Laura Herschman

Review of Humane Society of New York

Earlier today I said goodbye to my beautiful 10 ye...

Earlier today I said goodbye to my beautiful 10 year old cat Jazz. Almost overnight her throat became filled with swollen lymph nodes the vet thought was the result of cancer. She hadn't eaten in 2 days except for a few treats. There was a chance her throat might close up. I was not going to let her suffer any longer.

My regular vet quoted me $300+ to end her suffering and didn't have an immediate opening. The ASPCA said there was a 2 week wait and told me to call every day to see if an appointment opened up.

My third call was to the Humane Society. They said no appointment necessary, just bring her in between 1:30-3-30, any day, 7 days a week, no need to call first. The fee is $70.

I brought Jazz in today and through a flood of tears explained why I was there to the receptionist. He could not have been kinder or more thoughtful. He filled out the paperwork for me when I couldn't manage it.

Within minutes I was called into an exam room. Two kind, caring vets (one may have been there to assist) examined Jazz and confirmed my decision to end her suffering.

The vet who performed the procedure explained every step to me. She gave me time to be alone with Jazz after the first injection.

I asked if I could have some of Jazz's fur. The vet shaved some off and put it in a plastic bag. She then made paw prints of Jazz's front paws in a cement-like memory box that has a leather cover and includes a place to put a picture. A condolence card and the Rainbow Bridge poem were included in the memory box.

When the procedure was done the vet gently wrapped Jazz in a soft blanket and carried her out of the room.

I left the office in tears, aware that this entire process, from my first call to that very moment, was handled with an extraordinary amount of kindness, empathy and professionalism worth far more than $70.

As a result of my experience today I'm going to switch vets to the Humane Society for ongoing healthcare for my other fur babies.

I sincerely cannot thank the Humane Society enough for helping me through this traumatic experience.