Euthanasia appointments go best when the front desk handles every practical detail before the family arrives: a quiet time slot with extra room around it, paperwork and payment settled in advance where possible, a clear plan for arrival and aftercare, and a vet who leads the consent conversation. The family should only have to think about their pet.
Your front desk usually takes the first call and sees the family out at the end. Those two moments stay with people for years.
This guide walks through each stage, from the phone call to the follow-up card, and marks where the College of Veterinarians of Ontario (CVO) expects the veterinarian, not the desk, to be the one speaking.
The first call: what should the front desk say?
Very little, at first. Slow down and listen. Many callers are crying, or not sure whether it's time. It isn't your job to decide or advise; it's to offer a time to talk with the vet, and to gather the details that make the visit gentle.
Use the pet's name, and ask for it early if you don't have it. Ask whether they'd like to talk with the vet first or have already decided together. Ask whether the pet is in distress right now, and if so, offer the earliest slot or the nearest emergency hospital.
Then the practical bits: who's coming, and whether children or other pets will be there. Explain the next steps simply, and offer to send the details by message or email so they don't have to remember anything.
The front desk books, prepares and supports. The veterinarian holds the consent conversation.
What if the caller is not a client yet?
Book a consultation, and explain what it is. The CVO's guide on veterinary euthanasia says euthanasia generally takes place within a veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR), unless legislation permits otherwise. Staff may book a new client who asks for euthanasia, and should explain that the appointment is a discussion with the veterinarian about the VCPR and the services that can be provided.
Say it kindly. Something like: the vet will meet you and your pet first and talk through what's best. Ask the family to bring any records from their previous clinic.
Booking euthanasia appointments with care
Book euthanasia appointments so nobody feels rushed and nobody's caught off guard. A few details do most of the work:
| Detail | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Quiet time of day, often the first or last slot | Fewer people in the waiting room |
| Longer slot than a standard visit | No one feels rushed |
| A clear note on the schedule | Every team member knows before the family arrives |
| A room or entrance planned in advance | The family can avoid the busy front area |
| Aftercare choice noted if already made | No difficult questions at the end |
In PetGrid's scheduling, each visit type has its own length, so a dedicated euthanasia visit type carries the longer slot every time without anyone having to remember.
Consent and paperwork: who does what?
The vet has the consent conversation; staff help with paperwork after it. The CVO guide says it's best practice for the informed consent conversation about euthanasia to happen between the veterinarian and the client, and auxiliaries can help afterwards, but only once that conversation has taken place. The vet should take reasonable steps to confirm the person consenting is the owner or an authorized representative, and record the discussion and the reasoning in the medical record.
So the front desk can have the consent form prepared and ready, but shouldn't ask the family to sign before the vet has spoken with them. PetGrid's paperwork lets owners sign consent forms on a tablet or in their app, and keeps each signed form as an unchangeable PDF in the pet's documents.
Should payment be taken before the appointment?
Many clinics settle payment before the day, or at least before the family goes into the room, so nobody has to stand at the counter afterwards with a card in their hand. Whatever your policy, explain the cost and the aftercare options clearly ahead of time. The CVO's informed consent standard expects clients to be given an estimated cost of proposed services.
Offer to take payment online or over the phone. PetGrid's invoicing and payments lets owners see and pay a bill in their app, which spares the family the front desk on a very hard day.
On the day: arrival, goodbye and departure
On the day, the goal is that the family never waits and never has to walk through a busy room. Get the room ready beforehand: a soft blanket, tissues, water, the lights turned down.
Watch for their car and greet them by name. Take them straight to the room, or through a side entrance if you have one. From there the vet leads, and the hallway stays quiet. When they're ready to go, let them leave without passing back through the waiting room, and don't hurry them.
After the loss: records, reminders and a kind word
Few things hurt more than a vaccine reminder for a pet who has died. Update the pet's status in your system the same day so reminders, recalls and marketing stop, and note any remains or memorial items to return and who'll collect them.
A handwritten card signed by the team means a lot. When ashes or a paw print are ready, call rather than text. Keep reminders for the family's other pets running as normal, and have the grief support resources your clinic recommends ready to share.
Look after the team too
Euthanasia appointments weigh on staff, and it adds up. Rotate who takes them when you can, give people a few minutes after one, and make room to talk about the hard cases at team meetings. A front desk that feels supported is better at supporting families.
Questions people ask
Can the front desk get consent for euthanasia?
Not on their own. The CVO says it's best practice for the consent conversation to happen between the veterinarian and the client, and staff can help with paperwork afterwards.
Can a new client book a euthanasia appointment?
Yes, as a consultation. The CVO guide says staff may book a new client who asks for euthanasia and should explain that the visit is a discussion with the vet about the veterinarian-client-patient relationship and the services that can be provided.
When is the best time to schedule a euthanasia appointment?
A quiet time with extra room around it, often the first or last slot of the day. That keeps the waiting room calm and gives the family time.
Should clinics take payment before a euthanasia?
Many do, so the family doesn't have to stop at the counter afterwards. Explain costs and aftercare options in advance, and offer to take payment online or by phone.
How do we stop reminders after a pet dies?
Update the pet's status in your practice software the same day. That stops vaccine reminders and recalls while the family's other pets keep getting theirs.
The short version
A good euthanasia appointment is quiet, unhurried and prepared: a longer slot, consent led by the vet, costs explained ahead of time, a calm arrival and exit, and records updated the same day so a reminder never goes out by mistake.
If you'd like to see how visit types, signed consent forms and in-app payments fit together in PetGrid, book a short demo with the PetGrid team.
See PetGrid in your own clinic: the console, the AI drafts and the app your clients get, with your own data.
Book a demoSources
Every fact about another product or organisation comes from these pages, read on the date shown.