Blog Post < Previous | Next >
Courtesy of 'The Hardest Day'
The Hardest Day: Love, Loss, and the Last Moments Between
Ross Taylor and Luke Rafferty have made the best possible feature documentary about in-home pet euthanasia. Until watching their documentary, I did not know that was even an option, let alone how widely available it has become.
Likely, many people do not know about it. Hopefully, more will learn about in-home pet euthanasia now that the two gentlemen have produced The Hardest Day.
The film covers several families who chose this more compassionate way of saying good bye. We are with these families and their veterinarians as they conduct the procedure at home, with family members participating. Taylor and Rafferty interview a few advocates of in-home euthanasia one of whom is Dr. Dani McVety-Leinen, CEO and Founder of Lap of Love—a nationwide resource that helps individuals and families find and utilize veterinarians to perform this noble service.
According to CNBC journalist Lorie Konish “A new survey from TD Ameritrade finds that 33% of Americans have considered fostering or adopting a furry friend now that social distancing is the norm. Across generations, that rate is highest for millennials, who came in at 50%, versus Gen X, at 33%, and baby boomers, 25%.” And according to The Washington Post, dog adoptions and sales have soared during the pandemic. This is all to say that even more people are going to face saying goodbye to their pet.
Having to put down my suffering cat at a clinic a few years ago, I can say with experience that in-home euthanasia is much, much preferable. I would be very remiss, though, if I did not state the obvious: Losing a pet means tears, many tears. Even the highly experienced Dr. Dani teared up during her interview. Unless you have a heart of glass, you, too, will tear up viewing The Hardest Day. This is a measure of how well the filmmakers have crafted their film, and how much they care for pets and their human companions.
Stay in touch with the film’s Website for information on how you can see the film.