The Companions Collective

I’m sharing some important news about the future of this podcast. I appreciate each and every one of you who has listened, shared and supported the show.” I’ve come to a decision that has been difficult but necessary: there will be no more episodes of The Companions Collective. 2024 has thrown us a lot of curveballs here at Chez Bella, making life a little more challenging lately. My baby girl is...

Hand2Paw is a nonprofit that connects homeless youth with meaningful employment opportunities in animal shelters. In this week's episode, we chat with Penny Ellison, Hand2Paw’s leader and passionate animal advocate, about how this innovative program is changing lives and creating a brighter future for young people facing homelessness. Penny shares her journey from a corporate law career to ded...

Crates can be … ah … not the most attractive piece of furniture in your home. But some people find them quite useful in training and containing their dogs. So why not have a crate that becomes a part of your décor? That's where Danny Nathan comes in. He's the founder and CEO of Apollo 21, a company that sits at the intersection of a business consultancy, a product design studio and a ventu...

You're not weird if you see a dog in a muzzle and think, "He's so scary looking." You're not weird if you see a dog in a muzzle, pick up your chihuahua and hurriedly cross the street. But you might be wrong. Kylee Doyle of Kylee Doyle Photography in Sacramento, California, has embarked on an incredibly meaningful personal project: photographing dogs in their muzzles. She hope...

Do you end up with a wooly ball of anxiety every time you have to go to the vet? I do. In fact, we've been having to go to a lot of appointments lately as arthritis has set in with the knee Bella had TPLO surgery on last year. Now … we adore our general practice vet here in Spokane Valley but if Latah Creek Animal Hospital was a little bit closer, I would be seriously considering a switch. Bas...

I get so fired up when I connect with someone who wants to talk about the deeper meaning for dogs in our lives. Like when I chat with a fellow believer that dogs teach us who we are and who we need to be. It didn't take long before I was mesmerized with Saro Boghozian's words. After becoming a certified dog trainer through The College of Canine Behavioral Science, Saro quickly recognized h...

I know you know what I'm talking about when I say sometimes our veterinarians aren't the best communicators. Hell's bells, Dani McVety told us as much on the podcast last fall. They're introverts. They'd rather be dealing with our animals, not us. So sometimes they tell us a lot of words that go in one ear and out the other. Or we run home and start Googling, doing our best to...

We've spent a lot of time on this podcast talking about grief over the loss of our beloved companion animals. Much of the content has revolved around anticipatory grief and the loss of a pet due to a terminal illness or old age. But there are many more types of loss pet guardians can face. Runaways. Accidents. Surrenders. Custody battles. Behavioral euthanasia. And they all carry with them tra...

Diana Lundin's journey from journalist to dog photographer has been a winding one, filled with challenges and personal growth. Now she's bringing her life full circle, joining journalism and dog photography together to shine a spotlight on the way climate change is affecting our animal species. She leaped at a recent volunteer opportunity that took her on an adventurous cross-country road...

In a world where power dynamics often leave us feeling disempowered and disconnected, Carmen Theobald has found a unique, transformative way to help humans reclaim their personal power and reconnect with their true selves. Through her work at Horse Sense North, Carmen harnesses the healing power of horses to guide individuals on a journey toward empowerment and authenticity. At Horse Sense North,...

Today is a throwback to this podcast's roots in the grief we endure when our best fur friends die. My good Beth Bigler and I had this chat before I decided to rebrand the pod and expand the subject matter beyond that niche. As I continued to study grief, it struck me that a number of folks out there might not seek professional help with their grief for the pet. We exist in a world where our so...

The transformative power of therapy animals with Mary Margaret Callahan of Pet Partners We pet guardians see our companion animals as more than just animals, creatures with four legs roaming around our homes or yards, waiting for their next dinner. Many of us see them as family … some of us, as our children. Still more of us look at them as vital sources of therapy and emotional support. Our best...

Have you taken an Enneagram test? What number are you? Today we welcome pet loss grief coach Wendy van de Poll and Pant the Town Photography's Darlene Woodward who explore the profound connection between the Enneagram and navigating the emotional journey of losing a beloved pet. Wendy shares her unique approach to pet loss grief, which combines her extensive experience in animal communication,...

According to her business's Facebook page Brittni Heywood spreads  contagious kindness. And fitness for dogs. Brittni is the owner of Potential Unleashed in Kuna, Idaho … heyo, just down the road from me … and she is dedicated to improving dog behavior, manners and fitness. That's right, she's a dog trainer. With a twist. Sure, she'll teach humans how to get our dogs to sit, stay a...

Her first spoken word was "cat." Even before she said "mama" and "dada." And the cat didn't even like her. Today's guest is Tracy Munson, my good friend from lower shebobia New Brunswick. Lower shebobia … ha … it's technically Hillsborough, New Brunswick, a small community about a half hour south of Moncton and right on the Petitcodiac River. About a three...

Spray-dried plasma is the new kid on the scene of pet health supplements. What is it? It's a powder formed by exposing the liquid part of blood to high heat. The process preserves the bioactive components of plasma that offering numerous benefits for our companion animals, from joint health to immune function. And it's the key active ingredient in WinProPet products. Tim Mitchum, president...

Things are going to change around here. Said not in the tone my father used to say those words ... The topics of grief, loss and pet loss grief are heavy, and I understand that not every episode is easy to listen to, especially if you're in grief. It's taken its toll on me too. To care better care of myself, we're rebranding from One Last Network to The Companions Collective and divers...

Lynn Sehnert of Lance and Lili Photography covering the Washington, D.C., area takes the mic today and interviews Jessey Scheip, a licensed veterinary technician with a specialty in behavior. Jessey also has training certification from the Karen Pryor Academy and has worked with Dr. Amy Pike of the Animal Behavior Wellness Center in Fairfax, Virginia. That's where Lynn met Jessey, looking for...

You may have heard of animal chaplains. They are spiritual caregivers who provide support and comfort to individuals who are grieving the loss of a beloved companion animal or who are facing difficult decisions related to their pets' health and wellbeing. And then there's Scott Campbell, veterinary chaplain. Veterinary chaplains are rare in the United States. Scott is one of just a handful...

Are we doing better? And can we do better yet? These are the questions I had for Dr. Dani McVety, the cofounder of Lap of Love Veterinary Hospice and In-Home Euthanasia with Dr. Mary Gardner. Lap of Love is a national network of veterinary doctors who offer hospice care and peaceful euthanasia in the comfort of a pet's home. When Dani was prepping a family for a euthanasia one night at the eme...

I've struggled a while with addressing this topic. I don't have human children, never wanted one. So who was I to host a podcast on how to talk to kids about the family pet dying? But I remembered that all I had to do was put on my old journalist hat and ask the right questions. First question: who can answer those questions? Of course, my good friend Coleen Ellis of Two Hearts Pet Loss Ce...

Losing a pet is a profound experience that often leaves us grappling with overwhelming emotions. Today, I'm giving you permission to cry on your journey of pet loss grief and standing up for the need to normalize grieving for a pet. In a world that often tells us to toughen up and hide our emotions, it's time to challenge the stigma surrounding tears, especially when it comes to grieving t...

You might not want to believe what I'm about to tell you … brace yourself. Running an animal rescue isn't all glamour, snuggles and magical puppy breath. I know, right? Shocking. Running an animal rescue can be incredibly challenging, logistically and emotionally. On one hand, there's an immense satisfaction and joy in providing a safe haven for animals in need, giving them a chance at...

I'm a word nerd. I took linguistics courses toward my bachelor's degree and I've been a professional writer for more than 30 years. Words matter to me. And recently I've been spending a lot of time thinking about the language and words we use around death, loss and grief, particularly when we're talking about our companion animals. So I brought back my fellow word nerd and frie...

Erica's back! Erica Messer is the genius behind Wolfie's Wish, an online resource for pet guardians in grief. It started with a deck of cards, simple pieces of guidance or affirmations that a grieving pet guardian can look to for a little help in getting through the day. In The Art of Shuffling the Deck , we chatted about Erica's journey through pet loss grief after losing her beloved...