In Home Pet Euthanasia 

Provided by MJ Schibler Vet Services, LLC

‘Helping you with a peaceful and loving good-bye’

A photo of Dr. Maggie in her scrubs

Services

Dr. Maggie offers in home pet euthanasia for your beloved pet. Euthanasia is derived from Greek meaning ‘good death.’ Her aim is to provide a peaceful and loving experience as you say good-bye within the comforts of your home. It is optional for the remains to be transported for cremation afterwards. An ink nose print and/or paw print will be made for you to keep.  

Book an appointment.

To schedule an appointment, submit the contact form on this website or call (417) 414-0337 and leave a voicemail. We are available by phone Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm. If you call or submit a form out of phone hours, we will be in contact the following business day. Dr. Maggie strongly recommends discussing medical and quality of life concerns with your established veterinarian to determine if it is time for compassionate and humane euthanasia.  To finalize an appointment booking, a pre-visit phone call will be made by Dr. Maggie or Tara, her office associate. During the pre-visit phone call, you may be asked a few more questions about your pet, get required information to minimize paperwork during the appointment and confirm the appointment time and place. You may request a payment link be emailed to you during the pre-visit phone call.

About

Dr. Maggie and her two dogs on a park bench

Dr. Maggie Schibler was born and raised in Springfield. She attended veterinary school at the University of Melbourne in Australia and graduated in 2010. Her new graduate years were spent in rural Australia working in mixed practice clinics. Since moving back to Southwest Missouri, she has focused on small animal medicine, surgery and preventative care. She currently works full time as a relief veterinarian giving well-deserved time off to local practitioners. You may have seen her in your own pet’s clinic in this role.  

 

Dr. Maggie recognizes the importance of being able to give your pet a loving good-bye in return for the years of love they have given you. In addition to her 13 years of practice, she has completed the Companion Animal Euthanasia Training Academy Master Program and is a Certified Peaceful Euthanasia Veterinarian.

Tara has been working with Dr. Maggie doing her clerical work, answering phones and scheduling appointments since August 2023. Prior to this Tara worked for several years helping to care for your pets on the clinic side of Veterinary medicine. She understands that no one wants to make the phone calls she receives and aims to be there for you in your sensitive time of need. Tara is married with two children and enjoys spending her spare time on their small farm with their menagerie of animals and showing her Labradors.

FAQ

  • To make an appointment, submit the contact form on this website or call (417) 414-0337 and leave a voicemail. Dr. Maggie strongly recommends discussing medical and quality of life concerns with your established veterinarian.

  • Euthanasia appointments must be scheduled in advance. Dr. Maggie is not able to offer ‘on call’ services at this time. If you are concerned your pet is deteriorating and needs immediate attention, contact your regular veterinarian or the Emergency Veterinary Clinic of Southwest Missouri. They are located in Springfield at 400 S Glenstone and can be contacted at (417) 890-1600.

  • Aggressive patients or patients with behavioral issues will be scheduled at the discretion of Dr. Maggie and may not be appropriate for this service. All euthanasias will begin with either with a sedating medication that will need to be given by mouth or by injection under the skin to help them relax. For the safety of you, your pet and Dr. Maggie, other euthanasia services should be considered if your pet will not tolerate administration of these initial medications.

  • Our service area extends to a 50 mile radius from Springfield, MO.

  • The following types of payment are accepted:

    • Visa, Mastercard, and Discover cards or cash (exact change only) can be accepted at the time of the appointment.

      If using an emailed payment link, I can also accept:

    • Apple Pay

    • ACH/eCheck

    • Venmo and PayPal

    During the pre-visit phone call, you may request a payment link to be emailed and are encouraged to do so that we can focus on our patient during the appointment. Payment can also be taken at the beginning of the appointment. Payment must be made before the appointment can proceed. Invoicing after the procedure and payments plans are not offered.

  • Dr. Maggie will arrive at the appointed time at the provided address. After meeting with the attending family and loved ones, any questions will be answered and paperwork finalized. If the appointment has not been pre-paid, payment will be accepted.

    Dr. Maggie will then spend time getting the patient comfortable with her presence and develop an individualized euthanasia medication plan to make their transition as smooth as possible. All patients will receive an injection of sedation to help them fully relax. Most patients will only need one dose of injectable sedation, but occasionally some patients may require an additional dose. An oral sedating gel may also be given prior to the injectable sedative depending on the initial assessment of the patient. The goal of these sedative medications is for the patients to be resting comfortably and not be aware of further medications being given.

    When the family is ready, another 1-2 medications will be given by injection to complete the euthanasia. These medications will be given either be given through an IV catheter or by injection around the abdominal area.

    Dr. Maggie will then make a nose and/or paw print for you to keep. The body will be prepared for burial or for transport to the crematorium.

  • This will depend on several factors that will be unique to each appointment. Factors include the amount of private time the family and loved ones need through out the appointment and individual patient needs. It is recommended to allow 1 hour from Dr. Maggie’s arrival to departure, although most appointments last between 35-45 minutes.

  • After leaving a voicemail or submitting a contact form, you will hear from us that business day. If you call or submit a contact form outside of posted phone hours, you will hear from us on the next business day. If you are not contacted in that time frame due to our availability or are concerned about your pet deteriorating quickly, other euthanasia options should be considered. We recommend contacting your established veterinarian or the Emergency Veterinary Clinic of Southwest Missouri. The Emergency Clinic’s phone number is (417) 890-1600.

  • Other pets are welcome to be present during the appointment, in fact some specialists recommend it. They are often interested in me and want to sniff around. This does not bother me. I do recommend putting other pets in a separate space if they are distracting to you (think a young dog that can’t stop bouncing around for attention) or if they show signs of protectiveness or aggression towards anyone during the procedure.