Pet Loss and Grief Companioning
Dogism has always been about making life with your dog fun and easy. There is nothing fun or easy when it comes to losing our best friends. Know that we are still here with you during the hard and sad times. Whether they be to make decisions for your pet’s best end of life journey or to pay tribute to their life and support you through your grief.
We can lose our beloved pets for a myriad of reasons: age, illness, divorce, re-homing… often, we have some time to prepare, sometimes we do not.
How We Can Help
Knowing your pet is nearing the end of its life can be an excruciating time. However, we can look at the time as a gift as well. The gift of creating an end-of-life journey for you and your pet. The gift of having time to weigh decisions with careful thought and planning. Later, the gift of looking back on the time without any regret.
What is an end-of-life journey?
This is the time you spend with your pet doing anything and everything possible to create special moments, memories and maybe a sense of peace. The journey can include (but certainly not limited to):
- A bucket list
- Creating videos
- A celebration of life
We can also provide resources to assist you in many aspects of this journey from nutritional needs and massage therapy to photography.
Decision Making
When overwhelmed by emotion or pressed for time, it is extremely difficult to make thoughtful decisions about what you want for your pet in death and after. You may be unaware of the options you have for how your pet dies and the handling of their precious body. We will talk at your comfort level about these options. We will work towards having a plan in place and the necessary information at hand for when you need it.
Tributes and Memorials
There is never a wrong time, nor is it ever too late to create a pet tribute or memorial. This can be part of your planning and decision-making process or literally any time after the loss of your pet. Perhaps your experiences fall under the “no time to plan” category and you are left without closure. Or maybe, it was just too painful at the time. We will work with you to determine what will bring you peace. It may be a special space, a poem or event. Let’s talk about what feels right for you and the memory of your pet.
Support Group
Whatever feelings you are having regarding the loss of your pet are yours to have. No one should tell you how or what to feel or make you feel silly for your emotions. But sometimes they do or it seems no one truly understands. Our grief support group is a way to express your thoughts with like-minded individuals and to share feelings without judgment.
*Grief support is companioning support and not counseling. If you feel you need to speak to a medical professional, we are able to provide resources for you.
