What is Your Pet Chaplain or Pet Companion Support Wisdom?

When we had to take our 18 year old tabby, a "family member", to be put to sleep the staff at our vets' practice couldn't have been more supportive. They were very gentle and sensitive throughout the process. Some days later they got in touch to say their door was always open if we needed to talk to someone about our loss. The senior nurse was particularly sweet saying she felt our relationships with animals are often of much more value to us than those with many humans!

An animal chaplain would be another source of support, I suppose. I'd just hope it wouldn't become yet another way of making money out of vulnerable people.

No, sorry, pets are pets, much loved, granted, but never human. I have always had pets and have always lived by the premis that while there is life, there is hope. But there is a time to let go. My DGC´s hamster is poorly now, my DGd is distraught, but, honestly, she needs to learn about life and death. We will not be calling a "pet chaplain" in for a hamster, we will deal with it as it comes. Only a generation or two ago, domestic animals were completely dispensable, my aunt had a guard dog chained to a kennel in her garden those dogs were fed leftovers from the kitchen and only lived for a couple of years.

The pictures that OP has included feature some stuffed animals (taxidermy), notably the parrot with its wing around the mouse.

I had to look up what a 'pet chaplain' was and came up with this:

"An animal chaplain is someone who provides spiritual and religious support for most notably when a pet passes on, but also for welcoming ceremonies and other blessings"

I suppose it depends on your faith, but I would not mix my Christian faith with the loss of animals. They are a huge part of the family, and we grieve horribly when they go, but they are not people, and we do not need to give them baptisms, weddings and funerals. By all means hold a small event where you remember them before burying them, but I wouldn't bring religion into it. But maybe that's just me, whatever helps you?

Pet chaplain!!!??? I've heard everything now!!

lived loved

I haven't had any experience of a pet chaplain ANEWSAGE however my daughter is a mental health community nurse and took a pet bereavement course. This has enabled her to help her older patients when they lose their companion pets. She was also a comfort to me when I lost two much lived dogs recently.