You don’t have to carry this alone.

Working in a shelter for a decade, I was exposed to it all — hard cases, sudden emergencies, happy adoptions, and desperate losses, sometimes all within one day. In some cases, I was responsible for performing euthanasia, and as the manager, I was responsible for making those decisions. Although that was usually relatively easy for me because I was honoured to relieve suffering for animals who could not be helped, some cases built up in ways I didn't expect.

I've also loved and lost my own animals. I know the grief that comes with that — the guilt, the complex feelings, and the way others sometimes don't understand why it hits so hard. After losing my shepherd, Zelda, I found real relief in counselling. That experience changed the way I carry grief, and it's part of why I do this work.

I want that for you. I know many pet grievers who push the memories down so they no longer hurt — but in the process, we lose connection, making it more painful. I also know first responders and shelter workers who plug through each day with anger or resentment sealing off the wounds. It doesn't have to be this way.

The hardest step can be reaching out for help. But you deserve to lighten your load and shift into a new way of carrying what you've been through. We can't erase what happened — but we can shift it from dark to light.