Without question, pet euthanasia is a final and irreversible procedure. The decisions leading up to it are taken seriously by both parties, veterinarian and pet owner. There has to be trust established between them with the best of intentions to end the suffering of a beloved pet. In other words, it’s a big deal first to decide to euthanize an animal and then carry it out. But what if the person asking for euthanasia isn’t the owner? How do veterinary professionals prove ownership for something so permanent as euthanasia? 

According to The Animal Law Firm, pet custody is determined by who the pet lives with, who pays for its care and daily needs, and in most cases, who the pet is licensed with in the county/city.(1) Adoption papers, microchip registration, and training bills all help. As we will soon see, microchips are not always accurate, even though small animal medicine has relied on them for years.

In a world where the human-animal bond is king, I have to wonder if crying over a pet is confirmation enough. At my euthanasia comfort center in Colorado, I watch people walk up to my building in tears. They are genuinely distraught and heartbroken as they make that final journey with their pet into my comfort room. It’s so honest and pure that it must be real. If I’m being honest with myself, I’d feel like a monster to question their ownership at such a sensitive time. After all, a nefarious character trying to euthanize someone else’s pet would never show such emotion, right? I like to think the average person is not that good of an actor. Still, crying isn’t proof of ownership. It’s just one piece of the puzzle that veterinarians need to consider before allowing euthanasia to proceed. 

One of the best ways to see ownership in action is to perform home euthanasia. By entering the pet’s home, veterinary professionals can see the proof with their own eyes. Walking through the rooms, they see evidence of the pet’s life: photos on the refrigerator, food bowls, favorite toys, bedding, and again, sad family members. The pet is comfortable in the home. It’s hard to mistake the behavior of a pet in familiar surroundings. 

I think we can also agree that gauging the pet’s response to the people around them says just as much as any piece of paper proving ownership could. The challenge arises when the pet is not feeling well, as is often the case with euthanasia. Their behavior is different when they are sick, and the really sick ones may not be able to muster much of any response when seeing or being touched by a loved one. Heavily compromised pets present for euthanasia all the time in emergency rooms, general veterinary practices, and animal shelters alike. If our patient cannot show us they know the person electing euthanasia, what’s another way to prove the person euthanizing has the authority to do so?

It turns out that proving ownership of companion animals is a complicated issue. In the livestock world, animals are often physically branded or tagged with numbers connected with the owner. The closest version smaller animals have to this is the microchip implant. The implant is placed under the skin in the shoulder area, and it’s coded to the owner at that time. Research tells us that as pets age, the correct owner information will become less accurate due to moving residences and ownership changes.(2) Microchips indicate who was once an owner, but that can change. What actually indicates ownership is related to who is willing to pay for care and provide for the animal’s daily needs.

How all this relates to euthanasia is that currently, veterinarians and veterinary teams are unlikely to be scanning microchips, asking for county/city licenses, or requiring proof of medical records (from previous veterinary visits at other hospitals) before performing euthanasia. In my experience and from those who shared perspectives in the CAETA Facebook Discussion Group, proof of ownership, especially with new patient interactions, is a combination of factors. These are an owner’s willingness to pay for euthanasia, their emotional connection with the pet, and gathering the history/backstory of the patient’s life and health decline. This is how I’ve done it myself for years. 

Ways to Build Confidence in Ownership Before Pet Euthanasia of a New Patient

1. Look for an emotional connection to the pet patient.
2. Provide or recommend home euthanasia for the team to see the home setting.
3. Ask which veterinary hospitals need to be notified and learn more about medical history.
4. Listen for clear descriptions of the pet’s decline and the reason for choosing euthanasia.
5. Collect payment for an appropriately priced euthanasia (free euthanasias are riskier).
6. Scan for microchips.
7. Make sure the people requesting euthanasia sign the consent form indicating they have the legal authority.
8. Follow your instinct. If your gut says something is wrong, dig a little deeper.

As always, make sure euthanasia is in the best interest of the pet. Complete a full physical and ask many questions before defaulting to the procedure. If it turns out the person electing euthanasia has malicious intent, the veterinary team can at least prove due diligence in their examination and justification for euthanasia. This is another reason why euthanasia medical records should be robust and thorough every time.(3) 

Learn more about companion animal euthanasia best practices in the Companion Animal Euthanasia Training Academy position statements.

References

1. https://theanimallawfirm.com/pet-custody/
   
2. Goodwin, Katie, Jacquie Rand, John Morton, Varun Uthappa, and Rick Walduck. 2018. “Email Reminders Increase the Frequency That Pet Owners Update Their Microchip Information” Animals 8, no. 2: 20. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani8020020
   
3. Cooney, K.A. (2022) ‘Importance of documenting euthanasia decision-making processes in patients’ medical records’, Veterinary Record, 190(9), pp. 364–366. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1002/vetr.1759.