes again..... years later, my parents had their dog cremated and actually have the ashes on their mantle in a very nice box.....I had two small very upset children at the time, and didn't know how I would explain the whole thing to them, so I just left our dog....I am STILL so upset about that all these 11 years later.  I felt like they didn't even give me time to think about what to do when my head was clearer.  NOW I know better! but... I don't think it's 'legal' to bury a pet on our property in NY (that's if you take it back from the vet, but if it happens in your home....who's to know)