The coin jar exercise
When pet owners struggle with the choice of deciding when it's time to euthanize, suggest this exercise.
Deciding when to euthanize a pet can be an agonizing decision for many clients. For those who are wavering, suggest this simple, mindful exercise.
> Put two jars on the counter. One jar is for good days and the other for bad days.
> Drop a coin in the proper jar each day to track the pet's well-being.
> If the bad days overwhelm the good days after a week or so, it may be time to consider euthanasia.
Most people know what to do before they even begin this exercise. However, once pet owners make a decision, they tend to doubt themselves, and often on the day the euthanasia is supposed to take place, the pet will seem better. It happens all the time, and clients change their minds, only to find sorrow again the next day. In these cases, pose this gentle question: "Wouldn't you rather your last day together be a happy one?"
