Because of the strengthening human-animal bond, there is greater emphasis being placed on privacy, love, care and concern for both the pet and the pet owner whenever and wherever euthanasia takes place. “Comfort Rooms” within veterinary clinics are an alternative to the traditional treatment room. Rather than saying good-bye in a sterile environment and feeling pressure to relinquish the space to another patient, veterinarians including Amir Shanan, DVM, Compassionate Veterinary Care, Chicago, IL, have designed a separate room in their clinic with a homier feel that at first glance, looks like a family room or den. Here, family members can privately say good-bye and take whatever time they need to grieve before facing the outside world for the first time without their pet. Robin Downing, DVM, Windsor Veterinary Clinic PC, Windsor, CO, is widely-credited with having coined the name “Comfort Room.”
Comfort Rooms serve other purposes as well. Dr. Shanan also uses his for acupuncture and chiropractic therapies; consultations about future treatment; or delivering a terminal diagnosis where pet owners deserve privacy to handle the news and discuss their options.
In addition to the Comfort Room, Dr. Shanan’s clinic includes three Private Hospital Rooms, a service that is unique to his practice, and to the best of his knowledge, doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world.
These Private Hospital Rooms enable pet owners to visit or stay with critically- or terminally-ill pets so they no longer need to choose between hospital and home care.
“Private Hospital Rooms are attempting to solve a specific problem,” Dr. Shanan explained. “When a pet needs to be hospitalized and has to be away from its owner, they are losing whatever they can gain from your presence. It is such an entrenching paradigm.”
Two of the rooms measure approximately 5-feet x 8-feet while the third is about 8-feet x 10-feet. These Private Hospital Rooms, like the Comfort Room, are part of Dr. Shanan’s expanded clinic. But someday, he hopes to open a Pet & Pet Owner Community Center that will include, among other services, a coffeehouse where pet owners can share experiences; a bookstore that concentrates on pet titles; and facilities for ongoing educational programs.
“In order to realize your goals, I’ve learned you need to start small, but you also
need to start now,” Dr. Shanan said.
