About Kathleen
Kathleen Cooney has been practicing advanced end-of-life care since 2006. She is the Coordinator/Instructor for the DVM Animal Welfare program. Kathleen graduated from CSU with a BS in Zoology in 1999, an MS in Anatomy/Neurobiology in 2000, and DVM degree in 2004. Along with animal welfare instruction, she also teaches companion animal euthanasia and hospice education through her partnership with the Companion Animal Euthanasia Training Academy (CAETA), where she remains the Senior Director of Education. Kathleen is well-known for her work in companion animal euthanasia and has authored three books on the subject, along with numerous articles and book chapters. She has collaborated in end-of-life training for the AVMA, AAHA, NAVC, IAAHPC, the Fear Free Program, and many more. Kathleen is a strong advocate for best practices in all aspects of end-of-life care and speaks nationally and internationally on such topics. She is Board Certified in Animal Welfare through the American College of Animal Welfare and is the CSU coach for the Animal Welfare Judging Assessment Contest (AWJAC) held each year by the AVMA.
Education
BS, Zoology, CSU, 1999MS, Anatomy and Neurobiology, CSU, 2000DVM, Vet med, CSU, 2004DACAW, Animal welfare, American College of Animal Welfare, 2024
Certifications
CHPV (certified hospice and palliative care veterinarian ), International Association for Animal Hospice and Palliative Care (IAAHPC), 2017
CPEV (certified peaceful euthanasia veterinarian), Companion Animal Euthanasia Training Academy (CAETA), 2024
Publications
Cooney, K. Ed. (2025) Veterinary Euthanasia Techniques; A practical guide. 2nd Edition. Wiley Blackwell. ISBN: 978-1-394-26389-9
Corrigan, V., Cooney, K., and Foster, R. (2025) Compassionate End-of-Life Care: Development, Implementation, and Evaluation of a Comprehensive Euthanasia Course in Veterinary Education from 2019–2024. HA Interactions Journal. www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/10.1079/hai.2025.0025
Cooney, K., and Kogan, L. (2025) Pet Aftercare Ordering Models: Evolving to Meet the Needs of Today’s Pet Owner. Topics in Companion Animal Medicine. doi.org/10.1016/j.tcam.2025.100991
Cooney, K., Robertson, S., Kogan, L. (2025) Euthanasia of canines and felines under anesthesia can be achieved with lidocaine or mepivacaine via intrathecal, intravenous, or intracardiac routes. American Journal of Veterinary Research. doi:10.2460/ajvr.25.01.0013
Cooney, K. (2025) Co-author. Animal Hospice Training Guide for Veterinary Technicians. 1st Edition. Dalhouse.Kogan, L., and Cooney, K. (2023) Defining a “Good Death”: Exploring Veterinarians’ Perceptions of Companion Animal Euthanasia. Animals (Basel). 2023; 13(13):2117. Cooney, K., and Kipperman, B. (2023) Ethical and Practical Considerations Associated with Companion Animal Euthanasia. Animals (Basel). [Online] 13 (3), 430–.Cooney, K., and Titcombe, L. (2022) Lessons and Recommendations from a Pentobarbital Shortage: US and Canada 2021. Animals (Basel). [Online] 12 (3), 365–.Cooney, K.A. et al. (2021) The use of intrarenal injection of sodium pentobarbital for euthanasia in cats. American journal of veterinary research. [Online] 83 (1), 95–99.Cooney, K. (2021) Euthanasia. Handbook of Veterinary Palliative and End of Life Care. 1st Edition. Poletto Editore Publishers. Cooney, K.A. et al. (2021) Pet Owners’ Expectations for Pet End-of-Life Support and After-Death Body Care: Exploration and Practical Applications. Topics in Companion Animal Medicine. [Online] 43100503–100503.Cooney, K. (2020) Historical Perspective of Euthanasia in Veterinary Medicine. The Veterinary Clinics of North America. Small animal practice. [Online] 50 (3), 489–502.Cooney, K. (2020) Common and Alternative Routes of Euthanasia Solution Administration. The Veterinary Clinics of North America. Small animal practice. [Online] 50 (3), 545–560.Cooney, K. et al (2013) IAAHPC Guidelines for Recommended Practices in
Animal Hospice and Palliative Care. https://iaahpc.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/IAAHPC-AHPC-GUIDELINESpdf.pdf
Cooney, K., Callan, R., Chappell, J., Connolly, B. (2012) Veterinary euthanasia techniques: a practical guide. 1st Edition. Ames, Iowa: Wiley-Blackwell.Bishop, G, Cooney, K., et al. (2016) 2016 AAHA/IAAHPC End-of-Life Care Guidelines. The Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association. [Online] 52 (6), 341–356.
Research Specialty
Euthanasia, hospice, aftercare, bereveavement, ethics