FAQs

Appointments

The more notice you can give me during the work week (preferably 24 hours +), the best chance I have of working around your schedule and mine. I also understand that your circumstances may be difficult to predict so I will endeavour to come on short notice / same day (please keep in mind that I have no weekend availability). For weekend inquires, I will get back to you by Sunday afternoon or Monday morning to make a future booking. Remember that I want to make the process as calm and peaceful as possible. 

The Rainbow Vet travels the Southern Gold Coast & Northern NSW. I am based in Coolangatta, QLD and will travel as far North as Nerang, QLD (exit 71) along the Pacific Motorway, as far North as Mermaid Beach on the GC HWY (following State Route 90 from Nerang to Mermaid Beach), and as far South as Tumbulgum & Pottsville, NSW. In some circumstances I may be able to travel outside of my regular area (ie. to the Northern Gold Coast), however travel fees will apply. I am unable to travel to Logan, Brisbane, Mount Tamborine, Murwillumbah outskirts, Ocean Shores or Byron Bay. If you would like to check if your suburb is covered, please click here to check the map. If you need help finding another vet service in your local area, please contact me on 0477 372 700.

My fees are based on my compassionate care, travel distances, time, and aftercare arrangements. I create a calm & respectful environment for your pet and family, provide sedation to relieve pain and anxiety, euthanize with technique, offer a paw-print keepsake, and help with aftercare (for instance, I provide coordination with transportation to the crematorium). Clients also have time on the phone with me for consultation & pre/post euthanasia support. Please see services & fees for further information. The Rainbow Vet’s prices are GST-inclusive (the price includes GST).

Travel fees apply if you are outside of my normal travel area of the southern GC and northern NSW, and start at $110+.

Cancellation policy: No bookings can be placed “on hold” - only sincere bookings will be honoured. A $220 non-refundable booking fee applies at the time of booking confirmation. This applies even if a booking is rescheduled (and unable to be accommodated) or cancelled (due to the passing of a pet). This fee applies to hold your booking date and time (a screenshot of your bank transfer confirms your appointment), & will be deducted from your final bill. If Rainbow Vet’s services are declined on arrival, the full service fee (minimum $495) will apply. I thank you for your understanding as this policy is in place due to limited service numbers per week (I will likely decline other families/pets in need to hold your booking). If you do not accept these booking terms, please contact Rainbow Vet within one hour to cancel your appointment. 🙏

The Rainbow Vet offers for families to pay prior to appointments for your peace of mind (via direct deposit or credit card). Alternatively, you are welcome to pay on the day. Payment methods include cash, eftpos, debit and credit cards. The Rainbow Vet’s prices are GST-inclusive (the price includes GST).

Pet Angel funerals payments are handled separately if you choose private cremation, or any other package in their brochure. I can sometimes help transport & take payment for ‘cremation with a friend’ so we can discuss this if needed. Please note that Pet Angels have a $88 after-hours fee for collections on Saturdays (after 1pm), Sundays, and public holidays. Vetpay/zippay plans are offered for your pet's cremation if needed.

I am usually at your home for one hour. If you prefer a shorter service time, this can be achieved in fifteen - thirty minutes.

*Please respect the following advice for my house-call visit:

-advise if anyone is feeling unwell prior to my arrival (such as a fever or cough)

-please wash your hands before & after my visit

-please clean the gathering area once I have left (wash bedding/dispose of wastes)

-my service is limited to one (1) hour duration

Only dogs and cats. I recommend contacting your local vet clinic for exotics and large animals.

This is a very personal decision, but I am more than happy to share this experience with your children if you wish. If possible, I recommend that parents include children in the decision-making process and let them decide for themselves if they want to be present. I typically find that children over 8 years old really value from being with us at the time. For more information on this topic, please contact me or click here.

As for your other pets ~ yes absolutely, as some families specifically chose my service to allow other pets to be present.  If you choose for them to be absent, I recommend you give them a chance to see the body afterwards. Some may recognize death has occured while others may not (or at least not show it in ways we sense). Studies show animals have the capacity to mourn the loss of a companion.

By coming to your home, your pet will be much more relaxed. Please let me know if your pet has a very protective nature BEFORE I ARRIVE. With your help and treats, we can give your pet lots of positive attention and get them to focus on you rather than me. If a muzzle needs to be placed on your pet, please be aware that this must be placed by you (I can supply you with a muzzle & the muzzle can be removed after the sedation). You will also have to be able to safely restrain your pet for the sedation. Nervous pets settle down and relax after the sedative injection, and we can continue to shower them with our love.

While I hope that you will use my services, I recognize that there may occasionally be times when I am not available as quickly as your pet might need. If you need help finding another vet service in your local area, please contact me. If this is an after-hours emergency (6pm-8am) or a weekend, please contact the Animal Emergency Service located in Carrara, QLD (ph 07 5559 1599).

Euthanasia Service

Euthanasia (Greek meaning 'good death') is the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering. Suffering can mean anything that denies us of our true self. 

I will work with you personally on every aspect of your pet’s care from initial contact, scheduling, preparations, and explanations, to the actual euthanasia procedure and follow-up. This is my ‘calling’ in life, and I wish to provide a calm, comfortable, and respectable environment for you and your pet at this difficult time. Being at home provides your family with increased privacy and familiar settings, greater choice of family members and other pets that you would like present, and the choice to decide the most suitable time. One lovely client said to me “I gave my pet a beautiful life, and now you have given him a beautiful death.” Please see is it time? 

• Plan to have other family members and pets in the house say goodbye if they will not be present.

• Pick a quiet, comfortable place. Feel free to play some special music, light candles, burn incense...the possibilities are endless. Provide an old towel, sheet, or blanket beneath your pet (once a pet has passed, they no longer have the ability to control their bladder or bowels, and voiding may occur). I will also bring absorbent pads to make sure no mess is made.

• Your pet is welcome to have food, water, and medications as per normal prior to my arrival.

• If possible, it may be helpful to take your pet for a bathroom break within 1-2 hours of our appointment time.

• Consider silencing your phone (though please maintain the ability for me to contact you prior to my arrival).

• You may wish to prepare payment, so that you do not need to worry about that at the time of the appointment.

• Reassure your pet that they will be all right and let them know that you love them.

I would choose a quiet place where your pet is most comfortable, such as the place they spend the most time (for example ~ on their beds, your lap, the veranda). Remember this will be a place of remembrance. Please contact me to discuss the benefits of inside vs outside services. Please be aware I am only able to help at your home (not the beach or local park).

Since we are in your home, you can step away at anytime. I will proceed with things and take care of everything. You are always welcome to come back in after your pet has passed.

• After greeting you and your pet, I will talk your family through the process. I can then answer any questions or concerns you may have. We will then complete some brief paperwork and payment needs to be finalized.

• When you and your pet are ready, I will first give a sedative injection (under your pet’s skin) to help them relax. This injection is no more painful than a typical vaccination, but occasionally your pet may briefly react to it.

• After this injection, your pet will gradually fall into a very deep sleep within about 5 to 15 minutes. Feel free to continue to comfort and talk to your pet during this time (they can still hear you).

• I will clip the fur over your pet’s forearm or hind paw, and place an intravenous cannula into their vein. This provides the safest and most pain-free method of injection.

• When you and your pet are ready, I will inject the euthanasia solution through their cannula.

• Once I have confirmed that your pet has passed away, you may continue to spend as much time as you need with your pet. I will leave the room so that you can have privacy.

• When you are ready, I will return to make a clay paw-print impression keepsake (if desired) and help with aftercare arrangements. If you have chosen to cremate your pet, a caring member from Pet Angel funerals will meet us at your home to transport your pet. I can sometimes help transport & take payment for ‘cremation with a friend’ so we can discuss this if needed.

Every effort is taken to make this process stress-free and painless for your pet. The euthanasia process typically involves two injections. An initial sedative injection makes things more comfortable for your pet, and it allows for your family to gather around them. Once sedated, the second injection can be given with your pet being essentially unaware of its administration. This injection is a rapid, peaceful, painless process that generally lasts only seconds in duration. 

Aftercare

I offer three primary aftercare options: 

• The first option is home burial. Local council’s do not have any specific regulations for the home burial of pets, but I will discuss some recommendations. I will provide you with an eco-friendly burial pouch, or please see Sweet Goodbye for a unique farewell kit.

• The second option is ‘cremation with a friend.’ Your pet will be lovingly transported door to door to Pet Angel funerals from your home, cremated along with one other pet friend from Pet Angel funerals, and their ashes will be peacefully scattered at Eden Ridge Farm in Kyogle. This option is suitable for owners who do not wish for the return of ashes. Dependent on your pet’s size, I can sometimes help transport & take payment for ‘cremation with a friend’ so we can discuss this if needed. I am equipped with a professional transport stretcher but will need assistance to lift heavy patients.

• The third option is a private, individual cremation. The Rainbow Vet is proud to partner with Pet Angel funerals to provide your family with the highest quality, compassionate aftercare or you may choose the cremation company of your choice. This includes your choice of an urn or keepsake box, and the return of ashes. Click here for the Pet Angels brochure. Your pet will be lovingly transported door to door to Pet Angel funerals from your home following my service. You may decide if you would like your pets’ collection to be immediately following my service, or I can coordinate with Pet Angels to come anytime after. A majority of families request for Pet Angels to arrive 30 mins following my service. Pet Angel funerals will call you the following day to make arrangements, and return your darling home to you as soon as possible. *Please note that I can also coordinate with other cremation companies if you would prefer (such as Pets Eternal & Pets in Peace)

Please see services & fees or contact me for further information.

If you have requested that your pet be privately cremated with their ashes returned to you, Pet Angel funerals endeavour to have your pet back home to you within 5 business days. You may alternatively pick up your pet’s ashes at their facilities. Pet Angels are located at: 3/21 Expansion Street, Molendinar QLD 4214.

Pet Angels high ethical standards of separation are maintained by a unique tagging system. Each pet has their own identification tag from the moment they are brought into their care, and this tag is then matched with each piece of paperwork and checked continuously throughout the cremation process. Their purpose-built separate chamber pet cremators are made especially for individual pet cremations, with only one pet in each chamber at a time to ensure you receive all of your pet’s ashes, and only your pet’s ashes.

If you are not sure, I would do it. Keepsakes may not seem necessary initially, but as time moves on... they become a treasure. Once your pet’s paw impression has been stamped, place the clay somewhere safe near direct sunlight and leave to air-dry for 7 days. Thread the provided ribbon through the hole to form a bow-tie or hang in a beautiful place. Clay is best left indoors.

I will notify your pet's regular veterinarian for you and whomever else you want me to. I encourage you tell everyone involved in your pet's life, such as groomers and pet sitters. You can also tell people in your life like friends, family, employers, and your children’s teachers. Due to animal registration regulations, you (the owner) must notify your local council to inform them that your pet has passed away (via phone, an online form, or email - for example the GCCC can be notified here).

You may keep and reuse the items (I believe it is nice to keep at least one toy as a keepsake for your other pet), or make generous donations to your local animal shelter. I highly recommend the Animal Welfare League Qld (located in Coombabah), who take donations of bedding, toys, collars, leads, and unopened food. You can also make donations to the RSPCA, Chihuahua Rescue QLD, or Friends of the Pound.