I have now been working as a companion animal veterinarian for thirteen years, during which time I have specialized in internal medicine, ultrasound, and dentistry. It is a fantastic profession in which I can help pets and their owners every day.

In 2025, my own Golden Retriever, Vino, turned out to be very ill at the age of ten. After multiple examinations, it was discovered that he had a very aggressive tumor, and with a heavy heart, I had to conclude that I could no longer save him. Within a few days, we saw him deteriorate rapidly and decided that euthanasia was the best thing we could do for him. Together with the family, we placed his basket in a spot in the garden where he lay down peacefully. While Vino received cookies from my husband and lots of hugs and kisses from my daughters, I gave him his sedative, after which he fell asleep with his head on my husband's lap.

The sense of loss is still there, but we could not have wished for a more beautiful farewell for him. This experience has helped me and my family a great deal in coping with the grief. I realized that being able to say goodbye in this way is something I wish for all pets and their owners. With this thought, and the knowledge that this does not always happen, I started thinking about what I wanted to do with this, and that is how euthanasia in his own basket came about. Saying goodbye will never be easy, but sometimes it is the best thing we can still do for the animal. At that moment, we must strive to do this as stress-free as possible and in complete peace.

I often hear from owners: "This must be such a difficult part of your work." Putting an animal to sleep is one of the most difficult but also one of the most important parts of our profession. If I do not support euthanasia, I will not perform it and will discuss the alternatives. When euthanasia is the best option, the animal deserves to be able to do this in the most peaceful and loving way, and this is what putting to sleep in its own basket stands for.