Photo by Natasha Cara Animal rescue is exhausting, to put it mildly. We encounter situations that cause us to question humanity, and it takes a heavy emotional toll to see pets being discarded like an outfit that has gone out of style. Pet overpopulation is at crisis levels, and healthy animals are being euthanized simply because there isn't enough space to house them. I understand why people are angry and quick to judge those who surrender their pets, but somewhere along the

So many “what-ifs.” So many “I shouldn’t haves.” So many wishes for do-overs. "Charter" Photo by Scarlett Blackiston If I had a...

Photo courtesy of The Senior Dog Sanctuary of Maryland It is heartbreaking to hear stories of pets losing their homes and families and...

Photo by author After my dog died, I cried all of the time. I didn't just cry; I wore my tears as a badge of honor. I took pride in the...

People often ask my advice on when to bring a new pet into their lives after losing their beloved companion. A little housekeeping before getting started… There are many ways to acquire a pet, but for simplicity, I use the term adopt to describe the process of bringing a new pet into your life. When I refer to “losing a pet,” I am referring not only to loss by death, but also literally losing your pet. The latter adds an additional layer to this decision because there is no

Photo by Erin Scott of Believe in Dog Podcast When it comes to pet loss, pet parents often have to make hard decisions on behalf of their...

After working on this site for years, it recently occurred to me that the best place to start processing loss is before your pet dies....

“…The greatest gift he gave me: To love so much that the mess around me didn’t matter.” Photo by author I didn’t expect to fall in love;...

I fell in love with a dying dog Photo by author Today is the first anniversary of Dusty’s death. I adopted him at age 14, and he was my...

I first tried it in the Pet ER Photo by EKATERINA BOLOVTSOVA from Pexels I had a routine that anchored me during the extended time Tovi...

I regret not adopting you Photo by Honest Paws on Unsplash My brother got a puppy yesterday, to whom I am a proud auntie. If I am being honest, I’m more elated with the new puppy than when my nephew was born. Maybe because I feel closer to Marc than my other brother, or perhaps because I like dogs more than people. Marc waited 20 years to be in the right place in his life to take on this responsibility because he wanted insisted on doing everything the “right way.” He remind

About twenty years ago I briefly traveled to Israel during my sophomore year of college. During that trip my best friend and I met a...