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- End-of-life decisions (15)
- Enriching your relationship with your pet (4)
- Grieving the loss of a pet (24)
- Holidays (4)
- Memorializing a pet (11)
- Preparing for your pet's appointment (7)
- Quality of Life (10)
- Support (2)
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Recent Articles
- What to Expect During the Euthanasia Appointment July 1, 2018
- Memorial Stone January 17, 2018
- Helping Children Cope with Pet Loss May 1, 2017
- Do We Always Recommend Euthanasia? March 6, 2017
- Hyperthyroid Disease in Cats March 2, 2017
- What life is like now February 28, 2017
Author Archives: Kristi Lehman, MSW, LISW
Coping With Grief During the Holidays
For most people, the holidays are a time spent with our loved ones, celebrating our relationships and togetherness. When you have lost a family member, including a beloved pet, the holidays can magnify your sense of grief and loss as … Continue reading
Posted in Holidays, Memorializing a pet
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Am I ready for another pet?
The ifs and whens of getting another pet can be complicated and emotional, and no two experiences are exactly alike. While there isn’t necessarily a “right” or “wrong” decision, there are some questions you should ask yourself to help explore … Continue reading
Grief Role-Modeling
For kids of all ages, losing a pet can be a confusing, heartbreaking and scary experience. For many kids, it might even be the first time they have had to grapple with death and grief. But, along with all of the … Continue reading
Posted in Children and families
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Healing Through Remembering
If you have ever lost a human family member, you know that funeral services, public announcements, obituaries, visitations or wakes, and many sympathy cards usually follow the death. Often, there is a period of mourning that is acknowledged, respected … Continue reading
Pet Loss Hotlines
When you are grieving the loss of your beloved pet or you are wrestling with painful end-of-life decisions, it is important to identify your support system so that you know where to turn when you are feeling overwhelmed. Sometimes our … Continue reading
Posted in Grieving the loss of a pet, Support
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9 Ways to Memorialize a Pet
When a beloved companion animal dies, the void they leave behind can feel overwhelming. When their physical presence filled every space in your lap, bed, home and heart, the emptiness you feel after they are gone can be the most … Continue reading
Posted in Memorializing a pet
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A Place to Start (When You Don’t Know Where to Start)
This decision is not easy. In fact, the question of whether to help end your pet’s suffering through euthanasia can be one of the most difficult decisions you will ever make. So many factors play a role in whether or … Continue reading
J-O-U-R-N-E-Y-S: A Quality of Life Scale
The JOURNEYS scale, developed by Dr. Katie Hilst, DVM, is meant to get you thinking and considering the factors that affect your pet’s happiness and sense of well-being. There are no hard and fast rules, although in general a higher … Continue reading
Posted in End-of-life decisions
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Your Pet’s “Bucket List”
Do you have a bucket list of things you’d like to do in your lifetime? Lots of people do, but have you ever considered making a bucket list for your pet? As our pets age and change, it’s easy to … Continue reading
The First Rule of Grief: There Are No Rules of Grief
Most of us are aware of Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’ “five stages of grief”: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Very often I hear clients say things like “it’s been over a month and I still can’t believe she is gone”, or … Continue reading
Posted in Grieving the loss of a pet
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