When the time comes to say goodbye, you don't have to take your pet anywhere. Dr Winnie comes to you, so your pet can stay in their own home, with you beside them. Deciding to say goodbye is one of the hardest things you ever do for someone you love, and you won't have to do it on your own.
For a lot of families, home is where this feels right. Your dog can rest on their own bed. Your cat can stay curled in the spot they always choose. The people they love are close by, and you're beside them. No trip out when they aren't feeling their best, just somewhere familiar.
Dr Winnie is a mobile vet based in Wyndham Vale, and she visits homes across Melbourne's western suburbs. She'll be the one who comes to you, and the same person you speak to on the phone beforehand. If she has looked after your pet before, your pet will already know her.
She has been a vet since 2007, and has sat with many families through this exact day. A few years ago she trained in Fear Free handling, which simply means she watches your pet's body language and moves at their pace, so they stay as calm and comfortable as possible. On a day like this, that gentleness is what matters most.
Almost nobody feels certain. Most people worry far more about choosing too soon than too late, and that worry can sit heavily for a long while. There's no perfect moment. But there are some gentle signs worth watching for:
- More hard days than good ones
- Less interest in the things they always loved
- Pain that medication no longer settles
- Eating, drinking or moving has become a struggle
If you're not sure, you don't have to weigh it up on your own. Dr Winnie can come and sit with you, examine your pet gently, and give you her honest thoughts, with no pushing either way. Because she's a regular vet as well, sometimes the answer is "not yet", and she can help with pain relief or other medication to keep your pet comfortable for a while longer. Sometimes "yes" is the kindest thing to hear.
If you've already made your decision, simply make the booking and she will call to discuss the arrangements. And if you'd like her to help you weigh it up first, that's a standard home visit consultation, $110, with travel included nearby.
Whatever you're feeling, Dr Winnie will be gentle and follow your lead, on the phone beforehand and in your home on the day. If it would help to know what to expect, you can see each step by pressing the ‘Show Steps’ button.
Whatever feels right for your family, Dr Winnie will help you arrange it, so you're not making phone calls when you least feel like it. You don't need any of this decided before you call. She'll talk it through with you gently.
Some families choose to bury their pet in their own garden. There's no extra cost for this, and Dr Winnie simply leaves your pet with you. Whether home burial is allowed depends on your local council, so it's worth a quick check with Wyndham City Council, or your own council, beforehand. It's also worth knowing where any underground pipes and cables run before you dig, which you can check for free through Before You Dig Australia.
If you'd prefer a cremation, Dr Winnie works with Edenhills, a pet crematorium near Bacchus Marsh that has looked after families' pets since 1984. You can choose a private cremation, where your pet's ashes are returned to you, or a communal one. For a private cremation, Edenhills looks after everything and will be in touch within a day or two about urns and keepsakes, and they bill you directly. A communal cremation, where ashes aren't returned, is arranged by Dr Winnie for $160. She'll also sort out the gentle practical things, like how your pet travels to Edenhills, when you talk.
If the days afterwards feel heavy, you don't have to face it alone. There's a gentle guide to pet-loss support and free helplines here whenever you need it.
Cats
$400
Dogs under 20kgs
$400
Dogs over 20kgs
$500
Altona
Altona Meadows
Derrimut
Kingsville
Laverton
Rockbank
Truganina
Williams Landing
Yarraville
Burial at home
$0
Communial cremation
(Arranged by Dr Winnie)
$160
Private cremation, ashes returned
(Arranged and billed by Edenhills)
Depends on Pet's
weight and size
Will my pet feel any pain?
No. The medicine works gently. If your pet is given something to relax them first, they're in a deep, comfortable sleep before anything else happens. Either way, what they feel is peaceful sleep, not pain.
How long does a visit take?
There's no clock on it. Some families want every step explained, with plenty of quiet time afterwards. Others would rather it was brief. Dr Winnie follows your pace.
What might I see in their last moments?
Usually nothing but a peaceful sleep. Now and then there's a deep last breath, or a small movement after they've gone. These are natural reflexes, not pain or distress, and Dr Winnie will be right beside you to explain anything as it happens.
Can my children be there? What about our other pets?
Whatever feels right for your family. Children are welcome for as much or as little as you choose, and Dr Winnie can explain things simply if they'd like. Other pets can stay close too, and being there often seems to help them understand.
How can I prepare?
Very little is needed. A favourite blanket or bed, a quiet spot, and whoever you'd like to be there. If your dog is large, or your cat is nervous around new people, it helps to mention that when you call. Dr Winnie will take care of the rest.
How soon can Dr Winnie come?
She'll find the soonest time that works and be honest with you about when that is. These visits happen within her usual hours, and she isn't able to offer after-hours or emergency visits. If your pet can't wait, a 24-hour emergency hospital is the kindest call, at any hour.
Is there a charge just to talk it through?
If you've decided to go ahead, no, the visit covers everything. If you'd like Dr Winnie to help you decide whether it's time, that's a standard home consultation (from $110), and she'll give you her honest opinion either way. If it turns out to be "not yet", she can help keep your pet comfortable.
What are my choices afterwards?
You can bury your pet at home, where your council allows it, or arrange a cremation through Edenhills, either communal, or private with their ashes returned to you. Dr Winnie will help you with whichever you choose, and sort out the details when you talk.
How much does it cost?
The euthanasia visit is $400 to $500, depending on your pet's size, with travel included nearby and a small $20 fee further out. A communal cremation is $160. A private cremation is arranged and billed by Edenhills, depending on size and the urn you choose. Burying your pet at home has no extra cost. Dr Winnie confirms everything before anything is arranged.
Call Dr Winnie on 0492 083 956, Monday to Thursday, 8:30am to 6pm. Or fill in the form below any time, and she'll get back to you.
