Wendy Andrew is a lifelong animal lover and vegetarian for over 30+ years. After leaving her job with the police, she became a dog walker and pet bereavement counselor. Through her years of work in this field, Wendy quickly realized this form of grief was often dismissed by employers, family, and friends. In this week's episode, Wendy shares how the loss of a pet is no joke and can be quite traumatizing for our wellbeing.

Key Takeaways:

• Pet bereavement is often dismissed or mocked by society.
• How did Wendy get into pet bereavement counseling?
• Pets give you unconditional love and when they pass, your own health can deteriorate too.
• Our pets are a constant in our lives and it can affect us much more than a person passing away.
• What are some of the positive ways to mourn your pet in a way that honors them?
• When does it make sense to discard pet toys or bowls of a passed away pet?
• So many pet owners get stuck with guilt in their grieving process.
• When is it okay to get another pet?
• Getting a new pet doesn't replace a previous one, it just makes your heart bigger.
• Employers do need to be compassionate when an employee loses a lifelong pet.
• Do pets also experience grief?
• Wendy shares some last thoughts on how to best manage the grief when you've lost a pet.

Resources:

How To Recover From Pet Loss: Supporting You On Your Journey To Acceptance by Wendy Andrew

Website - www.thescottishpetbereavementcounsellingservice.com

Email - [email protected]

Facebook - @thescottishpetbereavementcounsellingservice

Instagram - @the_spbcs

Twitter - @The_SPBCS