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Hello all,
First off, Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!
Second off, I wanted to invite you to a really great holiday boutique. Forget Black Friday, you can find one-of-a-kind gifts, stocking stuffers and works of art at the 13th Annual Art & Soul Boutique Sale in a classy, no-stress atmosphere at Saint Albert the Great Catholic Church in Minneapolis. (See attached poster for dates and times.) Join us on that first Thursday evening and enjoy free wine and snacks and live music while you shop! Let’s see Target provide that kind of service!
Enter St. Albert’s through the door right behind the saint-and-his-frog statue at the corner of 32nd Ave. S. and E. 29th St. in Minneapolis. That’s one block north of East Lake Street where you turn to go to the TCF Bank.
If you or anyone you know is facing a first holiday without a beloved pet, I’ll be at the sale most of the time to sign and inscribe copies of my book “Good Grief: Finding Peace After Pet Loss.” It just may be the only gift that can lift the heart of a grieving pet parent. (Or buy one and save it until that special someone needs it. I’m offering special show discounts and $2 from each book goes to support The Wildcat Sanctuary!)
See you there!
Sid
Did you recently spend your daughter’s college fund on a five-star celebration for Fido’s birthday? Do you have more photos of Fluffy in your home than of everyone you know combined? If so, Fetch! Pet Care wants to hear from you as part of their new online contest, “How Far Would You Go for Your Pet?” Fetch! Pet Care will reward one lucky winner who goes the absolute farthest for their pet with a well-deserved grand prize: One week’s worth of Fetch! Pet Care services valued up to $500.
To enter the online contest, go to http://ht.ly/2Dmui. Starting September 13, 2010, pet owners are encouraged to get creative and post videos, photos or short descriptions that illustrate how far they have – and will – go for their beloved pets. Posts much include pets and their owners. One winner will be selected based on online votes and will be announced October 22, 2010.
* Above photo courtesy of Fetch! Pet Care.
Uproar In Canada over a Dogs’ Holy Communion
August 1st, 2010 By: Admin
A Canadian priest in Toronto caused a unholy uproar by doing the unthinkable, giving Holy Communion to a dog. Reverend Marguerite Rea of St Peter’s Anglican Church, in Toronto, received complaints from Christians all over Canada after she fed communion bread to a German Shepherd cross named Trapper.
Ms Rea said it had been a “simple church act of reaching out” to a new congregation member and his pet. “If I have hurt, upset or embarrassed anyone, I apologise,” she told her congregation on Sunday morning, the Toronto Star reports.
The controversy began last month when four-year-old Trapper and his owner, Donald Keith, 56, attended the church in Toronto’s downtown area for the first time. “The minister welcomed me and said come up and take communion, and Trapper came up with me and the minister gave him communion as well,” Mr Keith told the Toronto Star. “I thought it was a nice way to welcome me into the church. I thought it was acceptable. There was an old lady in the front just beaming when she saw this.”
But not all parishioners at the service were quite so charmed by the sight of the priest leaning down and placing a wafer on the wagging tongue of Trapper, a German Shepherd-Rhodesian ridgeback cross. Communion bread is considered by Anglicans to represent the body of Jesus Christ.
When news spread of the canine communion, St Peter’s Church began receiving e-mails from angry Christians all over the country.
“Communion is a symbol of the sacrifice of Jesus’ body; he died for all of us. But I don’t recall anything from the scripture about Jesus dying for the salvation of our pets,” said Cheryl Chang, director of the Anglican Network in Canada, the National Post newspaper reports.
Mr Keith has since been told that he and his dog are most welcome at the church, but Trapper can no longer receive communion. “This has blown me away. The church is even getting e-mails from Catholics,” said the truck driver. “Ninety-nine-point-nine per cent of the people in the church love Trapper and the kids play with him. It was just one person who got his nose out of joint. “Holy smokes. We are living in the downtown core. This is small stuff. I thought it was innocent and it made me think of the Blessing of the Animals.”
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My response: Welcome to the world of fanaticism. When my husband and I hosted a Geezer Gala (a ’50s Sock Hop & Alzheimer’s fundraiser) and had a story run on us in the Catholic Spirit newspaper, the reporter warned us we might be boycotted based on the strong opinions of some parishioners that Alzheimer research must be stopped because of its involvement with stem cells. I about lost it! It truly is the vocal few who blow up issues so terribly for all of the more reasonable people out there.
I’m sorry this happened. As an animal chaplain who works with people to help them prepare for, cope with and move on after pet loss, as well as the author of “Good Grief: Finding Peace After Pet Loss,” I would have applauded this priest’s inclusion of Trapper in his communion. I view all animals as our fellow creatures, not less than and not greater than us homo sapiens. I know they have souls, just as we do, thanks to afterlife connections I’ve had with both humans and animals who’ve died. The only difference is that animals are not in need of having their souls “saved” by intervention of any church. Only humans have the distinction of being able to purposefully sin. I really don’t understand why anyone would feel so threatened by this act of inclusion.
I will continue to perform nonsectarian animal blessings and be proud to be able to express my gratitude toward all animals for bringing so much joy into our lives. I may substitute kibble for holy wafers, though… —Sid
If there is one tiny bit of positiveness to come from the Gulf oil spill, it is that compassion for animals (both wildlife and domestic pets) seems to be on the rise. I was touched by the mission of the Sumralls, below. Every time someone creates an environment like theirs to support and sustain the bereaved animal lover, humanity’s collective soul improves just a little bit.—Sid
Pet funeral home opens on Mississippi Gulf Coast
NICOLE DOW, The Sun Herald
Published: 04:00 a.m., Monday, August 2, 2010
GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) — Linda and Glynn Sumrall care about pets. So much that they opened A Pet’s Memory, a pet funeral home and crematory in Gulfport, so owners would have such a facility after the loss of a pet.
“They can sit down and talk to someone where their loss isn’t trivialized,” Linda Sumrall said.
The Sumralls came up with the idea for the business after thinking about what they would do if they lost any of their pets. The family has three golden retrievers — 11-year-old Cindy, 5-year-old Maggie and Molly, who is 2-1/2.
“When we were planning, I thought of how we would want to be treated,” she said.
Linda’s husband, Glynn, said they treat each animal that comes in as if it was their own.
“We meet people on a really bad day and try to make it better,” he said.
The Sumralls started the pet crematory business at the end of June. Before that, Linda had a pet pooper scooper service.
“That shows how much I’m into pets,” she said.
Glynn still works with the U.S. Postal Service.
In 2008, the Sumralls started the Pet Oxygen Recovery Mask Program to supply fire stations throughout Hancock, Harrison, Jackson and Stone counties with reusable oxygen masks to aid pets after a fire.
Linda Sumrall said she started the program after watching the news and hearing a story about a house fire in Gulfport. The family and their dog was rescued, but the pet had taken in too much smoke into its lungs and died, she said.
That’s when she made some calls and discovered that local fire trucks weren’t equipped with oxygen masks to fit pets.
“I thought for sure that the cities would have them,” Sumrall said.
The family decided to raise money to supply the pet oxygen masks to the fire stations across the Coast by hosting car washes and collecting donations from individuals and businesses.
“We’ve donated 66 sets,” Sumrall said. She said they have 32 more to go to supply all 98 stations with a set.
The family is now accepting donations at their pet funeral home. After they finish raising money for the oxygen masks, Sumrall said future funds raised will be donated to the Humane Society.
Sumrall said it was no easy task going from the idea of their business venture to opening the facility.
“It’s taken 2-1/2 years to get this business open,” she said.
Picking the right location was a challenge. They had to have the right permits and certifications and be located in an area suitable to the city and surrounding businesses. A Pet’s Memory is now located on 28th Street in Gulfport. Sumrall said she wanted to have a facility that was dignified and respectable.
The crematory is located onsite where pet owners can arrange a private viewing. The equipment used is similar to what a local funeral home uses, Sumrall said.
Cremation costs are based upon the weight of the animal. Sumrall said the cost of a private cremation starts around $80 and can range to about $210 for heavier pets. A Pet’s Memory has cremated cats and dogs as well as more unusual pets such as a bearded dragon lizard, a guinea pig and a ferret.
The first pet the family cremated was formerly one of their own. Sam, a golden retriever from their dog Maggie’s litter, was killed by a car when he was 2 1/2 years old. His remains are in an urn at the pet funeral home.
A Pet’s Memory Pet Funeral Home and Crematory also sells caskets for families who prefer to bury their pets at home instead of cremating them.
At the funeral home, the Sumralls have set up a “last moment room” where families can say their final goodbyes to their pets.
“A lot of tears are shed,” Sumrall said. “Men have cried, too.”
Sumrall has been certified as a pet bereavement counselor by the Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement. She said she has taken the equivalent of 10 college courses. She also lends her time as an online pet loss counselor for the organization.
“Grief is real, and grief hurts,” she said.
Sumrall said the service her business provides is something that was needed on the Mississippi Coast.
“I’m honored to do this,” she said.
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Information from: The Sun Herald, http://www.sunherald.com
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I love the slogan my friend, pet photographer Patrick Nau of Minneapolis, uses regarding having your pet’s portraits taken: “Don’t say, ‘I wish I had,” say, ‘I’m glad I did.'”
The photos below of my three West Highland white terriers were taken as part of an annual fund-raising event through the Photographer’s Guild of St. Paul, Minnesota. If you made a donation to Pet Haven Animal Rescue, your photo session for as many pets as you brought in at one time was free and so was one 8×10 photo. (Of course, they wind up with about 100 more shots you’d love to purchase beyond that, too. And I did, naturally. One such triptych follows below.)
The point is to celebrate your pet’s life all through his/her life, not just as a memorial after he/she dies.
Now, prepare to enjoy my own personal BRAG BOOK of sorts! Click on any images you want to see full size.
Blanche, Keely and Ambrose 2010
photos by Photographers Guild of St. Paul, MN
Final Farewell Photos
Many pet photographers are starting to offer special deals to owners of elderly or seriously ill pets, allowing them to affordably capture their beloved animal companion’s image before it’s too late. If you do miss out on such a photo session, though, you can still memorialize your pet with a pet portrait drawn or painted by an artist from one of your own snap shots.
I’ve yet to meet anyone who’s felt they’d wasted their money after doing either of these things. Ali Jarvis of the Sidewalk Dog recently lost her dog Luc, and though she was initially unsure if she could emotionally withstand having her terminally ill boy in a photo, she had Sarah Beth Photography take the pictures. She is now beyond grateful that she did it. The photos allow her to stay connected with her sweet boy forever.
Ali Jarvis and Luc on his last day. Photo by Sarah Beth Photography.
Another great photographer in the Twin Cities area is Becky Kalin, Lucky Mutt Photography; see her website for her terrific portfolio.
A pet portrait by Peggy Krizak
Above is a beautiful sample Wisconsin artist Peggy Krizak’s work. Contact her at Peggy Krizak’s Pet Portraits.
A final plug is due pet portrait artist Jessie Marianiello of Stray Dog Arts. Go to her site to see more of her wonderful work. Below is a favorite of mine by her:
Lou the singing dog, by Jessie Marianiello
All of the aforementioned photographers/artists are fellow members (with me) of the Pet PAC, a networking association of Minnesota pet-related businesses. I can vouch for their abilities and integrity!
This article was posted on the Quirky Japan Blog. I like that it’s not only Westerners who cherish their pets and want to honor them posthumously. It’s another way in which we humans are more alike than different in ways that really count. —Sid
Buddhist Pet Funerals
May 17, 2010 — qjphotos
I hear the word “pettoro-su” (pet loss) surprisingly often these days, and it seems a lot of funeral parlors and graveyards are springing up to help bereaved owners put their loved ones to rest. One of the biggest companies is called Petto Ceremoni- Makoto (Sincere Pet Ceremonies), and it offers a wide range of pet funerals and cremations.
If you want to give your pet a sendoff, they have contracts with Buddhist temples to perform ceremonies.
After the funeral, you can have your pet’s ashes stores in a charnel house. According to their brochure, “The Shou Kannon watches over the charnel house. It’s said to be a Bodhisattva with great compassion, so you’ll be able to feel confident that your beloved pet’s soul is resting in peace through it’s enfolding kindness.” The urn storage service is free the first year, and costs 5,000 yen per year after that.
Here’s an article with more information about pet funerals: http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20090702-152168.html
The following is an article written about a remarkable woman, Micky Golden Moore, founder of Beyond the Paw Print, whose story is a prime example of how facing one’s grief can prove not only healing for one’s self, but also can lead to major positive life changes. Her efforts bring comfort to those who struggle with “disenfranchised grief.”—Sid
May 14 • 2009 A25
It’s Not Therapy
Aspiring grief counselor helps people come together to also grieve for pets.
BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL—entrepreneur
| by Judith Doner Berner
| Special to the Jewish News
Micky Golden Moore: “Pet loss grief is not intended to be compared to the loss of a person. Many times, even close friends and family can be dismissive. Sometimes, the purest love is from an animal. Human relationships are fraught with complications.” Staff photo by Angie Baan
Everyone loses a loved one at some time in their lives. But few take the steps that Micky Golden Moore has to understand their grief.
After the death of her parents, the Metro Detroiter, who graduated from West Bloomfield High School and holds a Ph.D. in speech communication from Wayne State University in Detroit, entered a master’s program in hospice and palliative studies at Madonna University in Livonia. The switch from a career of communications consulting and teaching was
partly a result of the care and comfort she saw her dad, steel executive and Jewish philanthropist Louis H. Golden, receive from West Bloomfield-based Jewish Hospice & Chaplaincy Network (JHCN) when he died in 2003 from a recurrence of cancer.
It was further driven by the depression that Moore suffered when her mom, Sylvia Golden, a lifelong Hadassah member, died three years later. “She was my best friend. I knew that I had to understand what this was,” Moore says. “I’ve always turned to academia to find my answers.”
Moore, a Farmington Hills resident, graduated May 3 from what Madonna heralds as “the only university-based hospice program of its kind in the nation.” She plans a career in grief counseling.
“This program has changed my life,” she says. “I feel very passionate about the opportunity to help others journey through their grief, loss and reconciliation. “Everyone’s grief experience is unique and depends on who died, the nature of the relationship with the deceased and how the individual died. I don’t want anyone that I help to feel isolation. You walk alongside them. You bear witness as they work through the grieving process. There is no magic dust.”
Shifting Sands
Part way through her studies, Moore was prompted by the death of her two cats to begin a support group for others who had lost pets. “Pet loss grief is not intended to be compared to the loss of a person,” she says. But when she wrote a research paper, her findings showed that pet loss is one of the forms of “disenfranchised grief.” Many times, even close friends and family can be dismissive.
“Sometimes, the purest love is from an animal,” Moore says. “Human relationships are fraught with complications.” She formed Beyond the Paw Print LLC and put together a website: www.beyondthepawprint.com. The name is based on the clay paw print that many veterinarians give clients as a remembrance of their pet.
Her bereavement group meets 7-9 p.m. the second Monday of each month at Orchard United Methodist Church, 30450 Farmington Road in Farmington Hills.
“This is not a therapy group,” Moore says. “The goal is to acknowledge and validate the unique nature of each loss.” The page-long Code of Conduct includes asking participants to avoid giving advice or comparing their loss to that of another participant. No pets are allowed. The first meeting in March drew a dozen participants. Ten people came to the second meeting, she says.
Positive Response
Kiirsti Sharp, practice manager of the Hilldale Veterinary Hospital in Southfield, attended as an observer. She saw that those who came “needed Micky’s support and the support of each other. People were hugging each other. They felt understood.”
That was true for Mikki Stein of Farmington Hills who says the sessions have helped her come to terms with the
death of a dog “whose time was not up.”
“People who aren’t animal lovers just don’t want to listen,” Stein says. So when she saw a piece about the support group in a local newspaper, “I felt it was bashert [fate, destiny].”
As Stein shared her story with those who attended, “It was the first time that I felt anybody heard me. It was so uplifting. I felt such a sense of relief.” She’ll continue to attend whenever she can, Stein says. “It’s important to listen to other people the way they listened to you.”
“It was very helpful,” seconds Joely Moss, a Farmington Hills mother of two young children. She went online to find Moore’s support group at the death of the dog that she and her husband had owned since before they had children. “It really feels good to be around people who totally get it,” she says.
The support group is free. Moore’s website also promotes two related businesses — a video pet tribute service and a training program on pet loss for veterinary clinicians.
Dr. David Whitten, DVM, who heads the Hilldale clinic, says Moore conducted a workshop for his staff and developed a grief packet, which they hand out. “We thought we already were doing a good job. She made us even a little smarter.”
On-Task Learning
Moore has earned the confidence of two who are her teachers and mentors.Paul Nguyen, Ph.D., of Karmanos Cancer Institute Hospice in Southfield guides the internship required for her degree and was at her side at the initial pet support group meetings.
“As a facilitator, Micky is very helpful,” Nguyen says. “People enjoy being there because it’s a safe place to deal
with their grief when their family members don’t understand.”
“I’m an advocate for pet loss support,” says Kelly Rhoades, Ph.D., professor and chair of Madonna’s Hospice, Palliative Care and Bereavement Studies program. “It’s relevant to end-of-life care.
“It’s not a loss that’s always validated. To some people, pets are their children. We have to meet people where they are. Micky has taken this to the program level.”
When Moore began her degree, Rhoades says, “She wanted to give back to the hospice program. One of the things I most admire about her is that when she commits to something, she goes far beyond. She wants to learn everything.
“She has a lot of compassion and understanding — and now she has the skills.”
Moore won the Karmanos Cancer Institute Crystal Award as Volunteer of the Year in April 2006 for developing a required workshop for volunteers in the institute’s speakers’ bureau. Her volunteer efforts, she says, “acknowledge and honor my parents’ memory” and “their legacy of giving.”
She credits husband Bud Moore, a financial executive at Ford Motor Company, for “supporting me through each and every single endeavor. Without him, none of this would be possible.” ■
When my mother passed away in 1998, putting together a display for her memorial service was made a million times easier because I’d already made a seven-foot-long Lifetime Banner for her surprise 75th birthday party two years earlier and could simply add the most recent reminiscences to an additional couple of foam boards to make it current. It was a tremendous comfort to feel I was adequately honoring her life with this banner, which included funny and/or touching stories told and photos submitted for that birthday party from friends and family the world over. It was a terrific conversation started and allowed people to creatively express their feelings about my kooky mother. (By the way, her funeral service concluded with a 21-squirt-gun salute that devolved into a water fight! It was PERFECT for her!! Read more about this in Good Grief: Finding Peace After Pet Loss in the “We All Love Lucy” chapter.)
The same is true for our beloved animal companions. If you keep a scrapbook, file folder, memory box, etc. to which you periodically add photos, used-and-abused chew toys/catnip mice, and old collar or tags, bits of fur after a haircut, lost baby teeth, a chewed-up shoe, anecdotes or memories shared on note cards, etc., you’ll not only be making sacred every moment of your pet’s life while he/she is living it, but you’ll save yourself trouble and heartache setting up a memorial service or shrine in his/her honor when your furry/feathered family member does pass on.
Think of it like a child’s baby book or scrap book. You’re not adding things to that with a morbid eye on their eventual death 60–70 years later. You’re highlighting special occasions in the moment to allow for those fond memories to be more vivid any time you wish to revisit them throughout his/her life. It’s no different for your pet. Besides, it’s fun to pull your pet close to you and take out the memory book/box and show him/her, “Look, Ludwig, here’s a picture of when you jumped in your Auntie Diane’s fish pond and then rolled in her newly mulched garden! You were a West Highland “muddy” terrier that day!” (Just don’t let him/her chew or drool on the photos as you show them.)
It can also be a tremendous help to those around you who want to be able to help you when you’re at your most distraught during your grief. Just have them pull out the book/file/box. You can sit together and go through each item, with you explaining the significance of and/or telling stories about each item with your friend’s arm around you and a box of tissues close at hand. Even if you just leave it out for visitors to look through without your direct involvement, it feels good to know your pet is being remembered by another person. Or, if you’re not up to it just yet yourself, you may ask a creative friend to make a nice arrangement of the items for display for a more formal ceremony that other animal-loving friends and family members will attend at a later time (with or without an animal chaplain speaking at it). Believe me, when they’re at a loss as to how best to help you, this can prove a wonderful,tangible way for your friend(s) to show their love and support.
Having a positive thing like this to focus on, though it WILL be linked to tears, is a very healthy activity that encourages expression (as opposed to bottling up) of these emotions while at the same time giving you a sense of purpose. That “purpose,” namely honoring and celebrating your pet’s life, can give you an anchor when your emotions threaten to sweep you away.
I’d love to hear some creative ideas you’ve had in creating a memorial to your pets!
“This book is a must-have for all dog lovers and would make a great gift. There is nothing else like it!
—Dr. Marty Becker, “America’s Veterinarian”
When I couldn’t find the book I wanted for my dogs, I decided to make it myself. This book includes everything you need for your dog, with a records section, a resources section, and tips for understanding your dog better. Click here to look inside the book. Click here to view the book trailer video. Click here to order.
For daily use, travel, and emergencies, this compact book has everything in one place. The Records section has space for vet records, plus everything someone would need to know about your dog. It also includes “Hound Bites”, words of wisdom from the dogs themselves. The Resources section includes information on how to use a microchip effectively, how to prevent your dog from getting lost, how to make a disaster plan for your family and pets (with info from Noahs’ Wish,), traveling with your dog, basic first aid tips, and more. Features include a hard cover, concealed wire-o binding to lay flat for writing, archive-quality pages for inserting photos, tabbed pages marking individual sections, and a sealed pocket for storing important records. And… it’s MADE IN THE U.S.A.!!
The Not Without My Dog Resource & Record Book is available at the special online price of $25 through April 30th (suggested retail price $28.95). Save $12.95 when you purchase the Not Without My Dog Resource & Record Book with the award-winning 8 State Hurricane Kate: The Journey and Legacy of a Katrina Cattle Dog (usually $18.95)—buy both books for just $34.95 through April 30th. Books are expected to ship in June. You may also donate a book to the Humane Society of Louisiana or Noah’s Wish (free shipping for donated books). Available from 8 State Kate Press exclusively at www.8StateKate.net.
Click here to order.
Determining when it’s time to end the life of your dearest nonhuman friend is always excruciatingly painful, so for some people, providing hospice care/pain management to a terminally ill pet is a viable alternative. Obviously, hospice may not be appropriate or even possible in every instance, but for those with the capacity and courage to let nature run its course while mitigating any pain or discomfort being experienced by their pet, it may provide a unique and powerful bonding experience.
Note, I am not advocating hospice in cases wherein the animal’s suffering is being prolonged simply because the human being, due to fear of loss or sheer selfishness, demands that the pet stay around just for them. A fine line separates the two circumstances, and it is important for people to have a strong support system to turn to for validation and support for a difficult but loving decision to supply hospice care for their companion or, alternately, to provide them with a stern shaking to wake them to the truth of what they’re doing when that decision becomes detrimental to both human and animal.
A case in point for the latter is found in the client of a friend of mine. This lady has spent $80,000+ and extended the suffering of her paralyzed 125-pound German shepherd for more than a year, although he continually urinates blood clots and has to be carried to the car (by people hired to do this task) to go to the vet two to three times per week.
There is absolutely no quality of life there for this poor dog, but she is keeping him alive as long as medical science (and her bank balance) exists to allow it. This is NOT what is intended by hospice care! This is animal cruelty from a woman whose denial is so profound she refuses to acknowledge that her pet deserves a peaceful release. My friend and her staff have repeatedly tried to make this woman aware of the error of her ways, but so far it has been to no avail. I believe that deeper underlying psychological issues are plaguing this woman and she could benefit from professional counseling, but as we all know, we cannot help those who refuse to accept their need for it.
Albeit an extreme case, I think it illustrates an important point about how easily a well-intentioned act can become terribly wrong.
The following ezine article “Grieving the Loss of a Pet – 5 Questions to Ask Yourself When Considering Hospice Care For Your Pet” by Deborah A. was what spurred my discussion of hospice in the first place:
Most pet owners develop a special bond with their pet, and if they learn that their pet has a terminal illness, they may not be ready to think about euthanasia. Providing hospice care until an animal dies, can be an alternative to euthanasia. Hospice means to give pain control and physical and emotional comfort care, rather than to provide a cure. Hospice care also gives the owner more time in grieving the pet loss.
Hospice care is provided by the pet owner and any available family, in the familiar surroundings the pet is used to. The idea is to minimize visits to the veterinarian, thus lessening feelings of anxiety in the pet. Not too many pets enjoy visits to their doctors’ office! By continuing to care for your pet in his/her final days, you will have more time to come to terms with the continual deterioration and say good-bye in your own manner.
Your veterinarian and other office staff will provide the training necessary to have hospice care in the home. Regularly scheduled phone conversations should be arranged so that your pet’s condition can be evaluated and revisions made as needed. When considering if hospice care is the correct choice, it may help to ask the following five questions:
1) do you have the capacity, support, and time needed to care for a pet that may need to be cleaned up, turned, given medicine, unable to stand, or has stopped eating and drinking?
2) is it possible to control your pet’s pain?
3) are you going to feel secure in learning to give your pet a shot?
4) are all family members unanimous in their decision to provide hospice care?
5) did you decide on hospice because of ambivalence about euthanasia, or does your pet show signs of still getting pleasure out of life?
Grieving a pet loss is not an experience anyone wants to go through. However, providing hospice care to a your pet – a valued member of the family – can allow your pet’s death to be a more gentle and loving process.
Deborah A. is an animal lover with a special interest in helping others cope after the loss of a pet. Are you trying to move past the grief of your pet’s death? CLICK HERE or go to: http://www.petlosshelp.info to get more tips and relief in coping with your pet loss.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Deborah_A.
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