Children and Hospice Care

     You brought a pet into your home for your children, so they would have a companion to love and play with, from whom they could learn responsibility and nurturing, and now your pet is  sick and dying...

• Have you made a terrible mistake?
• Should you hide the illness?
• Should you keep your child away from the dying animal? 

A Quote for Thanksgiving Day

The greatest tribute to the dead is not grief but gratitude.

~ Thornton Wilder              

The Misconception of the Failing Body

     What the physical bodies of creatures of all sorts do to prepare for death is nothing less than amazing and it always strikes me as wrong to describe that process as a failure. 

Quote for the Day

Dogs have a way of finding the people who need them, Filling an emptiness we don't even know we have.

                                ~ Thom Jones                            

Make Memories, Create A Ritual and Let it Out

     A lot of research has been done in the area of grief - what is healthy grief, how can we help people mourn, what tools work for the bereaved.  This research has benefited many who have lost loved ones.

     Grieving for your pet is no different.  The average mourning period for a companion animal is 10 months - only slightly shorter than the one year typically associated with mourning for a person. 

Quote for the Day

[K]now that everything in life has purpose. There are no mistakes, no coincidences, all events are blessings given to us to learn from.

                                            - Elisabeth Kubler-Ross               

        

It's supposed to be hard

     When your pet is ill and dying, it is very difficult.  Your heart breaks to see your friend in pain or suffering in any way.  You feel helpless.  You struggle with the unknowing of what is to come and what you can do.  You want it to be over, yet would do anything to have your pet healthy and young again.

     It is hard.  It is supposed to be hard.

Introduction

     Welcome to the New England Pet Hospice blog.  Here you will find information, support, suggestions and guidance as you and your family face the end of your pet’s life – whether through age, illness, disease or injury.  We work with individuals and families through the illness, death and grieving periods.

     This time will surely be difficult for you and your family.  There are ways, however, to transform the experience to something meaningful for your animal and your family.  Your family can come together and grow, emerging stronger, with a greater connection to each other and better tools to cope with other losses in the future.

     Your pet has taught you and your family many things over the years and given you endless gifts.  Caring for your animal through his or her last months and days is both your gift to your pet and your pet's final, enduring gift to your family.

     We hope you find this blog helpful and welcome your comments, ideas, suggestions and requests.