I'm eternally grateful for Angels Paws. I only wish I'd called sooner. Our 14 1/2-year-old boxer Nina had been steadily declining for about a year. She had nerve damage that caused her to drag her ... Read More
I'm eternally grateful for Angels Paws. I only wish I'd called sooner. Our 14 1/2-year-old boxer Nina had been steadily declining for about a year. She had nerve damage that caused her to drag her back legs and she'd had multiple surgeries for mast cell carcinoma that kept reappearing in different parts of her body. We were managing her symptoms as well as we could, but it became increasingly difficult to watch her legs deteriorate and to see her clearly in pain. We thought it was time to consider final options when we found Angels Paws. The idea of home euthanasia where the pet is comfortable during the procedure is breakthrough. By the time I called Tammy at Angels Paws, we thought the end had come for Nina and I was a complete wreck - barely able to articulate the issues to Tammy through my tears. Tammy was incredibly kind and understanding, she even gave me her personal cell number so that I had her support. I called on a Wednesday and she got us an appointment with Dr. Kate, their vet, for that Friday afternoon. Dr. Kate was amazing with Nina and our other dog, Maggie, never making Nina uncomfortable. Dr. Kate diagnosed that Nina had a tooth abscess that was likely causing a lot of pain, and she explained that Nina's back legs were a problem due to nerve damage and not arthritis like we thought. She helped us understand that we were doing the right thing by considering euthanasia but that if we weren't ready, she could prescribe some pills that might reduce Nina's pain. The diagnosis was a miracle! By Friday night, Nina was downstairs playing carefully with our neighbors' dogs and her cheek was no longer swollen. Angels Paws bought us 4 more weeks with our precious Nina until she had deteriorated to the point where it was time. When we found Nina experiencing labored breathing at about 9:30pm, we called Angels Paws and they hit the road to our house right away. They arrived around 10:30pm, explained the process, worked around us while we held Nina, and showed genuine care for us and our beloved pet. When the time came, it was painless and peaceful. They even wrapped Nina in blankets so that she looked asleep for when they carried her out on the stretcher. Tammy also left behind grieving pet parent information and gave me a comforting hug on her way out at about 12:30am. Calling Angels Paws was the hardest thing I've ever done, but they helped us make the best out of a bad situation. If I'd called sooner, I may have been able to improve Nina's quality of life even more. I recommend calling Angels Paws and enrolling in their Pet Parent Peace of Mind program as soon as you think you might need them. I'm forever grateful for the care and respect that Tammy and Angels Paws showed me, my husband, and my baby. Read Less