In my 15 years working in vet clinics this request today was a new one. Actually none of us had ever heard it. Married lady (she’s a regular client) in her mid 60’s needs to have her aged & infirm dog to put sleep. We’ve hit a bump. She wants her dog cremated 3 days after it’s euthanized because she said it takes that long for the spirit to leave the body. She doesn’t want him in the freezer during those 72 hours. We’ll get something figured out that works for everyone but was curious if anyone does this or deals with this and what the background might be.
Maybe this?
https://classroom.synonym.com/jewish-belief-that-the-spirit-lingers-for-three-days-12087774.html
https://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071116152611AArOa87
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No…not sure what you would do if you can’t cremate, can’t put them in the freezer…
I obviously don’t know what comes after this life, but…my pets are usually buried sooner than later…
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I’ve not heard this but I’d it’s not a good thing to believe in. What a terrible burden to carry. I recall being reluctant to hand over a particular dear dog’s body afterwards but it’s just denial. Regardless, everyone handles these things differently so the owner should take the dog’s body home and return in 3 days to have it cremated if those are her wishes. Seems it would be easier/less traumatic to have a home burial in this individual situation.
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Shiloh, maybe those ideas play into the owners reasons. I hope she finds comfort once we let her pal go.
Callista17, same here. We take care of remains the day we let a pet go.
Sswor, I see it your way. The poor gal has a burden to carry. There are biohazard issues, especially in August heat, to consider with her request.
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Because of the biohazard issues, the woman can take the body, and arrange with the crematorium herself. The animal crematoriums here deal with vet clinics, and with owners.
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Is there an at home euthanasia service you can refer her to? Then, as JanM suggests, she can keep the body until transporting to a crematorium. That’s might be less traumatic than having to transport the body twice.
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There is a book, or a ??, called “Deathing,” and I think this is where the “3 days” concept is discussed. I’ve heard of this more than a few times…
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has the owner ever seen a body, after three days? does she not have an understanding maybe, of how rapidly things change?
it’s not really ours, or your business, but i’d hate to have a lasting image of what one of my late pets looked like, three days after death, burned forever in my mind as my “last” interaction with them. i can barely get the image of one of my horses, who could not be buried immediately, out of my mind years upon years later – and that was only 12 hours after death.
i agree with others - have her arrange her own delivery to the crematorium, and take the body home immediately after euthanasia. my condolences to the owner, and all involved.
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…not to mention that particular ‘odour’ after a few hours.
Is it a large dog? She doesn’t want him in the freezer but what about laying on a bed of ice? I would think in an air conditioned environment and on ice, it may be a minimal issue? Seems like I remember some religions, who do not have access to refrigeration, wait 72 hours? Amish, Minninite, Buddhism…I can’t recall.
There are references online about Jewish and Buddhist beliefs to let the body lie for 3 days. Here’s the Jewish one:
https://classroom.synonym.com/jewish-belief-that-the-spirit-lingers-for-three-days-12087774.html
I would definitely have the pet owner keep the body at their place. If a vet clinic does this for one client, then you may have others that hear about this and think it’s a good idea.
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Thanks all for the ideas! I don’t know how it all worked out other than my boss did put the dog to sleep.
There are religions where this is common practice, and this has actually been done with humans recently. I got sucked down the rabbit hole learning about it a few weeks ago, and apparently bodies don’t go downhill as quickly as you would think. To each their own, I suppose.
It’s from the Tibetan Book of the Dead.
This is a Buddhist belief for humans. I’ve learned and lived with the Tibetans for 40 years and have been told by many of them, teachers too, that with animals it is much shorter, as their consciousness is much less complex than us humans and they go through the Bardos (in between states) much faster. Still especially in sudden death or premature deaths i.e. ‘convenience euthanasias’ one should really work with the animal’s consciousness to help them let go-as most are so very loyal to us and their lives, there is a time there when they are ‘stuck.’ Happens with people too.
