The Companions Collective

We're back with Dr. Kyle Bohland from the Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Center. Last week, we talked about the behavioral issues that seems to be becoming more common in our companion animals. Today, we're exploring the complex issue of behavioral euthanasia. We talk about the signs that might prompt such a decision and the factors involved in the process. Dr. Bohland emphasizes...

We spend a lot of time talking about the grief we experience as pet guardians whose companion animals have grown old or become terminally ill. There are other types of loss and grief, though, that pet guardians can experience. Many carry with them elevated levels of trauma -- sudden death, runaways, theft, loss of custody due to the end of a relationship -- and I would love to interview someone on...

The Dog Aging Project is a groundbreaking initiative that seeks to unravel the mysteries of aging in dogs and, by extension, gain insights into the aging process in humans. Launched in 2018, this collaborative effort involves researchers from various institutions, including the University of Washington School of Medicine and Texas A&M University. The project is designed to be the most extensiv...

Did you know February is Pet Dental Health Month? Vets clinics across North America dedicate their marketing programs to raising awareness about the importance of oral hygiene in our pets. Just like us, our pets can suffer from such dental issues as plaque buildup, gum disease and tooth decay. If we take proactive steps, though, we can prevent these and ensure our pets' overall well-being. I&#...

Joy is a stupid word. Or at least it feels that way when you're living with grief. Very little feels like "joy" or "happiness" when you're bound by this complexity of navigating a whole new world without your companion animal. Our host, Angela Schneider of Big White Dog Photography in Spokane, Washington, explores the challenges we face in grief, especially when we'...

Losing our pets is a deeply emotional experience, and navigating the grief that follows is an essential aspect of self-care. Pets become precious members of our families, offering unconditional love and companionship. Coping with their loss requires acknowledging and processing the complex emotions that arise. Our own self-care during pet loss grief becomes crucial. Our grief isn't just overwh...

Facing the holidays while grieving the loss of your pet can be an emotionally challenging experience. Our companion animals hold a special place in our hearts, serving as best friends, the most important member of our support network and a huge source of unconditional love. During the holiday season, traditions and celebrations may trigger memories of shared moments with our pets, intensifying the...

Welcome to One Last Network and the Art of Being Kind to Your Vet. Dr. Lianna Titcombe is the founder and owner of Claire Place Veterinary Hospice in Ottawa, Ontario, one of the first practices in Canada devoted to end-of-life care for companion animals. You may remember her from The Art of Checking Your Phone. Lianna is one of the veterinarians who have contributed to the pet loss grief content i...

While much of our content on this podcast caters to senior pet care and the grief we endure in the days leading up to and after our last farewells, I love to bring you information about end of life pet photography sessions … with professional photographers. One Last Network has a small but growing directory where you can find professional photographers in your area to assist you in creating the ki...

Nestled on an 11-acre farmland in Rutledge, Georgia, sits a special rescue for dogs. The dream for pet and horse photographer Courtney Bryson, whom you may remember from The Art of Finding the Perfect Imperfect, and her wife Renee Ussery began when they helped on a hoarding case in August 2011. There were 35 Boston terriers, pugs and buggs, or Boston-pug mixes, in crisis. Local rescues teamed up a...

The big thing I love about today's guest is how she stresses the power of our relationships with our dogs. Dr. Julie Buzby has been an integrative veterinarian for nearly 20 years. She earned her certification from the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association in 1998 and from the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society in 2002. She blends traditional Western medicine with alternative...

One day, Sheryl Green realized people-pleasing was getting her nowhere. She had trouble saying no to friends and family, until she hit the old metaphorical brick wall. That's when she discovered what a boundary is. When Sheryl was growing up, she dreamed of becoming an FBI profiler and hunting down serial killers. A wicked cool job that would have been, if you ask me … I mean, I've seen al...

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Welcome to One Last Network and The Art of Finding the Love We Deserve. Julie Schurr has been a member of the LGBTQ2S+ community for more than 25 years. She has served the queer community in a number of ways, including educator, entertainer and advocate. An expat American living in Spain, Julie seeks to continue uplifting her chosen family through mindset and growth coaching, with a focus on grief...

Rev. Jennifer Cormier is a grief coach and earth-based ceremonial artist who brings 20 years of experience in the healing arts to help her clients move through life transitions and grief.  She is committed to the revolution of how we view death and walk with grief. The creator of a program called Walk Through Grief with Grace, she wants us all to shift our perspective to include our body in our gr...

In a world that often feels fast-paced and impersonal, dealing with grief can be an isolating and challenging experience. Go back to episode 49, The Art of Exploring the Loneliness Within, to hear my thoughts on why that isolation becomes compounded when we lose our beloved pets. When a companion animal leaves our physical world, our grief is profound and often misunderstood by people who haven&#3...

After the death of her son Jimmy in 2014, Margo Fowkes (Folks) created Salt Water, a blog and online community that provides a safe harbor for those who are grieving the death of someone dear to them. Inspired by Jimmy’s determination to live a rich, full life despite his cancer diagnosis, Salt Water’s articles and other resources focus on healing and building a new life in the aftermath of a deva...

Dennis Wormald loves to find creative ways to educate dog owners on the misconceptions of dog behavior. Based in Melbourne, Australia, Dennis has a Ph. D. in veterinary medicine, focused on canine anxiety. As a vet, he exclusively treats dogs with mental health conditions and come to him with a wide range of behavior issues, such as aggression or separation anxiety. He recently published his first...

A few weeks ago, I drove out to the northwest side of Spokane, so far northwest I was at the tip of the beautiful Riverside State Park. I met with Kit and Pete Jagoda, the founders of River's Wish Animal Sanctuary. River's Wish saves animal lives through rescue, education and advocacy. Kit and Pete strive to treat animals as individuals and to express their wonder and plight through visual...

Grief can bring with it periods of loneliness and isolation. Some may choose to find comfort in messages, hugs and social interactions after their pet's death, while others may need solitude to process their emotions and memories. Our founder, Angela Schneider of Big White Dog Photography in Spokane, Washington, has experienced both. In today's episode she explores the deep emotional conne...

Many dogs come to Dr. Masami Seplow after injury or when age is starting to attack their old bones and muscles. She gets them walking again. Dr. Seplow was born and raised in Japan where she earned her bachelor's degree in sociology and then moved to Miami, Florida, where she was working on her master's in Hospitality Management. Then she heard the call of the wild. Or rather the howl of a...

Welcome to One Last Network and The Art of Joy and Pain. One Last Network has a mission to provide you with the support and services you may need as your pets enter their twilight years and ultimately leave our physical world.   We are all pet photographers, and we are one of the services we encourage you to find so that you create beautiful, everlasting memories of the love you have for your best...

Welcome to One Last Network and The Art of Shuffling the Deck.   Erica Messer encountered tragedy in 2020. Just months after finding her soul cat, Wolfgang, he had an accident and left her physical world.   Her grief was overwhelming, especially since it was complicated with mental health issues.  Wolfgang's death broke her in many ways.  But like kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing cerami...

One Last Network founder Angela Schneider digs deep into the complex, intertwined emotions of guilt and grief.  Angela is a grief educator certified by David Kessler and grief.com and a pet loss grief companion certified by Two Hearts Pet Loss Center. Losing a pet can be an incredibly challenging and heartbreaking experience, and understanding the psychological aspects behind guilt and grief can h...

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge. When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, your pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water, and sunshine, and friends are warm and comfortable. All the animals who have been ill and old are restored to heal...