You are likely experiencing what may feel like the hardest goodbye. You made the kindest choice by letting your beloved pet go peacefully with mercy and dignity. Thank you for trusting me with such a sensitive moment.
As a way of supporting you, we have assembled helpful resources, and have attached them below. Grief is a natural process that is completely unique to each person experiencing it. Grieving allows us to begin to heal from a profound loss, while also helping us to envision how to move forward without our animal companion by our side. There is no right way to do it, no correct way it unfolds, and no specific amount of time it will take. How you grieved in the past may look very different from how you grieve at this moment in time. We know that the coming days will bring many difficult and sometimes confusing emotions, but we hope your heart will also be filled with love and peace.
If at any point in time you wish to write down a memorial post for your pet, please feel free to email us this along with a favorite photo and we will publish this on our memorial page for you. Sometimes writing can be helpful – I wrote a memorial 3 years after my heart dog passed, and it was tremendously helpful even then – to put it into words just how much I miss her. There is no deadline – and it is completely optional. If it is next week or next year, we are more than willing to share about them.
A link to our memorial page can be found here: https://snowshoevet.ca/category/memorials/
Your words may help others find comfort. If you would like to share your experience regarding our service, you may do so here: https://g.page/r/Ce4sTbOwS1FfEBM/review
Additional Grief Resources:
Pet Parent Grief Support Website: https://www.petparentgriefsupport.com/
Access a grief counselor: 1-844-472-9588
Canadian Mental Health Association: website
Alberta Mental Health Services: 1-877-303-2642
OVC Pet Trust – Pet Loss Support: website
Books about pet loss & grief – reading list (kids and adults): PDF Link
If someone you love, or you, are currently in a personal crisis call the Crisis Response Centre at 1-403-266-4357 or 911 if any person is in imminent danger.
If there is anything else we can do to support you, please feel free to respond to this email or text us at 403-586-9780.
With deepest sympathy,
Dr. Brenna Sakatch