“Mourning her absence was breathtaking in a literal sense; it took the wind out of me,” writes Sara Bader about the grief she felt with the death of her best friend. She was not talking about a person; she was writing about her cat, Snowflake, a constant and faithful companion. Pets are like our family, so when one dies the loss can feel immeasurable. But often, society places little value on that grief: “It’s just an animal. Why don’t you get another?” Yet, the death of a faithful, longtime companion, whether dog, cat, bird or other creature, great or small, can leave a void that is hard to fill. We’ll talk about grieving our pets and how to help them across the rainbow bridge.
Guests:
Sara Bader, author, "The Book of Pet Love and Loss"
Jennifer Scarlett, DVM and CEO, San Francisco SPCA; veterinarian
Jill Goodfriend, registered nurse and licensed clinical social worker - Goodfriend leads Berkeley Humane's pet loss support group and specializes in pet loss and grief in her practice