Charlotte (queen city news) — Most pet owners consider their pets to be part of the family.
They will also tell you that the worst part of owning a pet is having to say goodbye.
As heartbreaking as that day was, one veterinarian in Charlotte has made it his mission to help families get through it by offering the in-home end-of-life visits that more and more people are beginning to embrace. I feel that it is.
It is said that owning a dog can bring you both the happiest and worst days of your life.
Winter Castro-Porter loved her mini-pinscher, Onyx, who was small enough to fit in her shoe.
“He just seemed phenomenal,'' Castro-Porter said, “He was so energetic. He loved to play and was like my little child.'' , he loved me so much that he followed me wherever I went.”
Onyx is a family affair that forever changed Winter's husband, Aaron Porter.
“When I got home from work, he was waiting for me at the front door, and when I walked in the door he jumped up,” he said.
When Onyx started having health problems due to cancer and it was time to do what pet owners call “crossing the rainbow bridge,” Castro-Porter knew her best friend deserved something special. I felt that there was.
she said: “I didn't want him to feel scared in his final moments.'' We must ensure that they receive the best, most loving and caring transition possible.”
That's why, after doing some research, she called Dr. Manetta LaVergne, who has perhaps the most difficult part of being a veterinarian.
“It's a strange calling, but it's my calling and I'm honored to fulfill it,” Dr. Lavergne said.
Dr. LaVergne started it. let's go home with you In 2020. In-home pet euthanasia services are designed to ensure that animals are not scared in their final moments and that families have all the time they need.
Dr. LaVergne said, “They're hard and smelly. Our pets are loved, they're part of the family, and they're very pure minds and souls.”
She knows that's just part of the reason why saying “goodbye” is so difficult.
“They deserve a peaceful and pain-free end to their lives, and that's euthanasia, which technically means literally 'good death,' and that's the way it should be,” Dr. Lavergne said. explained.
She said in-home services are not only more personal, but also a gentler alternative to a regular veterinarian's office.
Dr. LaVergne says, “Many, many pets don't like it. They don't like being in cars and can get car sick. When they go to the vet, they're full of anxiety. And I just come in shaking.”
She explained that it's like having a friend come visit, for both the pet and the family.
Whether your family has just a few days or months to plan a trip, Dr. LaVergne recommends tackling your bucket list and feeding your pet the best food of its life in advance. I am.
She says, “I've seen everything from steaks to ice cream sundaes, and it's also a good distraction when administering sedatives. Even in front of someone, they usually act like they don't feel anything.”
Castro-Porter took all of this to heart with Onyx.
“I took him to the park. He usually walks on a leash, but I took him off the leash and was like, 'Just have fun,'” she said. She then went home and she hugged him and kissed him and told him she loved him and just had an intimate time for a few hours. ”
Castro-Porter made sure things were perfect and ready by the time Dr. LaVergne was ready.
“I put on his bed here, with some soft music playing and a blanket with a picture of us on it, and then I ate chocolate ice cream. He never eats chocolate ice cream. “I couldn't eat, so I made sure he could eat. That was before he transitioned, and he loved it,” she said.
Dr. Lavergne did not forget it even after several months.
she said: “It was really beautiful, almost like a ritual performed for him. It was really beautiful.”
All the families wish Dr. LaVergne had never come to their home, but they are grateful that she did.
“She came in with great care, and she came in with great care and compassion,” Castro-Porter said.
We pay tribute to a friend and guardian who left a mark on the hearts of many.
“I think dogs and animals in general are something that God gave us, so we can love them as much as they love us, because what's bad in their eyes is… Because we can't,” Castro-Porter said. He meant a lot to me because he had so much love from people. ”
Castro-Porter was so moved by her experience that she founded the Onyx Foundation to help families cover home euthanasia services.
For families who don't want Dr. LaVergne to come to their home, she sometimes offers her services in a special room at Indian Trail Pet Passage that looks and feels nothing like a veterinarian's office. . Click here for more information
These services provide the same level of attention, care, and time as an in-home visit.
