These slides accompanied a 30 min webinar - a brief introduction to pet berevement support - about the different aspects that make this subject so relevant to various professions as well as to every pet owner.
1. Welcome to the
Pet Bereavement Support Webinar Series
from
Webinar 1 of 6: An Introduction to Pet Bereavement Support
2. Welcome to the
Pet Bereavement Support Webinar Series
from
With Julia Dando MA – Training Manager, SCAS
3. Introduction to
Pet Bereavement Support
What will we be looking at today?
• Who is SCAS?
• What is Pet Bereavement Support?
• Who needs it and why?
• Who provides it and when?
• A look at the rest of the webinar series
4. Who is SCAS?
The Society for Companion Animal Studies (SCAS)
was established in 1979 to promote the study of
human-companion animal interactions and raise
awareness of the importance of pets in society.
Over the past thirty years SCAS has established itself
as the leading human-companion animal bond
organisation in the UK.
5. Pet Bereavement Support Service
Providing free telephone and email support to those
experiencing the loss of a pet - every day, 365 days a year
through a network of trained volunteers.
6. What is Pet Bereavement Support?
Sign-posting
Skills Empathy
Listening Understanding
Emotional Support
7. What is
Pet Bereavement Support?
Providing emotional support
is NOT counselling
Counselling:
• Is given by a qualified counsellor
• Is usually structured over a specified time and with a
formal agreement/contract
• Is usually goal-orientated with specified outcomes
• Involves monitoring, evaluation and regulations
8. Anyone can provide emotional support for a
person experiencing distress. Family
members, friends, colleagues and
professionals can all lend a listening ear.
17. Pet Bereavement Support
• Natural death e.g. heart failure • Leaving a violent partner,
• Accidental death e.g. RTA moving into a hostel – pet could
• PTS – euthanasia almost be temporarily fostered
unique to veterinary medicine • Divorce, separation
• Mandatory euthanasia e.g. • Natural disaster e.g. floods
FMD outbreak, Dangerous • Theft
Dogs Act (1991) • Straying
• Military transfer • PTS behaviour related
• Moving to residential
accommodation
• Imprisonment
18. Pet Bereavement Support
Each situation is
Unique
The circumstances of the loss, the relationship
and the strength of the bond, the people and
the pets involved, external influences,
support, etc
20. PBSS
established 1994
FREE telephone helpline
for bereaved pet owners
8.30am – 8.30pm
0800 096 6606
Email support:
pbssmail@bluecross.org.uk
Trained support volunteers
It’s not just for your clients!
21. Groomers
Dog wardens
Trainers
Family Counsellors
Friends Re-homing/
rescue centres
Kennels Welfare
officers
Veterinary Vet nurses
surgeons
Receptionists
22. Pet Bereavement Support Webinar Series
Webinar 2: Pet Bereavement and why losing a pet can be so hard for people
Wednesday 14th March 2012 @ 1pm
Webinar 3: Pet Bereavement - Loss and Grief
Wednesday 21st March 2012 @ 1pm
Webinar 4: Introducing the Pet Bereavement Support Service (Free)
Wednesday 28th March 2012 @ 1pm
Webinar 5: Pet Bereavement and providing support for people
Wednesday 18th April 2012 @ 1pm
Webinar 6: Pet Bereavement Support and developing protocols
Wednesday 25th April 2012 @ 1pm
23. Thank you for
your attention
Webinar 2
Pet Bereavement and
why losing a pet can
be so hard for people
Wednesday 14th March
2012 @ 1pm
Hinweis der Redaktion
Welcome to the first in a series of 6 webinars looking at Pet Bereavement Support
My name is Julia Dando and I work for The Society for Companion Animal Studies
Today is a brief introduction into the subject of Pet Bereavement Support – and really just touches on some of the areas that will be looked at in more detail throughout the rest of the series.
Together with the Blue Cross, SCAS developed and provide the Pet Bereavement Support Service.
What is bereavement? Bereavement = the loss of a significant other in one’s life Grief = a set of normal responses to loss, it incorporates emotional, physical and psychological symptoms or responses The differences between sympathy and empathy Skills – active listening skills (will help with the “I don’t know what to say”)
Physical contact/touching –only do if you are comfortable Often just a gentle touch on the hand or arm can convey a huge amount that words cannot Appropriate/inappropriate
How many of you have clients / or yourselves refer to your babies? For some people the bond will be stronger…..can you think of some? Elderly, lonely, ill, having been through a difficult time, belonged to their late spouse, reason for getting up in the morning Craig and Louis
Children will have special needs when dealing with the loss of a pet – it may be the first time that they experience a bereavement. There are things that can be done and plenty of resources available to support children and also the parents – who may be also dealing with their own grief as well as that of their child.
There are many reasons why a person may experience the loss of a pet…can you think of any?
Maybe a pet “needs to be euthanised” because a particular women’s shelter doesn’t take pets….there ARE some that DO…. Helpful for the vet to know. Dogs Trust shelter & RSPCA Residential homes…there are places that do take pets (cinnamon trust – scas pets for life)
http://www.scas.org.uk/2899/Pet-BereavementSupportWebinarSeries.html This 1 hour session looks at how the human-companion animal bond effects the relationship that people have with their pets and how it will impact upon them when they face the loss of their beloved pet. Who is more vulnerable at these times and why? You will hear examples of very strongly bonded relationships and have chance to share your own experiences. This webinar may be of interest to pet owners, friends and family of those with pets, and those working in professionas where clients might need support before, during and after losing a pet. When somebody loses someone that is significant in their life they suffer a bereavement. This extends very much to the animals in our lives and for some people losing a pet can be more traumatic and upsetting than losing a fellow human being. For every person loss and grief can present an individual and unique experience. This 1 hour session looks at how loss and grief can effect different people - the physical, mental, emotional and social reactions and implications that can be experienced during the grieving process. We also touch on anticipatory grief (when grieving might start even before the pet is lost) and responsibility grief (for people that are struggling with having to make a difficult decision). The Pet Bereavement Support Service has been giving free emotional support to those who may have lost a pet or have been effected by the loss of a pet since 1994. Open every day from 8.30am - 8.30pm the team of volunteers provide a vital port of call for those in need. This 30 min session looks at the work of the PBSS and the impact that it has had of the lives of many over the years. Whether you work in a veterinary practice, a rehoming or rescue centre, or maybe just know someone that is struggling due to the loss of a pet, this 1 hour session looks at some of the ways that you can provide support. Knowing what to say can be the biggest worry for people who are in a position where emotional support is needed. We will be taking a look at "active listening skills" and other tools and skills that can be helpful. There are lots of things that you can do to make things easier for everyone when there is a loss of a pet. This 1 hour session looks at what you can do in practice to make things easier for clients, colleagues, friends, family and yourself when you are involved with providing support for those experiencing the loss of a pet.