Blog
Grieving as an experience?
How are you helping families to create an experience of grieving and honoring their deceased pet? It´s been a rough week with the loss of my beautiful Golden Retriever, Mike The Dog. As a pet care professional, I´ve companioned literally thousands of families through...
Guiding a family through the loss of their pet
Families "don´t know what they don´t know" when it comes to their options for memorializing the loss of their pet. As a pet parent, it´s so difficult to instinctively know what the options are to honor a precious little pet when they die. In our North American...
What is your vision for your pet loss program?
Without vision, and without seeing your business with fresh eyes, what are you truly seeing? "The most pathetic person in the world is someone who has sight, but has no vision." Author and Educator, Helen Keller. As always, with Helen Keller, a very profound...
Work Hard for Your Families
Your families and veterinary partners deserve fabulous service! While daily business practices will see challenges, these challenges can be met and dealt with successfully by keeping in mind the most infamous radio station, WII - FM. "What´s In It For Me." As a...
Pet Parents Will Want You to Do What You Say
Remember, people will judge you by your actions, not your intentions. You may have a heart of gold -- but so does a hard-boiled egg. -- Anonymous Pet Parents deserve service - and that´s what they will expect of you in your pet death care business. If you "intend" for...
The importance of listening,…
We were given two ears and one mouth for a wonderful reason! When I get ready to talk to people, I spend two thirds of the time thinking what they want to hear and one third thinking about what I want to say. Abraham Lincoln, the 16th U.S. president. Powerful, isn´t...
Today I celebrate My Precious Little Girl!
On this day, Mico´s birthday, I celebrate her and what she brought to my life! I remember the day in May, 1998, when I brought her home. She was all of two pounds - and feisty! Guessing at her age as she had been dropped off at the shelter, in a box on the front door,...
Grief Education for Your Clients
Give them the learning that they are searching for! Tom Rood most recently sent me the following thoughts on the Pet Loss Grief Education that I shared with his staff and veterinary clients: “We brought Coleen Ellis into our Royal Oak, Michigan, location to provide a...
Honoring Your Story
The candles represent such warmth as our precious pets are honored.The memorial service at the Center for Loss was so special. To hear the beautiful stories of those precious little pets was so touching. As everyone took their turn, it was obvious that the grief...
How to decide on the final arrangements for your pet
How to decide on the final arrangements for your pet When your pet dies, what are the final arrangement options that are right for you?One of life´s inevitable events, the death of their beloved pet, will leave any pet parent reeling with what the options are. Knowing...
Creating Memories
Creating MemoriesWhat to do today to create memories for tomorrow Today´s technology makes it so much easier to secure "memories!" As I look back on the life that I shared with Mico - I am so grateful for the photos! But, I miss the fact that I did not have an imprint...
Making A Tribute Special
Making A Tribute SpecialHow do you sum up the life shared with your special pet to create a truly unique and special memorialization piece.For so many families, when they are designing an urn or a special memorial piece, the whole concept can become overwhelming as...
For the New Year, Please Give Me Strength
With the New Year, my grief journey continues,.... Dear Father, as I look up, I see Baby New Year staring directly at me. With the New Year, I am reminded that another year is approaching, taking me further away from that day in April, 2002, and the loss of Mico, my...
Remembering our loves,….
Holding close the memories,... Giving thanks for the memories,...She hated it when I made her do this! But, being the good sport that she was, she´d always oblige! However, there was the pay off - she would always get extra treats for playing Mommy´s crazy dress-up...
Remember the Reason for the Season!
Mommy´s Christmas Gift! I am so thankful for their love,....To all of you- I trust your holiday season is blessed. For me - I am so thankful for the love of my babies. Their unconditional love is full of lessons on forgiveness and love. Thank you, My Creator, for...
Do their spirits stay with us?
Do their spirits stay with us?When we are so connected to our pets - I just know that they stay with us!My Baby Girl! I have loved her since the first time that I laid eyes on her in May of 1989! We had a wonderful journey together - for 14 years. Fourteen years of...
Do our pets talk?
My Little Lady Ellie is such a little lady,... every time I do something for her, I can hear her gratitude! I know they talk,... While all of the babies have their own "language," Ellie in particular is the most polite of them all. As I´ve done a thousand times,...
The Unconditional Love – I Love It!
The Unconditional Love – I Love It!It sure does make any day better, doesn´t it?You know, sometimes you just have "one of those days." Maybe nothing goes wrong but you´re just not quite on the top of your game. Happened to me this week.What made it all better? My four...
How Much Can We Love?
How Much Can We Love?Do our hearts ever get too full of love?As I sit here with a hot cup of tea, I can feel my heart pounding with all of the love that it feels. Two weeks ago, I added the fourth "fur-child" to our home - and our hearts are just so elated with love!...
“Anthropomorphism”,… are we guilty?
Anthropomorphism” are we guiltyIs this you? I know it´s me!I learned a new word this week - "anthropomorphism" - attributing human characteristics to animals. Well, yes, that´s me! And, I´m proud of it. However, while some people think that this is nuts - I´m...
Our time together is short and precious,…
Our time together is short and preciousWhere-oh-where does the time go?I found this picture of Crisco taken on the day that we brought him home, six years ago,... he was all of a pound and we lovingly deemed him “Blobby Boy!” I look at that photo today and it feels...