By: Melody Joy Cary

Economic euthanasia, the act of a healthy or curable animal being euthanized strictly for financial reasons. It’s affecting more than just the animals. Pet owners and veterinary professionals are also suffering as a result of this phenomenon.

There aren’t any nationwide stats available on just how many animals are being euthanized because their owners can’t/won’t afford their medical bills, but reports from humane societies in various states show a growing trend of pets bearing the consequences of financial difficulties and or the lack of a human animal bond.

As owners struggle financially, some are forced to give up their animals while others may choose euthanasia when their pet has a medical condition that’s costly to cure or maintain. This has some serious consequences for both pet owners and veterinarians.

90% of people report considering pets to be members of the family. So, when someone is unable to properly care for a pet and has to euthanize because of finances, the blow can be devastating to a family. There have even been instances in which owners experience mental health issues following the loss of a pet because they were unable to deal with the tragedy. 

Some studies aren’t that much better on the veterinary side. One in every six veterinarians contemplate suicide at some point during their career, which is four times the national average. A significant part of that stems from euthanasia in general, but particularly when healthy animals are involved.

This is something that human medical professionals don’t have to deal with and don’t understand. A pediatrician never has to have a conversation with a parent about whether or not little Billy should be euthanized because they can’t afford his asthma medication.

Unfortunately, the cost of veterinary care continues to rise. This will put more and more pet owners at risk for having to consider economic euthanasia. What can you do for your own patients and owners to help them avoid making the difficult decision to euthanize for economic reasons? Adam Weizer, owner of servistree.com, offers one solution.

Adam has been an animal lover for as long as he can remember, which was part of his motivation for creating this program. This credit card processing and merchant services company works with various Veterinary Clinics and Veterinary Medical Associations and has developed a program to help clinics and owners facing economic euthanasia.

Every month, clinics that use Servistree services will receive back 25% of net profits. Clinics receive an average of $50 per month, which they can then offer to clients who are unable to pay medical bills.

Beyond that, Servistree can help clinics save at least 15% on processing fees which add up to a few thousand dollars, so you can pass those savings (if you wish) on to your clients as well. With no contracts, cancellation fees, or equipment leases, it just makes sense for your clinic to make the switch if you’re not already enjoying their service. To learn more, you can check out a demo video or schedule a free consultation.

Some of the other benefits of using Servistree include improved client experience, mobile card-processing terminals that can be used in exam rooms, and an automatic feedback system that helps your clients quickly and easily leave you positive reviews online.

A lack of finances shouldn’t stop people from being able to take care of their pets. Adam Weizer of Servistree is willing doing his part to help. Will your clinic give it try as well?