Having simultaneously been entrenched in various forms of grief related to pet loss over the years, I initially became fascinated with the topic as a desperate attempt to help myself. It began in 2018 following the death of whom I endearingly refer to as my "soul dog," and then, subsequently, an entirely new type of grief related to not connecting with my next dog. ​Let's just say it was a bad time in my life, and I didn't feel safe talking about it outside the walls of my therapist's office. My journey began eight years ago and continues today. I never intended for pet loss to become my passion, but here I am. And I love being here.

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I was 24 when I adopted my "soul dog," Tovi. I was in graduate school, living alone for the first time in a studio apartment the size of a shoebox and furnished by the FREE section of Craigslist. Tovi died shortly after I turned 37 and, by then, had walked me down the aisle at my first wedding and served as my husband's Best Dog at the next. We experienced countless moves, milestones, and ordinary moments in between the bookends of his life.

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His companionship enriched my life in ways I could have never imagined. He was truly the love of my life, my once-in-a-lifetime dog. He gave me the best days of my life, and when he died, the worst.  EVERYTHING changed. It felt like life split into the Before and After. My grief became even more complicated when I struggled to attach to the subsequent dog I adopted.  Both were tremendous losses—the loss of what was, and the loss of what I expected life with a dog to be. Over time, New Dog and I worked through our challenges, and I learned that every time we fall in love, it's a different experience.

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I have a Master's Degree in Counseling Psychology with additional training in grief. I entered the field because I found it interesting academically, but it wasn't a good fit in practice.  Being a clinician literally gave me mini panic attacks several times a day (exaggerating a little, but it was a bad time in my life), and after twelve long years in the field, I let it go in 2019. I've never felt mentally better. This is my long-winded way of letting you know I cannot be here to counsel you, but I have tons of resources for professionals who can. 

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Throughout my life, I've been involved in the animal rescue community as both a volunteer and foster mom. I later worked as an Adoption Counselor, where I encountered an entirely new aspect of loss: The grief (and stigma) around rehoming a pet and behavioral euthanasia. Today, I volunteer as an Intake Specialist at my county's municipal shelter, where I help people find resources to keep their pets, and when rehoming is necessary, I compassionately support them through the process.

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I live in Baltimore with my husband, a cat named Mou, and two dogs, Fred & Ethel. They enjoy hiking, indulging in Bully Sticks, and are avid Lambchop collectors. In my free time, I love practicing Bikram Yoga, hiking, reading, writing (clearly), thrifting, intimate coffee-shop conversations, and Hallmark Christmas movies.

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