2023 Euthanasia Communication + Support Survey

• “We have a committee called Animal Plans that meets 2 x per week to discuss any animal we are concerned about. It involves the Director of Shelter Services, Director of Animal Placement, Medical Director, Animal Care Manager, Intake and Outreach Manager, Adoptions Manager, behavior team, and any other person who wants to have input on the discussions or specific animals. Euthanasia conversations come out of those discussions based on the elimination of options and input from team members caring for them. Final approval is made by VP & COO, but we generally look for majority consensus and ensure we haven't left anything on the table when it comes to options.”
  
  

• “We have a rounds team that consists of the Director of operations, medical director, programs director, client care manager, animal care manager, foster manager, rescue/transport coordinator, and remaining staff that are CAETS. We strive to discuss animals in the meeting and go from that, but that rarely happens with the frequency we need to make quick decisions and the infrequency we're able to have meetings.”

• “We have an Outcome Evaluation Team (and SOP) composed of DVM, CPDT, RVT, shelter directors & supervisors, behavior specialists, vet-shelter liaisons, COO. Over 15 people make up the OET, but an average 6-8 people…participate when we call a meeting.”

• “All members of the team (including volunteers) contribute information and experiences to a standardized document that records qualitative narratives and quantifies with a numerical score in 5 areas to track the progress of an animal in our care. A select team of department heads and one rotating floor staff member meet weekly to discuss everyone in the shelter and specifically what interventions may be taken to lower scores for each animal.”

• “We meet annually with both cat and dog behaviorists and other experts with our leadership team to establish and update adoptability criteria. The criteria is used at a weekly meeting called Animal Care and Support…abridged version of our adoptability criteria is available on our website to ensure a sense of transparency.”

• “For wildlife, one person will make the initial assessment based on the matrix but then discuss it with the team for a final decision. Team discussions are particularly important for more complex cases.”
  
  

• “[The canine or feline population coordinator] is the person who makes the euthanasia decision - we call this pre-marking…The Veterinary Services Manager generally pre-marks medical cases. [After pre-marking] an "approver" approves the euthanasia the day of. The pre-marker and the approver cannot be the same person. For example, The canine coordinator approves feline euthanasia. There are approximately 6 approvers total who work on scheduled days. We spread this out on purpose to make sure one person isn't taking on the brunt of the approvals. For 2-3 years, I was approving 5 days a week and it was tough! This changed about a year or so ago to the current format. If we are struggling with a euthanasia outcome decision for whatever reason, we have Rounds to discuss or we routinely bounce ideas off each other.” 

• “We review the following: history of behavior, behavior during intake (owner present), behavior after owner leaves, behavior memos during processing, behavior memos during shelter stay, animal profile from in home, medical exam, and behavior assessments. Then we discuss: adoption or transport placement potential, safety, QOL, risk assessment, need for behavior modification or medical care, and capacity for care.”
  
  

• “We use a case management approach from the time each animal arrives, and we meet weekly to discuss status, progress, and potential outcomes…”

• “One person, usually a DVM, makes a recommendation for the euthanasia outcome. This can be based on their assessment of the medical or behavioral condition of the animal. The behavioral conditions have a matrix providing guidance on what is "manageable" vs. "untreatable" There is no matrix for medical conditions and for medical only, the DVM may opt to euthanize without making a recommendation. Euthanasia recommendations go to a committee that meets twice a week. The committee either accepts or declines the recommendation. The committee has to be unanimous in their decision.”
  
  
• “We use a behavioral or medical matrix, in addition to a daily welfare discussion for animals that may be at risk for euthanasia. More immediate decisions (animal is in crisis and cannot wait) may be made on the spot…” 

• “…generally, a shelter supervisor will make a dog unavailable due to observed behavior then send a Google Meet invite…We all come to the meeting with…the commitment to making responsible euthanasia decisions to prevent suffering (including mental suffering in the shelter environment) and keeping our community safe. The Outcome Evaluation Team discusses memos and staff observations or incidents that happened in the home. For concerning/unsafe behaviors, we ask and discuss: 

Is this dog safe for staff and volunteers to handle? Can an average dog owner handle this dog? Does this dog need a 'unicorn adopter'? Would you feel comfortable introducing this dog to a family? Putting this dog in the back seat of an adopter’s car? Would you feel safe encountering this dog in the community? What if the owner dropped the leash on a walk, would you and your dog be safe? Do you want to live next door to this dog? Is this dog a good breed ambassador? What is the dog's quality of life in the shelter? What have we tried as far as meds or behavior modification?”

• “The Behavior Program Director or Manager makes the initial behavior recommendation. A staff DVM makes the initial medical recommendation. We require a second signature to move forward and that can come from any other operations manager, director, VP, or Chief, or a DVM. The second signature must come from a separate department (so, not both behavior, or two DVMs). That recommendation is then sent to a group of about 25 people via email, some who are designated "euthanasia signers" and some who need to know to support their staff.” 

• “For medical: one person can make the decision using a guide of illnesses that our Chief Medical Officer has approved as being appropriate reasons for euthanasia such as liver failure, cardiac disease, actively dying, Feline Leukemia, etc.… There is also consideration for the long-term prognosis and quality of life of animals. If it is unclear/gray to a non-medical staff member making the decision, then consultation with a DVM and CVT will be necessary. For behavior euthanasia: we have a similar set of specific behaviors and histories that an animal must meet to be approved for euthanasia…The committee evaluates using these criteria.”

• “The dialogue in the meeting is very open and conflicting opinions are welcomed. The boundaries around that meeting are carefully maintained and our executive leadership demonstrates openness to new ideas and values consensus and the expertise of the group over making top-down, final decisions personally. The group votes and discusses their opinions in detail before decisions are made.”

• “They are instructed to go to the Director of Operations or supervisor [to reduce] trauma for our decision maker.”

• “Both volunteers and staff who have worked with the animal are invited to the Quality of Life discussion as an observer. They may be asked questions about their experiences with the animal but for the most part, they are there to hear the process. All staff and volunteers are asked to speak with the Shelter Manager with any concerns or questions.”
  
  

• “They are instructed to share their experiences with the animal objectively and respectfully. They are encouraged to share if they have a management or placement plan that has not already been discussed. They are also asked to not compare animals, place blame if a coworker had a different experience with an animal than they have had, or focus on hypotheticals. Management and behavior and medical team leads are present to keep the discussion focused and productive. Management will also take the role of explaining our organization's capacity for working with any particular behavior or medical issue.”
  
  

• “Volunteers are directed to speak with our volunteer coordinator because it's less of a solutions-based conversation and more rooted in the experience of grief.”
  
  

• “We always have a full team meeting when discussing euthanasia…lots of questions asked, before anyone voices their opinions about what should be done. We ask every individual in the room what they think or at the very least if they agree with euthanasia if that seems like the best course of action. People know they can voice concerns and do it regularly. If the whole team is not on board with the decision, we don't go through with saying goodbye at that moment.

I think our habit of always making sure each individual in the room has been asked if they have any feedback, questions, opinions, etc. helps avoid situations where someone disagrees but is afraid to speak up. Sometimes it's hard to say they disagree but you can tell by their questions that they're not fully comfortable with the situation. And then we talk about their reservations.”

• “…Outcome Evaluation Team members…are expected to speak up if they don't like the decision and to offer viable alternatives. The decision is made by consensus. It's ok to agree with, but hate the decision. It's okay to cry. It's not okay to put yourself or any individual animal above the overall health, safety, and well-being of our shelter population, community, or organization. We recognize that being on the OET is a big responsibility, but it is part of being a leader in our organization.” 

• “The general instruction is that these conversations should take place in person so they should ask for a meeting with the appropriate party. Within the initial email group [of 25], folks can ask clarifying questions but are encouraged to come from a place of support. We have struggled with this process for many years, with the behavior staff being openly questioned on their expertise, and--less often--DVMs' medical recommendations being questioned in a way that did not feel respectful.

Previously, we had "outcome decision" meetings that could be quite contentious and stressful for the people recommending euthanasia. One thing that was very difficult in those is that even folks who agreed with the decision wouldn't feel comfortable speaking up and that led to the person making the decision feeling even more isolated and blamed.

 …we decided to create more formal guidelines and a workgroup stemmed from it. After that, we continued to have “outcome decision meetings” until we felt that an email [with the initial recommendation to the group of 25] would work and a meeting would be called only if needed.

 After the euthanasia decision is approved by the second person, a notice is sent out to the larger audience, instructing folks to respond with questions to that email address (which goes to the VP of Shelter Med, Behavior Programs Director, COO, Volunteer Services Manager, Director of Marketing) or to reach out to their supervisor directly. We used to get a lot of angry, blaming emails from volunteers in particular but that rarely happens anymore. If I do get one, I always invite the volunteer to meet or speak on the phone--so far, no one has followed through to do that.”

• “We typically identify the departments or team members who should be notified in person: those involved in their daily care or those who have taken a special interest in the pet. Sometimes we contact people at home, so they aren't surprised when they next come in. And then I send an email to all of our team members with approx. 24-hours’ notice. The email describes the animal’s path in our organization, what measures were attempted, and why the decision was made. It also shares the day/time of the euthanasia and how to say goodbye.”

•  “Every week the outcome team posts notes in our team communication log from the meeting that summarizes the conclusions and conversations about every animal that needs intervention. If a euthanasia decision (or any other death in the shelter) is reached we post in a separate communication log that staff can opt-in to, if they want to receive notifications when they're not working. This ensures they’re in the loop without having to see work emails on their phone. We try to be consistent with the timing and format of posting notes to keep it predictable for staff.”

•  “We work hard to be very transparent about this topic internally and to the public. We list every pet and why they were euthanized on our website.”

•  “Decisions are typically made Wednesday afternoons in the Animal Care and Support meeting and communicated both via email to all staff and in person to staff at our morning meeting the following morning. If safe to do so, we give staff time that day to say goodbye, give extra treats, etc., and then the euthanasia typically takes place between 2 and 4 PM. We feel it's important to do it during the work day so it doesn't appear secret or shameful in any way but is a normal, routine part of what we must do as a responsible animal rescue.

Very occasionally we authorize team leads to send a text notification if there is a staff member not working that day who is particularly close to an animal being euthanized, so they can say goodbye. The emails that go to all staff include details about behaviors demonstrated (i.e. Dunbar bite level, muzzle punching, offensive aggression, escalating behavior, redirecting, etc.) to educate staff on the nuances of animal behavior and any interventions attempted before reaching this decision.”

• “Staff are encouraged to be involved with a particular animal if they need to be. We'll add a note in the record that says ‘Melissa would like to be present for euthanasia and the euthanasia tech will ensure that person is present.“

• “Each department will usually hold small in-person meetings right after a decision is made but before the euthanasia occurs…[this] serves as a small debriefing space for staff…In addition or in lieu of that, a daily email for the department will communicate the euthanasia decisions made so that off-the-clock staff can be aware.”

•  “I call…the foster home and let them know the information and why the decision is made. I then give them the option to attend the foster dog's final appointment or myself or a board member will be there for it.”

• “All staff are aware that euthanasia decisions are shared over email, and are encouraged to check email at the start of their shift, instead of at home, to reduce distress on their days off.”

• “Wildlife euthanasia is common and the team is in regular contact about how and when decisions are made. Volunteers are not notified about every euthanasia case unless it’s a high-profile case and we want to prevent misunderstandings. Volunteers are aware that many animals 'don't make it' and are welcome to ask rehabilitators questions about any case if they wish.”

• “Information is typically not distributed to staff, but any agency employee can pull a report. Volunteers cannot access this report, so I have set up a binder they can access any time they are in the building. If an animal that is being worked with by volunteers is being euth-listed, I add their information (ID number, name, date, reasoning). If volunteers want to know (some folks would rather know, some folks would rather not), they can choose to check the binder. For long-term cases with lots of folks involved, we do send out a staff and volunteer-wide email, but that is not necessarily the standard as we just don't have the resources.”

• “When a euthanasia decision is made, the Canine Behavior Coordinator and/or Animal Behavior Coordinator will notify all staff via email if the animal has been in our care for over 30 days. If less than 30 days, we try to notify, in person, the individuals most familiar with the animal. All notifications go out 3 - 4 days before euthanasia, so staff have time to say goodbye. Volunteers are notified verbally if it is a dog that has been in our care for more than 30 days. We also try to schedule a time before the euthanasia for staff to come see the animal if it is a very long-term animal. For example: many staff (administrative and direct care) loved one of our long-stay dogs, so we scheduled a time in our dog park for any and all staff to see him before the euthanasia.”

• “…We do let all staff…know when a decision has been made by sending an email (subject: OET) that may explain the decision or refer people to the memos. If the dog was a long-term resident and especially difficult decision, it may include a note of thanks in the email to any departments or individuals who advocated for the dog during his stay…”

• “Harmful and unproductive behaviors are dealt with immediately by respective department managers. If it involved something more minor, such as unprofessional banter, it may be dealt with via guidance and education about the decision, along with frank discussions about expectations of conduct in our workplace. If it is more significant behavior, such as verbally attacking those involved or creating sedition-like feelings and dialogue among staff, then they will be dealt with by their management team using the corrective guidance of the HR department, which could include formal write-ups or termination of employment.”

• “All staff and volunteers are made fully aware of our euthanasia services and decision-making process upon starting at the shelter. If they have significant distress after every euthanasia, then their management team and HR will most likely consult about their future, such as moving into a non-animal-facing role or ending employment altogether.”

• “Volunteers and fosters are oriented to our adoptability criteria from the start to avoid surprises and contention down the line. During the hiring process for every single role, we discuss the euthanasia process to ensure everyone has an understanding and acceptance of why we do what we do. Within their first 90 days staff meet with the executive director for a 2 to 3-hour lunch orientation that goes over the history of animal welfare, our programs, and the necessity for ethical humane behavioral euthanasia. It goes into responsibility, danger, recidivism, liability, etc.

If a staff member were to openly criticize the decision, we would take them aside for a compassionate corrective conversation to hear their feedback and clarify our expectations and protocols and the why's behind them.

Since establishing all of these systems that set staff up for success and understanding, we have not had a major incident where a staff member has been openly highly distressed after euthanasia due to disagreeing with the decision. We've established trust among our team in the decisions made through transparency, community decision-making, and the involvement of experts in our adoptability criteria.

Fosters are the most difficult conversations for us, especially when they haven't witnessed the dangerous behavior firsthand in the home. Our Foster Manager does an excellent job engaging in those conversations and understands that we may lose fosters over this issue and that being clear upfront about how we do things is the best way to avoid the feeling of broken trust on the foster's end.”

• “The first step would be to address the situation privately with the employee/volunteer and their direct supervisor or the volunteer manager. Decisions are never made by a single person, partially for this reason. If the staff member in question was not personally present during the Welfare Meeting, their manager will explain the reasoning in detail to the employee. If they continued to struggle with euthanasia decisions, training opportunities would be offered to build the employee's knowledge of veterinary medicine or animal behavior. The staff member is invited to the Welfare Meeting to help their understanding of the decision-making process.”

• “Respect is not negotiable so if there is a decision made and a volunteer or staff member is being disrespectful then there will be a conversation around respecting decisions even if they do not agree. Euthanasia is not taken lightly and so being non-supportive is not okay.”

• “Volunteers are welcome to come and speak to Managers. If the volunteer chooses to say derogatory things…a formal meeting is had and disciplinary action is possible.”

• “Once the decision is made it is inappropriate to blame. For those who criticize or blame, I talk with them 1-1 to address their concerns and set boundaries. For those who are highly distressed, we offer to listen and provide resources to help develop tools for working through. Also, if it continues to be very distressing consider other roles in the organization if that is needed to keep them healthy.”

• “We seem to have moved past the blame of one person for making the decision, but certainly, there are those who may disagree. We've experienced less and less of this issue as more people are involved in the discussion and help generate ideas that might help the pet in the process. It seems that when people are informed of all of the ways that we are helping pets, they are more accepting when we've run out of options.”

• “Using the team approach and having our veterinarian as the authority on euthanasia has limited any issues with staff being disgruntled.”

• “I address it head-on. Individuals will not put down or place blame on my staff for making really hard decisions. If necessary, I ask people to leave and gather their thoughts, then we can talk about it when they are not too angry or emotional for a rational conversation.”

• “We will point them to resources that may help them understand and with their mental distress. However, we also have no tolerance for blaming or being ugly about anyone making the decision or carrying it out; we will dismiss that individual.”

• “Not much is said or done besides our executive director saying it's not tolerated. Saying it's not tolerated and stopping it are two different things.” 

• “Rude behaviors are rarely addressed because no one likes confrontation and uses the excuse ‘they are allowed to have their feelings and opinions’.”

• “Not enough is done to set clear boundaries with volunteers who question and criticize staff decisions. Harmful behavior and dialogue are tolerated and it’s unclear how that will be addressed to protect staff.” 

• “You can be upset about the decision, but not at the people making it. One of the responsibilities of being on the OET is to provide a united front and if we feel this isn't happening, we will promptly meet and discuss. If a non-Outcome Evaluation Team staff person or volunteer is highly distressed at euthanasia decisions, this isn't the place for them to be working/volunteering. We discuss Socially Conscious Sheltering and euthanasia openly in employment and volunteer interviews and orientations…All staff and volunteers sign our Culture of Caring statement that outlines how we talk to and treat each other. Disrespectful language, negative social media posts, and gossip simply aren't tolerated.”

• “Anyone who is crying a lot or otherwise distressed is given lots of hugs and words of support ('she was so fun to work with,' ‘this is so hard’, etc.). People often cry together and are given as much time as they need to do so. Some people will choose to take a short break afterward or go for a walk.”

•  “One staffer opens the guillotine door or window to let the spirit out of the building and I find that really comforting.”

• “We have a large cork board where where put up photos of animals we could not save, ones that touched people's hearts & were very hard to PTS. We talk about euthanasia regularly. We make sure we do not do unnecessary post-mortems. If a vet is having a hard time/difficult day & emotionally drained they are allowed to take rest of the day off.”

• “…If we do have to make that decision, it tends to be with animals that have been with us for months, and who have had many people involved with their care. We take special care with those who are new to animal welfare, recognizing that they may not have had to deal with this situation before.”

• “… For those of us who routinely make decisions every single day, there is a lack of support for long-timers. It feels like the mentality is "You've been here so long you're fine!" When in reality, we have very different mental challenges…”

• “Staff may always take an immediate break if needed due to any emotional distress the job may cause. They are encouraged to talk through it with their management if they wish to do so. Senior staff members are also good options to lean on for guidance. We also have a social worker on staff who provides counseling-type services to staff members in distress. Due to the size of our operations, there are too many to memorialize all of them. Volunteers and staff with significant emotional connections to euthanized animals are provided with the cremated ashes free of charge if they request them.”

• “We do euthanasia at the end of our day. We also have a monthly compassion fatigue support group. Staff are offered paw prints from animals they were close to who are euthanized. We do a Day of the Dead altar every fall for pets.”

• “Staff can take a break or time they need. Our team is very small and close so everyone is incredibly supportive and understanding. We give staff resources for grief support, compassion fatigue, etc. Unfortunately, our budget doesn't allow for us to invest in our staff's mental health. The Director and Chief Veterinarian pay, out of their pocket, for private cremation if someone has a very strong attachment. 

For example, we had a large cruelty case of dogs that were mostly not adoptable due to aggression, however, they were with us for 11 months. Staff was made aware from the beginning that most would not have a live outcome. We all became attached to them in one way or another. For those that did not have a live outcome we privately cremated favorite dogs for those staff members. And for the remaining dogs, we had their ashes returned and then had a spreading of their ashes memorial and get-together away from work.”

• “For members of the "health team" - the team that is directly responsible for animal care and performing euthanasia can opt to not be present, or go home (using regular hours, not sick or vacation time), or perform modified duties for the rest of the day. For animals with LOS greater than 2 weeks, we do one ink paw print which is available to any employee who wants to make a copy for themselves.”

• “If a staff member is visibly upset, they can take a break and a manager will check-in. We have quarterly support sessions with a therapist where each team (customer service, animal care, leadership) meets as a group. We do have concerns about staff members who completely fall apart and are inconsolable every single time there is a euthanasia and may have a conversation with them about this not being a good fit for them. We installed a labyrinth on the grounds of our shelter complex as a space for contemplation and processing and have a box for them to write messages to animals that we then burn. We have found it best NOT to have physical markers for specific animals around campus but, in special circumstances, we will occasionally spread ashes or allow staff to take ashes.

 We try to de-stigmatize it, not treat it as a tragedy but as a release from their suffering and our sacred duty to our community. We also have set expectations for those in the room during the euthanasia that we need to create a positive and stress-free environment for the animal in their final moments and we ask that staff not be present or step out of the room if they cannot contain their emotion to not stress the animal and complicate the process. This is also out of care for our euthanasia technician, whose job becomes much more difficult when they feel compelled to take care of staff emotionally while carrying out the medical procedure.”

• “As a manager who signs off on euthanasia, I typically ask the employees who completed it if everything went all right as a way to ask if they need to debrief…We don't have a memorial (we asked in a staff poll and only one person of 40+ wanted to do one). We used to have grief support, but not for the euthanasia - more for the loss of self, due to the abuse we see and the people we have to deal with.”

• “It varies from person to person…With few exceptions, the staff here has been with the agency for five, ten, fifteen years and are extremely accustomed to the process - that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt, but we've all found a way to manage and navigate that works for us. Occasionally we will clip fur or arrange for private cremation but beyond that, we do not memorialize the animals. Seeing a long list of everyone that's been PTS is pretty hard.”

• “Take breaks, debrief or we offer EAP. We used to memorialize the pet, but it caused more emotions/unnecessary drama around the decision.”

• “…During the euthanasia, we invite everyone on the bear care team to come say goodbye and most people do, even if they weren't that bear's direct caregiver. We gather around the bear in the health check room and place our hands on his/her body, hold their paws, etc. After the euthanasia, there is a post-mortem, and then the bear has a funeral. If they had a close friend who has died, we try to bury them next to that individual if space allows…During the funeral, the whole team comes out again and we read a poem over the grave, once in English and once in Chinese. 

Then everyone comes by and throws gifts like favourite treats, toys, etc. into the grave, along with a few handfuls of dirt. Everyone stays until the bear is fully buried and their graves are marked with a wooden crescent and a cement gravestone stating the bear's name and the day they died. Finally, we send a 'RIP' message to the whole organization, sharing the bear's history, pictures, and nice stories. This is also shared with the bear's sponsor. All deceased bears also get a memorial 'block' in our Garden of Hope and Sorrow, which states their name, what they died from, some notes on their personality, and a photo.”

• “We cremated some long-term animals individually and placed their ashes under a tree on the shelter ground with homemade memorial rocks with their names.”

• “Euthanasia of long-time shelter animals is usually scheduled at the end of the day so staff can leave afterward. We can request that the pet be cremated individually and receive the ashes. We have a retired ER nurse who runs a compassion fatigue workshop and group therapy sessions annually. We have an EAP program that can offer therapy. We sometimes have a therapist from EAP come to the building and people can sign up for individual sessions.”

• “We have a monthly compassion fatigue group for staff and volunteers.”

• “The biggest failure of our compassion fatigue group is that it's not just for staff, it’s open to volunteers. For some staff, a chunk of our stress comes from volunteers.”

• “They are allowed to work half days or take breaks. We talk as a group. All staff have access to free counseling services. Since we are local government, I think it's limited to 6 per year. We can honor the dog if the staff needs to in their grieving process. In a recent cruelty case (suspected dog fighting) two of the dogs weren't safe for placement. I hosted a Q&A where they could chat with other professionals who weren't their bosses. They really appreciated that.

I have talked to them about different ways coworkers have grieved, including the downsides. For example, one former coworker used to keep the dogs’ collars in a box under her bed but the boxes kept growing and growing and it was not good for her mental health. I used to keep pictures of the behavior dogs I worked with and after a few months, I would be able to let the pictures go (burn them bury them, etc.). We talk a lot about living in the moment, giving gratitude, and daily self-care habits.”

• “Sometimes they need to take a break from handling the dogs or cats (whoever was euthanized) for the day.”

• “We are working on a memorial garden on the grounds. If a euthanasia decision is particularly hard, we usually try to discuss it with staff in person right before lunch so they can go straight to break and not have to go right back into work.”

• “…Many team members will make memorial artwork which we share in offices or staff lounge…”

• “We have an onsite crematory, so we usually release ashes together as a team at the river next door or parcel them out to staff/volunteers who were especially attached or affected by the pet. We take paw prints and give them to staff, and one staff member paints a portrait of each animal and gives copies to anyone who wants them.”

• “Staff that are distressed are offered counseling, and if it is a large group of staff, we bring in a professional to do a de-brief.”   

• “It's ok to cry and be upset and some staff may need to take a break before getting back to work. We find that approaching the actual procedure in a clinical manner is helpful and since most clinic staff aren't as close to the shelter animals it shields them from the emotional toll.”

• “We do one euthanasia at a time in a peaceful environment, so it’s a bit easier to have quiet time with an animal you've grown close to. Peaceful environment to us: dimmable lighting, muted paint colors (light yellow), essential oil diffuser, soft music if wanted, pleasant photos and images on the wall carefully selected with staff in mind, very quiet space, a plant or two, and one animal at a time.”

• “I have been in the shelter field for 17 years and at the beginning of my career I personally euthanized thousands of animals. Once I became an approver, it definitely felt more mentally difficult than the actual process of euthanizing. I think that's because it was "easier" when someone else made the decision for me. Now that I am responsible for the lives and deaths of most of our feline population it can be a struggle at times for me mentally (decision fatigue...).”

• “I make 99% of these decisions, I have never had an easy decision but our organization has a network of board members to support me when I need it. More importantly, I work with the affected foster homes with compassion and understanding. Thus far it has been I support them and they support me.”

• “We offer behavior euthanasia services to our community through our clinic and we direct owners there when they come to the shelter to surrender an unsafe animal. Because we accept animals by appointment, we engage owners in the decision and not just let them drop off and walk away. This reduces the number of dogs brought into the shelter to be cared for and ultimately euthanized for behaviors that we knew we could not work with or safely handle.”

• “I started in animal welfare almost 30 years ago and it never gets easier. However, transparency from the top to the bottom is an absolute must. When I started at this shelter there had been protests over euthanasia (including over dangerous dogs) and all sorts of mayhem. I started the conversation and was very honest but also walked the walk by being in the trenches. One of the dogs previously mentioned lived in my office for 8 months. Our staff and volunteers have seen me cry and everything in between which in my opinion helps.”

• “When our team talks about the difficulty of the work, euthanasia is rarely in the top 5 biggest stressors.”

• “Euthanasia is the worst part of shelter work.”

• “Euthanasia in our care is rare and deeply felt.”

• “Even after over a decade in the field, I am still shocked by how out of touch HR and executive/board leadership are with the impact of euthanasia on their staff.”

• “I think there's such little support provided for handling the emotional aspect of euthanasia that none of us would know where to begin. It is so personalized here that I don't know what group/agency-wide support would look like, or if it would be helpful. I sort of just want to get it done, mourn privately, and move on.”

• “Most of the criticism comes from those outside of our organization, and they are a small but loud group of people.”

• “Wildlife euthanasia occurs frequently and there is often the feeling that there is not enough time to process it before moving on to the next task, which could be another euthanasia.”

• “In Thailand, most people are against euthanasia (is taboo) due to the Buddhist religion. However, vets working with us must do it [for medical reasons or extreme aggression only], and are asked if they understand why we do it sometimes & if able to do it - only such vets would be accepted to work with us…”

• “…I think people still struggle with their emotions at this time (myself included) but rituals offer the opportunity to say goodbye and grieve, which is really important in processing what we're feeling. People cry, comfort each other, and talk about how hard it is and how sad we feel. And there is such an outpouring of love and support from across all levels of the organization each time this happens, from people all over the world, including sponsors. Feeling that love for this individual bear and knowing their time on Earth mattered, even if it was short, is very cathartic. This is not a perfect system but I think what's important about it is that it's a process that is built into how we operate. We don't do these things if there's time, we make time for it. It's never rushed and even during the euthanasia itself, we wait as long as necessary so that anyone who wants to come can be there.”

• “In every org I have worked in, leadership always matters most. Having leaders who set healthy boundaries on staff behavior AND are supportive, makes the world of difference to how teams cope. And having a system for decision-making that staff trust.”

• “My distress in the last few years tends to come from the fact that we've drastically changed what we consider to be "suffering" in the shelter environment and what we consider to be "safe enough" to be adopted into the community. These days I am more distressed by the euthanasias we're not doing.”

• “Like every shelter, we are overworked and understaffed, but watching dogs lose their minds in a kennel and having more restrictions put on them due to behavior is worse than euthanasia in my opinion. I am not proud that we have dogs in care for almost a year with poor quality of life.”

• “Of course, the behavioural euthanasias are often more difficult to accept/move on from. There is often a sense that we could’ve done more, or done something differently.”

• “We are a limited intake facility and euthanasia is not something we have to manage as often as some other facilities. Our euthanasia decisions are most often for behavioral reasons after all resources have been exhausted. Staff are saddened by euthanasia, but they see the decline and it's seen as the most humane option because other measures have not been successful. An important shift we've made is to start our monthly staff meetings by highlighting and discussing dogs that have been with us longer than 30 days. Whether it's due to something behavior-related or something that's not within our control...having ongoing conversations helps the entire staff catch and address issues earlier, and see declines or improvements in each dog. If a dog does have to be euthanized due to behavior, because of the monthly updates and progress notes, it's something all staff are more prepared for and can recognize all efforts that have been tried first.”

• “Creating our behavior adoption/euthanasia matrix was a group effort that included multiple operations management and our DVMs which I think has helped. They know the process and the reasoning behind it so can speak to that and support it. The guidelines for our shelter’s "risk tolerance" were set at a senior leadership level and presented to the board. This allowed the behavior team to present the facts and what the risk level is, but rely on the organizational stance to determine what level of risk to the community the organization is willing to tolerate.

Staff have shared that having the behavioral guidelines in our matrix has taken some of the stress out of euthanasia and staff appreciate when these guidelines are followed--even though they may not personally agree with the exact guideline. The decision process is MUCH less fraught and stressful, so though it's been a long journey to get here it seems that the processes and steps we've put into place have helped.”