Understanding Our Services

Tender Paws Veterinary Care is available by appointment on weekdays and weekends with a mix of day time and evening availability.

Additional fees for after hours, public holidays and out of area appointments may apply. 

We will do what we can to help find a suitable appointment time even at short notice. However, if your pet’s condition has deteriorated suddenly, you may need to contact your regular veterinarian or Animal Referral and Emergency Centre on (02) 4957 7106.

We know that making decisions around end-of-life care for your beloved pet can be incredibly difficult. You might feel ready to talk, or you might find that typing feels a little easier right now—and that’s completely okay.

However you choose to reach out, we’re here for you. You can contact us by phone, text, email, or through our social media pages—whatever feels most comfortable. 

If your call is not answered straight away, we might be supporting another family and their beloved pet, attending to clinic work, or be on the road between visits. We do genuinely want to connect with you—so if you could leave a voice message with your name, contact details, and how we can help, or send this information as a text – we will reply as soon as we can. 

Tender Paws Veterinary Care focuses on providing peaceful in-home euthanasia for pets that are elderly and reaching the end of their life, or those that have a chronic, progressive disease or life limiting condition that is affecting their quality of life.

If you are considering euthanasia for your pet but are feeling unsure about any aspect of making this decision, then you might consider booking a Quality of Life consultation. This  home visit includes a thorough physical exam, review of medications and home environment and discussion about potential options and/or ongoing management. 

For all other veterinary services, including prescription of any medications that may be required for palliative care, you will need to contact your regular veterinarian. 

If you are interested in booking a Quality of Life consultation, please contact us.

One of the benefits of choosing an in home euthanasia visit is that your pet’s farewell is relaxed, unhurried and without the sights, smells and sounds of a veterinary clinic. As an independent veterinary service, we endeavour to schedule appointments so there are not signfiicant time pressures or constraints. 

However we recognise that this is a different experience for many owners, or that owners may need to make arrangements with family members or aftercare providers. A typical in-home euthanasia appointment will take around 1 – 1.5 hours, taking into consideration opportunities for conversations, time for medications to take effect and for memorial items to be created. 

To book an appointment, simply reach out by phone, text or email. Daytime, evening and weekend appointments are available. 

After an appointment time has been booked, you may be asked to complete a patient registration form. This simply allows us to find out important information before the appointment about your pet and also any special instructions or requests you may have, without the need for an extended conversation. If you would prefer not to complete the form online, we would be happy to go through the information required another way. 

For patients with complex medical conditions, or for Quality of Life consultations we may need to request your pets medical history from their regular veterinarian. 

Saying goodbye to our precious pets is never easy. We believe that our beloved pets deserve a peaceful and dignified farewell. It is important to us that you have all the information you need to feel comfortable about moving forward. 

When our vet arrives they will perform a physical assessment of your pet and address any questions or concerns that you might have. This is also the time that they can talk through options for after-care with you if you have not already made a decision.  

Although there is no perfect time for paperwork, you will be asked to complete a form giving our vet consent to proceed with euthanasia and to complete payment before proceeding. We understand this can be difficult to do, but once this is done we can focus our attention completely on you and your pet.

Our vet will talk you through what to expect at each stage of this journey. It is your special time with them, for cuddles, for extra treats or simply loving them. Your pet will be given a gentle sedative to help them relax into a deep sleep. Only once your pet is comfortably asleep will our vet make preparations to administer the euthanasia injection.  

At the end of the visit, our vet will talk through your chosen aftercare plan and what to expect – whether this be private cremation or home burial. It is also at this time that we will create memorial items if you would like them – paw print, nose prints and fur clippings are complimentary.

When preparing for the euthanasia of a beloved pet, many owners wonder whether their other pets should be present during the visit. There is no single right answer in this situation as the most peaceful option for each family might look different.

Some pets will benefit from being present. When they are nearby, they can see, smell, and understand what is happening with their companion. When other pets are present during a euthanasia this might reduce confusion or searching behaviours later when their friend is no longer present. For bonded companions, quietly lying nearby or approaching after the euthanasia can help them process the change in a natural, familiar way.

In some cases though, other pets may become distressed by the emotions in the room or by changes in their companion’s behaviour. When this happens, they might start to seek attention from their owners or try to encourage activity from their companion especially after they have been given sedation. Other pets might be anxious, reactive to new people in their environment, young and excitable or ignore the other pet completely. All these reactions are normal expressions of animal behaviour but they can sometimes be confusing and upsetting to owners. In these cases, it may be kinder to let them stay in another space and allow them time to see and sniff their companion after their passing.

What matters most is creating an environment that feels safe and gentle. If you’re unsure of how to navigate this decision, please reach out to us. Whatever you choose, your love and care will support all of your family through this moment.

Ink paw and nose prints, as well as fur clippings are included as part of the home euthanasia visit.  

Other memorial items including jewellery, garden items and decorative urns are available from our trusted crematorium partners. 

It can be difficult to make decisions about after care at the time of an appointment. Many pet owners find it helpful to consider the options available well before even making an appointment for in home pet euthanasia.

Tender Paws Veterinary Care works closely with trusted partners Newcastle and Hunter Pet Crematorium and Patch & Purr to arrange private pet cremation services. For private cremations, our veterinarian will respectfully transport your pet to our base and transfer their remains to one of our trusted partners. Once your pets ashes have been returned to Tender Paws, we will arrange to personally return them to your care.  Other options such as communal cremation, or private cremation with scattering of ashes are also available. 

If you prefer, you are welcome to arrange for your own preferred provider to collect your pet from your home. To allow for an unhurried experience for you and your pet, we would generally recommend booking collection for approximately 2 hours after your appointment time.

Depending on locality, burial on your property may also be an option – please contact your local council for specific guidelines. 

Please notes that if Tender Paws is arranging your pets after-care and they weigh 20kg or more, we request that there is a helper present to transfer them to our vehicle.  

Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about pricing or options available to you. 

Payment is required at the time of your appointment.

Tender Paws Veterinary Care accepts payments by cash or card. Direct deposit is available for pre-payment only.