Anyone who’s lost a pet knows that it’s a devastating experience. Further, if their companion is suffering, helping them cross the Rainbow Bridge can be the most heart-wrenching decision they’ll ever have to make.
When a family was recently faced with this situation, they had no idea that one of the hardest trials of their lives would be followed by another traumatic experience.
Lisa Horseman and Marlane Engles brought their beloved 15-year-old Border Collie, named Drew, to the Rainbow Veterinary Hospital in Darlington, Pennsylvania. Because of his declining health, the pair had decided that it was time he rested in peace.
Eight days after Drew’s euthanasia, Horseman and Engles arrived back at the clinic to pick up his ashes. But what they received, to their horror, was the frozen body of their deceased pet.
According to the women, they’d asked the vet to have Drew cremated at a facility a few miles down the street, presuming that the staff would deal with the transport. But when they were told their dog was ready to be picked up, employees hauled the dog’s stiff, blanket-covered body out of the clinic and into the back seat of their car.
“I’m thinking my dog’s coming out in a little urn or plastic bag. No, I get a frozen Drew,” Horseman said in a story by Action News 4.
Engles even caught the incident on camera, along with the employees’ lack of answers to the two women’s questions.
“They had no explanation, nothing, they just give me my frozen dog,” said Horseman in the news story.
The women proceed to take Drew’s remains to the crematorium, where they had to carry in his body, themselves.
In a statement, the Rainbow Veterinary Hospital claimed that the misunderstanding was not a reflection of their sympathy for their clients:
“We have been in business for over twenty years, caring for thousands of pets. Our entire staff treats every pet with the utmost care, respect and compassion under all circumstances, as if they were our own. It is true that there was a delay with Mrs. Horseman’s burial request for pet Drew. This delay was not due to the pet leaving the facility, as he never left our premise. Ultimately, Mrs. Horseman’s burial request was fulfilled.”
But Horseman and Engles aren’t satisfied, and hope to prevent this same traumatic situation from happening to any other clients.
“They need to learn from this mistake,” Engles said in the story. “They need to do the right thing to other people, and don’t do it again because that’s a horrible thing.”
In any case, we hope that this family finds some comfort during this difficult time. Rest in peace, Drew.
We want to know: what do you think about this situation?
(h/t: Action News 4)
