How Starting a Pet Euthanasia Business Saved My Life

I was devastated when I lost my dream job as a mortician. But I found a new sense of purpose guiding pet owners through the worst days of their lives.

Illustrations by Jesse Zhang | Edited by Emily Gaudette

Derek and I stand in the driveway, hands clasped together. “May we end Jetson’s pain easily and quickly, and bring peace to the family,” I murmur. Derek squeezes my hand in amen, our rings rubbing metal against metal in our grip. I don’t believe in heaven or hell, but praying feels comforting. If there’s an afterlife where you get everything good your heart desires, surely dogs and cats have earned that reward.

“Let’s go do some good,” Derek says, his warm breath puffing clouds in the frigid nighttime cool.

“Let’s take care of this family,” I say at the same time. The bare skin of my shaved head chills as we laugh at our outburst.

Jill opens the door almost immediately after I knock. We’ve been friends online for years, but this is the first time we’ve ever met. Each plagued by rare chronic illnesses, our friendship was born on social media as we commiserated over being trapped in mutinous bodies. It fostered an intimacy that neither…