The Petcast

Gemma Atkinson is joined by Diane James, Manager of the Blue Cross Pet Bereavement Support Service, and First Dates’ Laura Tott, to talk about how to cope with the loss of a much-loved pet. 

Laura knows first-hand what a difficult experience grieving for a pet can be. She lost her beloved dog Lucy in early 2019 when she was shot and killed whilst on a country walk. Laura opens up about how she felt about Lucy’s death at the time and how she has since come to terms with her passing. 

Diane shares her expert insight on how all pet owners can deal with the grief experienced when a pet passes away; how it’s ok if your family/partner grieve differently; as well as how to navigate the feelings of guilt. “Guilt is the most common thing that comes up when we speak to people, or work with them", says Diane. "Did I do enough? Was it too soon? Could I have gone somewhere else? When I signed the paperwork at the vets to have them euthanised, was it right? Guilt is a massive part for people who are grieving for their animals.”

Diane and Gemma also cover the challenging subjects of missing or stray pets, and also how to cope with the loss of a pet through the breakdown of a relationship. 

To find out more about this episode and the services Blue Cross provides, go to https://www.bluecross.org.uk/podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gemma is joined by Ryan Neile, Head of the Blue Cross Behaviour service to talk about how to adapt when introducing a new pet into your home. Also, actress, yoga instructor and personal trainer, Gemma Merna shares her personal experience of integrating third pup, Paige, into her family with her two other dogs - and talks of how her two St Bernard’s helped her overcome a fear of big dogs.

Ryan shares his expert insight on what all pet owners should know and understand before welcoming a new pet into their home, and offers his best tips and tricks for how the process can be made as smooth as possible.

“We need to relax and not make the process too intense", Ryan says; "If we have too high expectations of a pet coming into our home, and automatically understanding the routine, then it can be very stressful for everyone”

Ryan and the two Gemmas talk about how to nurture the owner/pet relationship, the importance of treating all pets as individuals, as well as how to best understand the unique, subtle language that pets will try and communicate to us with.

To find out more about this episode and the services Blue Cross provides, go to https://www.bluecross.org.uk/podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gemma Atkinson is joined by Tracy Genever, Blue Cross’ Head of Education, and star of Strictly Come Dancing and bona fide dog lover, Karen Hauer, to talk all about pets and wellbeing. 

Tracy talks about all the amazing physical and mental health benefits pet ownership can bring. How pets can truly be the best medicine (and even lead to a decrease in visits to the GP!), as well as how choosing the right pet can have a significant impact on self-esteem and help people to counteract feelings of loneliness: “Pets can make a house a home, they can make us relax, and they can make us laugh. When we are low, they can lift our spirits.”

Strictly professional Karen opens up about how she feels adopting her three dogs Betty, Marley, and Phoebe has given her an even greater sense of purpose and has positively impacted her mental health and wellbeing. Alongside sharing how she credits first dog, Betty, for picking her up during a particularly challenging time and ‘saving her’. 

As well as exploring how pets can help us with our wellbeing, Gemma, Tracy, and Karen also discuss how to make sure that our pets’ mental health is kept front of mind – as well as the warning signs (across different species) we should look out for which might indicate distress. 

To find out more about this episode and the services Blue Cross provides, go to https://www.bluecross.org.uk/podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kayleigh Hill, Manager of the Greater Manchester Rehoming and Advice Unit (RAU) joins Gemma Atkinson to talk about how to match the perfect pet, to their perfect owner. Kayleigh’s centre is one of 34 RAUs run by Blue Cross across the UK. Collectively, they rehomed 9000 pets in 2019.  

Understanding how to choose the right pet to fit with your lifestyle is vitally important for all prospective pet owners. In this episode, Gemma quizzes Kayleigh on all the things people should think about before bringing a pet into their home – and shares her own experiences of living with her beloved dogs, Norman and Ollie. 

Kayleigh shares her expert insight on the factors Blue Cross will consider before rehoming a pet as well as the first, all important, question everyone should ask themselves at the start of the adoption process - ‘how much time do I have to give the animal?’ "And not just during the week", says Kayleigh, "Think about how often you go away on holiday, for example. That’s something that people often don’t factor in and consider. Do you imagine your pet going on holiday with you? Or, if not, have you got friends and family that can look after them.”

For more information on this episode and Blue Cross' rehoming services, go to https://www.bluecross.org.uk/podcast. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.