In remote, rural Alaska, veterinary care is not always available. In Wrangell, like other island towns in Southeast Alaska, veterinarians are available about 10 days a month. This can be very difficult if your pet is older or has a terminal illness. Particularly difficult for pet owners is when they have to euthanize their beloved furry companion.
Lily, a local dog, suddenly became paralyzed last fall when she was 13 years old. Previously, this Lab-Pit Ridgeback mix was a loving emotional support pet. She was known as a gentle giant.
When Lily became ill, her owner didn't know what to do, so her younger sister, Dorthea Rooney, took her place. Rangel's part-time veterinarian was out of town at the time, so Rooney did something she never thought possible. She euthanized Lily herself at her home without using her euthanasia drugs.
“It’s still pretty raw,” she said. “Even when you have to kill a family pet, you have a conscience and you realize what you're doing. It's really heartbreaking.”
Comments on social media were not helpful. One girl in particular really pissed her off.
“One woman posted, 'A bullet costs only $2,'” she said. “If you're not trained in handling a handgun, you know what you're doing, and it's your animal, it's a whole different experience.”
In the case of Rooney's own dogs, veterinarians are often unavailable, so she had to plan for euthanasia. Her own dog had mandibular osteosarcoma, a cancer of the jaw. She said her dog died long before she did because she didn't want to euthanize it herself.
“That was a year ago and it’s still pretty tough,” she said. “But that's what people have to do in this community. They either have to commit to when the vet will come or they have to pay a lot of money to have their dog transported.” Or, unfortunately, sometimes it doesn't work if you try it yourself.”
Authentication takes time
Rooney wants to improve options for pet owners in Wrangell. Shortly after Ms Rooney put her sister's dog to bed, she spoke about it at a borough council meeting, reading a detailed letter about her experience.
She said it was surprising the council didn't know that no one in the town was qualified to euthanize pets. They promised her they would look into it.
“Everyone I've talked to so far is in complete agreement,” Rooney said. “The city's initial response was very positive. They said, 'We'll pay you to do this.' However, their follow-up has not been done. ”
Wrangell Interim Borough President Mason Villarma said it will take time. He said Rooney is not the only resident concerned. Another person recently came forward to euthanize a pet. He said the city is in the process of acquiring qualified personnel to do this.
“We are working on finding the right qualifications for them to obtain certifications and licenses,” he said. “So far it has been offered online as a course, but the future direction is unclear. So we are working with veterinarians to do that. We have several people who are interested. One is in the city and the other is outside the city.”
Borough Clerk Kim Lane said in the minutes of Tuesday's Borough Council meeting that the city is in contact with attorneys regarding a proposed agreement for two people interested in filling the role. I wrote. The city is also checking to see if the certification courses meet state licensing requirements.
“I’m all for it.”
Wrangell's veterinarian is also on hand. After hearing about her efforts with Rooney, Wrangell's local veterinary office contacted her.
Judge Conniff, a veterinarian with Conniff's Critters in Wrangell, said he has been in town for 12 years. He advertises his business hours with a large yellow banner in front of his office that reads, “We have a vet!” However, it is usually only open 10 days a month.
“When I’m here all the time, people rarely come to see me,” he said. “It's been too long between appointments. So, even though it's a bit unreasonable, sometimes it's better for everyone if I just open up for a while and then leave for a while. It just works better for me. .”
This is also common in other communities in Southeast Alaska, such as Petersburg, which is on another island. If an emergency occurs and your veterinarian is not available, Conniff will be available by phone. Alternatively, if someone has the means, they can fly the pet out of town.
“People are naturally concerned about their animals,” he says. “But most of the time I'm able to help people over the phone and say, 'Look, try this, try that, and if it doesn't work, call me.'” Then , talk about whether you need to fly out of town. That's how we deal with it. ”
As for when an animal needs to be euthanized, Conniff said it's best not to wait too long. He said it's worse to wait and let a pet suffer than to “drop the gun” and euthanize it early. But he added that he would not make a decision. It's entirely up to the pet owner.
“Trust me, when someone calls me and says they want an animal euthanized, there's no one who can empathize with that problem more than me,” he said. “So I feel really bad if I can't jump into action and fix the problem for them. Euthanasia is a difficult subject.”
Conniff said if someone in Wrangell could get certified to euthanize animals, he would love to back them up.
“As I said to the people at City Hall, I’m very much in favor of it and very supportive of it,” he said. “There are programs out there to get people trained in proper procedures. If someone in town can get that training, I'd be very happy.”
Villarma, the interim borough president, said the city wants to find the right qualifications for certification to ensure it moves in the right direction because it comes with responsibility. He said the process could take up to several months.
