In March 2017, Adam Clark, LCSW, AASW, interviewed BrightHaven President and Founder Gail Pope for a Psychology Today article about animal hospice and natural death.
This information remains very relevant to those who are seeking an alternative to euthanasia for their beloved animal family member.
As you can see from our animal hospice guiding statement, although BrightHaven’s primary focus is on preparing for and achieving a natural death, we are certainly not opposed to euthanasia:
At BrightHaven, when an animal enters hospice care our expectation is that the animal will have a painless, loving, peaceful journey followed by a painless, loving, peaceful & natural death.
If a place is reached during that journey where the caregiver, the veterinarian AND the animal believe the animal to be in need of critical assistance, then euthanasia will be used.
We also believe that every animal caregiver should have as much information as possible to help them make the best choices for their animal and unique situation. We’ve listed a few of our resources below that will help you find your way.
Join the BrightHaven Family!
Thank you for spending this time with us. We hope this piece brought you comfort, insight, or a moment of reflection on your journey with your beloved companion. If you’d like to continue receiving thoughtful resources, stories, and guidance, you’re always welcome to stay connected with our BrightHaven community.
We truly appreciate your support!
