As seen on CBS News

 A terminal illness in a pet usually means it has to be put down as quickly and humanely as possible. But now, there´s another option - hospice for pets.

Beyond the Rainbow says it´s the first to offer pet hospice service in Texas. Kate Moore and Terry Branson operate the Fort Worth business. Both are former directors of ´human´ funeral homes.



Moore said, "Pet lovers and pet parents think of those pets as members of the family and we believe they should get the same end of life care as a human family member would."

Beyond the Rainbow offers memorial services, burials, keepsakes, hospice care, even euthanasia.

Jami Barnes of Grand Prairie knew she´d need help when it came time to say goodbye to her companion of 13 years, a greyhound named Trailways. "He started limping one day. And then one day, he just stopped walking," Barnes said. Trailways was eventually diagnosed with bone cancer.

Veterinarians at Beyond the Rainbow put the dog to sleep on the living room couch in Barnes´ home. Thinking about her last few moments with Trailways Barnes started to cry and said, "He just looked up at me and stared at me for a few minutes and that was it."

Barnes says Beyond the Rainbow came and took care of everything inside her home. She only needed to sit beside her beloved dog. They put him on a blue velvet blanket. When they took him away, they left a white rose in his place. Barnes had Trailways cremated and keeps his ashes in an intricately carved box.

Beyond the Rainbow says their hospice service costs $25 a day and funeral services range from $150-$500. It´s the price for peace of mind and Barnes is glad she did it. "It was a beautiful thing."

Reporting
Carol Cavazos
FORT WORTH (CBS 11 / TXA 21)

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